Welcome back to this week’s episode of Sit Down Startup! Today, host Adam O'Donnell sits down with Mark Doble, Co-Founder of Alexi, to explore his inspiring journey in the legal tech space and the challenges of achieving product-market fit while raising over $10 million in funding.

Join us as Mark shares his experiences transitioning from law to entrepreneurship, the pivotal moments that tested his resolve, and how Alexi is revolutionizing legal research through innovative AI solutions. He emphasizes the importance of conviction, adaptability, and understanding market needs in building a successful startup.

(00:00:00) The Low Points: Overcoming Adversity in the Early Days of Alexi

(00:03:40) From Law School to Startup: Finding the Path to Entrepreneurship

(00:09:23) The Turning Point: Achieving Product-Market Fit with Customer Validation

(00:15:40) First Principles Thinking: Innovating in Legal Tech Beyond Conventional Wisdom

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk for six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

In the latest episode of Sit Down Startup, Adam O'Donnell sits down with Daniel Saks, co-founder and CEO of Landbase, to delve into his entrepreneurial journey, including the successes and challenges he faced while building AppDirect. Daniel shares invaluable insights into the evolution of AppDirect, which has grown into a unicorn valued at over half a billion dollars, and how those experiences shaped his current venture, Landbase.

Discover the pivotal moments during the early days of AppDirect, including the struggle to achieve product-market fit and the lessons learned from facing rejection. Daniel discusses the transformative potential of agentic AI in generating predictable pipelines for businesses and how his team is working to address the pain points of lead generation for startups. Tune in for an engaging conversation about resilience, innovation, and the importance of maintaining conviction in your vision as a founder.

(00:00:19) The Early Entrepreneurial Spirit and Building AppDirect

(00:10:05) Overcoming Challenges on the Path to Product-Market Fit

(00:19:18) The Role of Agentic AI in Modern Business Strategies

(00:23:08) Insights on Conviction, Resilience, and the Future of Startups

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk for six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

In this latest episode of Sit Down Startup, Adam O'Donnell chats with Noam Solomon, CEO of Immunai, about his incredible journey from academia to building a groundbreaking biotech startup. Hear Noam's fascinating backstory growing up in Israel and his move to the U.S. for a postdoc at MIT and Harvard, and how that paved the way for the creation of Immunai. Learn about the challenges of navigating product-market fit in the deep science space and the responsibility that comes with managing significant funding. Noam also shares insights on the crucial balance between building innovative technology and staying closely connected with customer needs. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on the future of drug discovery and the importance of humility in research and entrepreneurship.

• 00:01:49: Noam’s Academic Journey and Move to the U.S.
• 00:08:16: The Weight of Managing Large-Scale Funding
• 00:16:46: Balancing Innovation and Customer Feedback
• 00:19:26: Advice for Founders and Navigating Challenges

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

Lemlist is an email outreach platform helping sales teams, agencies, and B2B businesses stand out in a crowded inbox. Speaking across the pond, France-based CEO and Co-Founder, Guillaume Moubeche, is in conversation with Prelini Udayan-Chiechi, Zendesk’s VP of Marketing, EMEA in London. Together, they chat about: 

- Prospecting techniques, and the “right time” to reach out—even during a pandemic

- The undervalued power of empathy in sales

- Aligning sales and support strategies

Anthony Kelly is the Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer of Glofox, an intuitive gym management software solution, which enables entrepreneurs to grow their own fitness business. From his home office in Dublin, Anthony chats with Zendesk’s Chief Marketing Officer (and fitness lover), Jeff Titterton. They discuss delivering experiences in a shifting world, including:

- Anthony’s tried-and-tested motto: “When the customer wins, we all win”

- Why the virtual fitness format is here to stay 

- How Glofox is evolving their customer base from boutique to enterprise gyms

Tymeshift’s Chief Brand Officer, Elisa Reggiardo, sits down with Zendesk’s Senior Director of Content and Event Marketing, Sarah Reed. While continents apart, the pair catch up on: 

Why support gets deprioritized by founders, and the power of support leaders driving efficient and engaged teams

The unique startup challenge: balancing team culture with growth and change

Making the most of workforce management solutions to build teams of all sizes

Derek Andersen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Startup Grind, a global community for educating and connecting entrepreneurs. He chats with Marcio Arnecke, Zendesk’s VP of Regional Marketing AMER, on the value of investing in community, especially in a post-COVID world.

Aura Founder and CEO, James Gutierrez, sits down with Zendesk CFO, Elena Gomez, to share Aura’s mission to provide affordable, credit-building loans to working families in America. While pretending to sip cortados in a coffee shop, they chat:

• James’s personal journey building Aura, and his motivation to open doors for low-income families
• Adapting to COVID-19 by arming customers with “moral collateral”, making customer experiences more digital, and offering “pay what you can” options
• Leading with compassion, and how empathy drives Aura’s startup culture—and success

Welcome to the latest episode of Sit Down Startup! This week Adam O'Donnell hosts Inspectify co-founder and CEO Josh Jensen who leverages his diverse background in engineering and real estate to revolutionize property inspections for single-family homes. Josh brings a unique perspective to the tech space, emphasizing the importance of capturing comprehensive home data to support decision-making. His journey, marked by early-stage company experiences and real estate investment, shaped his belief in the necessity of efficiency and transparency, especially in startup operations. Despite setbacks, Josh remains committed to iterating based on customer feedback and actively engaging in sales to ensure Inspectify meets market needs effectively.

(00:03:34) Navigating Layoffs: Lessons for Founders

(00:07:19) Iterative Evolution of Target Customer Fitting

(00:14:01) Direct Founder Sales Engagement for Startup Success

(00:18:24) Operational Success through Transparency in Startups

Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

Host Adam O'Donnell is back with this week's episode of Sit Down Startup with guest Zuben Mathews, co-founder and CEO of the financial health app Brigit. Mathews draws from his own experiences of financial hardship and his background in economics to address the critical issue of product-market fit in financial technology. He also emphasizes the importance of listening closely to the core pain points of customers, such as financial stress from living paycheck to paycheck, lack of credit score, and insufficient savings.

Learn more about how Mathews advocates for swiftly transitioning from extensive research to real-world testing, as real-world feedback offers invaluable insights that can refine and perfect the product. Moreover, the founder stresses the need for truly understanding market needs and gaining customer trust, seeing these as essential components for achieving product-market fit and creating impactful financial solutions that can alleviate financial stress. Stream the full episode now.

(00:08:15) Employee Job Security Amid Covid Crisis

(00:12:45) Data-Driven Overdraft Solution Development Journey

(00:16:24) User Engagement through Market Research for Growth

(00:20:41) Targeted Online Advertising for Financial Stress Relief

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

In this insightful episode of Sit Down Startup, Ashok Subramanian, founder of Centivo, shares his incredible journey from immigrant roots to becoming a successful startup entrepreneur. With $150 million raised, Ashok discusses the challenges and triumphs of disrupting the traditional employer health insurance market to make healthcare affordable for all. From his early days in Buffalo, New York, to obtaining his MBA at Stanford, and eventually founding Centivo, Ashok's story is a testament to perseverance and innovation. He also delves into the nuances of achieving product-market fit, the importance of character and integrity in business, and the lessons learned along the way. Tune into Adam O'Donnell's latest founder interview to gain valuable insights and inspiration from Ashok's remarkable entrepreneurial journey.

(00:04:37) Affordable Healthcare Solutions for Underserved Americans

(00:11:29) Scaling Success: A Multi-Year Journey

(00:16:02) Optimizing Founder Time Allocation for Growth Strategy

(00:20:58) Navigating Entrepreneurial Hurdles for Startup Success

Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

Join host Adam O'Donnell on the latest episode of Sit Down Startup. This week, Jason Barsema, a former financial advisor specializing in managing portfolios for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, has emerged as a groundbreaking figure in disrupting the structured notes market. Barsema initially sought to eliminate the counterparty risk of big banks by using listed options and cash to replicate structured notes, but faced challenges in product adoption due to custodial limitations. Undeterred, he strategically pivoted to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of structured notes, much like Netflix adapted its model in response to technological constraints. This shift led to the creation of Halo, a platform that democratizes access to structured notes, making them available to retail investors and addressing the savings crisis, thus revolutionizing a $3 trillion market.

• (00:03:18) Revolutionizing Structured Notes Accessibility Through Innovation
• (00:08:45) Efficient Structured Notes Revolutionize Financial Products Market
• (00:13:24) Structured Notes: The Path to Profitability
• (00:18:23) Leveraging Financial Advisors for Business Growth Strategy

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

Join us on the newest episode of Sit Down Startup as Jo Riley, founder of Censia, shares her inspiring journey from the FBI to launching a disruptive AI-driven platform. Host Adam O'Donnell and Jo discuss the importance of persistence, the value of customer feedback, and how Censia is transforming the way companies find and manage talent. Whether you're a founder or an aspiring entrepreneur, Jo's story of resilience, innovation, and customer obsession provides invaluable insights.

00:01:08 - Background: Jo’s early life and introduction to intelligence.

00:04:25 - Transition from the FBI to entrepreneurship.

00:10:45 - The turning point and early struggles in raising venture capital.

00:12:24 - Hitting product-market fit and scaling Sentia.

00:29:58 - Using customer feedback to guide product development.

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

Welcome back to Sit Down Startup!

Seth Sternberg, co-founder of Honor ($625M raised), a company dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by senior citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic, was heavily influenced by his upbringing in Connecticut and his entrepreneurial spirit. Sternberg's experiences during the pandemic greatly shaped his perspective on its challenges.

Acknowledging the significant impact of the pandemic on his business, which involves sending care professionals into the homes of older adults, Sternberg was faced with the realization of potential risks and the survival of the company.

Despite these daunting challenges, Sternberg emphasized the necessity of resilience, adaptability, and finding creative solutions to ensure the safety of both employees and clients. Implementing strict infection control protocols and policies, Sternberg showcases his deep-rooted motivation to contribute positively to society, especially during times of crisis.

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

Welcome to the latest episode of Sit Down Startup, where host Adam O'Donnell explores FLYR Labs’ founder and CEO Alex Mans' meteoric rise with $400M raised, #boom!

Transitioning from a consumer-focused model predicting ticket prices to a B2B powerhouse, they're now strategically collaborating with airlines to optimize pricing. Adam and Alex discuss why pivoting to high-margin, recurring revenue streams with big companies was a game-changer for their business model.

Also critical to success are the strong personal relationships FLYR Labs has forged with airline C-suite executives, key in securing lucrative contracts. Finally, Adam and Alex tackle the criticism airlines face for poor data management and how FLYR Labs' machine learning solutions are setting new industry standards.

Don't miss this high-altitude discussion!

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

In this episode of Sit Down Startup, join Laura Behrens Wu, founder of the multimillion-dollar shipping platform Shippo, as she reveals the pivotal moments that led to staggering growth and product-market fit success. Discover Shippo's journey using customer retention tactics (8:12), an API-first strategy (13:33), and conquering the Shopify App Store with a savvy inbound marketing approach (00:35:15). Listen to this interview for a deep dive into the game-changing approaches Shippo took to thrive in the competitive e-commerce space.

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

In the latest episode of Sit Down Startup, uncover Sami Inkinen's entrepreneurial journey, [00:11:28] beginning with how seizing the opportunity in his 20s set the stage for a phenomenal career. Sami shares his groundbreaking strides in [00:19:51] revolutionizing residential real estate with interactive maps, helping Trulia achieve an unparalleled product-market fit. Venturing into health tech, [00:36:53] Sami discusses Virta Health's mission to reverse diabetes through nutrition, not pharmaceuticals. This episode is nothing short of a masterclass in unwavering commitment, diving headfirst into entrepreneurship, and fostering a genuine passion for success in work. Host Adam O'Donnell steers this insightful conversation to inspire and equip startup founders on their journey to market fit.

Apply to join the Zendesk for Startups program and use Zendesk free for six months. Provide your customers with exceptional customer experiences from day one: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

Welcome back to this week’s episode of Sit Down Startup! Today, host Adam O'Donnell sits down with Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, to delve into the intricate dynamics of sustaining product-market fit in the ever-evolving landscape of B2B SaaS.

Join us as Randy shares his unique journey from military leadership to the helm of a transformative billing and revenue management company. He discusses how Maxio is redefining the standards of product-market fit, particularly in a market increasingly influenced by AI and changing customer needs. Randy highlights the critical importance of continuous adaptation, competitive differentiation, and the metrics that truly matter for long-term success.

(00:00:15) The Journey of Maxio: Merging Innovation with Customer-Centric Solutions

(00:04:39) Understanding Product-Market Fit: A Continuous Journey, Not a Destination

(00:12:29) Metrics that Matter: Navigating Growth and Retention in B2B SaaS

(00:21:31) Listening to the Market: How Maxio Adapts to Changing Customer Demands

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk for six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

Sam Li, co-founder and CEO of Thoropass, has a rich background. His perspective on achieving product-market fit as a startup founder is rooted in resourcefulness, curiosity, and adaptability. Here are some cool parts of the episode to check out!

(00:02:18) Navigating Rookie Mistakes as a Founder

(00:07:48) The Importance of Intellectual Honesty in Pivoting

(00:12:36) Discovering Customer Pain Points for Product Market Fit

(00:19:50) Framework Thinking and Curiosity: Sam Li's Superpowers

Apply to join the Zendesk for Startups program and use Zendesk free for six months. Provide your customers with exceptional customer experiences from day one: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

In this insightful episode, Red Panda's founder, Alex Gallego, embarks on a comprehensive exploration of the entrepreneurial journey.

[00:02:33] He reveals the intertwining of personal struggles and leadership challenges, while advocating for a more supportive startup community.

[00:10:36] Alex unpacks his ever-evolving CEO priorities; from achieving product-market fit in the early stages to focusing on team recruitment and understanding market structure later on.

[00:18:49] He underscores the critical importance of a remarkable Developer Experience in tech product development. Citing Red Panda's embrace by Fortune 1000 companies and governments, he emphasizes the pivotal role of swift and efficient software installation. Tune in for a deep-dive into leadership resilience, strategic CEO priorities, and the undeniable value of heightening user experience.

Sit Down Startup is back with Arjun Narayan, founder of Materialize, who shares how they nearly hit product-market fit before their MVP was ready! Host Adam O'Donnell dives into Arjun's journey from India to raising $100M+ (1:40) and revolutionizing real-time data processing with Materialize (00:45). Founders will appreciate the dialogue on tech database funding and the role of investor expertise (16:16). Tune in for more!

Shoutout to this episode's partners Capchase and FounderPass!

Capchase - non-dilutive growth financing solution for SaaS companies. Email Ian.Garrett@capchase.com and mention this podcast to get 10% off.

FounderPass is the perk and discount platform for startups, giving over $1million of discounts on software, tools and business services. Click here for more.

In this new episode of Sit Down Startup, Adam interviews Sentry's founder David Cramer, who shares insights from his illustrious journey that led to successfully raising $217 million. Tune in as David delves into diverse topics such as unraveling unique product monetization, cultivating unwavering belief in success (00:05:41), the power of focus and core concepts (00:08:45), and managing feedback at scale (00:18:37). The conversation touches upon customer engagement wisdom: distinguishing valuable feedback and exploring how focus and determination pave the path to tech success. David emphasizes the criticality of aligning with prospects who inherently understand and connect with your vision rather than convincing all.

Thank you to this week's partners Ignition and Slack!

Ignition is a GTM operating system which helps unlock revenue opportunity by aligning product, marketing, and sales teams around new market initiative launches, with a single suite for planning, execution, and measurement. Zendesk Startups members get 90% off Ignition for their first year when they enter the coupon code ZENDESK90 at checkout. http://haveignition.com

Check out Slack for 25% off Slack Pro - Unlock features like huddles, Slack Connect, automations and unlimited apps in Slack. http://slack.com/promo/partner?remote_promo=1d1d4669

In this week's episode of Sit Down Startup, get to know Donald Muir, the creator and driving force behind Arc, a digital bank crafted for the tech-savvy crowd. As an experienced business leader with a keen desire for breakthroughs, Muir's interpretations of the explosion and teamwork in online banking post-SVB collapse (2:45) come from his hands-on experience of building Arc from scratch.

Muir underlines the value of a dynamic digital bank that blends the personalized touch of a bank like First Republic with the fail-safe security and solidity of a mega-bank such as Goldman Sachs. He's a staunch advocate for cross-departmental cooperation and harmony (10:00) with an execution-focused mindset (20:42). Join host Adam O'Donnell for this latest episode.

Thank you to this episode's partners EXEC and Sprinto!

EXEC is an all-in-one benefits solution designed to empower the modern leader—with unparalleled travel and lifestyle benefits for individuals and organizations. Use promo code ZEN200 to save $200 off your EXEC annual membership access at joinexec.com.

Ambitious cloud companies all over the world trust Sprinto to power their security compliance programs and sprint through security audits without breaking their stride. Startups can get up to 40% off their first year through our Sprinto Ignite program. Click here: https://sprinto.com/

Join us for the latest episode of Sit Down Startup! Anyone want to order a pizza? You're in luck. This week's guest Ilir Sela is the founder and CEO of Slice, a platform that "builds innovative tech to empower America’s independent pizzerias." Sounds delicious!

Ilir dives into...

• Fax-machine-MVP - meet the customer where they are
• Why he bootstrapped to $40M GMV vs. raising sooner
• What he looked for in a VC partner
• And more!

Shoutout to our partners DocSend and The Launch Box!

DocSend: DocSend allows you to securely share your pitch deck and streamline fundraising - with DocSend, you maintain control over sensitive fundraising documents, know which investors are engaging with your decks and get real-time, actionable feedback with document analytics.

Founders can get up to 90% off DocSend for a year by filling out the form here: https://try.docsend.com/zendesk

The Launch Box: The Launch Box is a boutique marketing services firm that is on a mission to help more founders succeed by embedding established marketing principles into their company DNA from day 1. Take our FREE STARTUP QUIZ to assess the market fit of your new business and get actionable advice on what you can do next to accelerate your path to market and optimize your chances at success. https://thelaunchboxus.com/startup-quiz

Jeremy Wood's solution, OpenStore, offers these founders the option to sell their businesses or have OpenStore operate and run the stores on their behalf. This innovative approach has not only provided a lifeline for many e-commerce founders but has also positioned OpenStore as a major player in the e-commerce market. Join Adam O'Donnell and Jeremy Wood as they delve deeper into this topic on the next episode of Sit Down Startup.

Lark is a next-generation team productivity suite that boosts organisations' efficiency, creativity, and engagement.

Get 6 months of free access to Lark Pro by joining Lark for Startups program: https://www.larksuite.com/paid/startup

Raion.io is creating the worlds best user experience for founders to engage with investors. Access exclusive discounts and credits from the company's, "including Zendesk" supporting your startup...and connect with Americas leading investors at Raion.io. Learn more at https://raion.io/

Ryan Denehy discussed the importance of overcoming self-doubt in the early stages of a startup. He shares his own experiences, practical advice, and data-driven insights that can help founders navigate the competitive business landscape.

Thank you to this week's partners Aktie Now and WorknetGPT!

Aktie Now has a special offer for startups joining the Zendesk for Startups program: Zendesk Express implementation - Have your Zendesk up and running, fully configured to your processes, including training to your team, with 40% discount, so you make sure you are making the most of your Zendesk! Click here to access discount.

WorknetGPT powers support teams in Zendesk with bi-directional integration to Slack. Automate your work using WorknetGPT - get suggested responses, automatic tagging, sentiment analysis and ticket routing. Click here for more.

Atrium, a software company co-founded by Pete Kazanjy in 2016, has achieved more business success with fewer Sales Development Representatives (SDRs). This accomplishment can be credited to their strong inbound game and their valuable content that educates and provides insights to their community of 35,000 members. 

Atrium's software helps businesses implement data-driven sales management by monitoring KPIs and providing alerts. Host Adam O'Donnell also discusses the challenges of business growth and the importance of experiencing low moments and failure as indicators of pushing boundaries with Pete in this latest episode of Sit Down Startup.

This week's partner shout out goes to two partners:
First, Yext - a content management hub to build consumer grade experiences. Check out their $35,000 credit offer. https://www.yext.com/try/startups Use code ZendeskYS2022

And be sure to check out Forecastr. They make financial modeling easy for founders. Receive 20% OFF your first-year of Forecastr + Waived Implementation Fees + FREE Listing on INVESTOR CONNECT. bit.ly/3s9OE33

The success of Epidemic Sound, a platform for content creators and music artists, is a testament to the skill, and creativity of Oscar Hoglund and his team. Despite the numerous legal and financial obstacles they encountered, they refused to give up on their mission and took the fight to Brussels to change copyright laws and protect artists from exploitation.

The key to their success was their passion for the project and the support of those around them. Through their dedication, they were able to create a platform that grants content creators easy access to music while ensuring artists are fairly compensated for their work.

Every.io does AI-enabled bookkeeping and taxes. We're offering 100% off bookkeeping in 2023. https://calendly.com/d/y5c-hm7-y6x/every-io-zendesk-deal?month=2023-07

Welcome back to Sit Down Startup! In this week's episode, host Adam O'Donnell sits down with Kaustav Das, co-founder of Efficient Capital Labs, a pioneering venture focused on transforming funding for SaaS founders. Join us as Kaustav shares his remarkable journey in navigating the complexities of cross-border financing and the critical importance of achieving product-market fit.

Discover the invaluable insights Kaustav gained about understanding customer pain points, the challenges of raising capital, and the strategic pivots that led to his company's success. Learn how Efficient Capital Labs, which has raised over $120 million, is bridging the funding gap and empowering SaaS founders to thrive in a competitive landscape.

(00:01:10) The Journey Begins: Researching the SaaS Landscape

(00:07:45) Understanding Customer Pain Points: The Key to Product-Market Fit

(00:15:20) Navigating Cross-Border Funding Challenges

(00:22:00) The Transformative Moment: From Idea to Execution

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk for six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

Tailscale has been a huge success, raising over $113 million and growing to 80 employees. They discovered that if developers love the product, they will tell their decision makers in their organization to buy it, and the money will follow. To ensure customer satisfaction, they use Net Promoter Score to move people from the middle to the top and offer free support for everyone, even those on the zero dollar plan.

NachoNacho is a marketplace for B2B SaaS, a single platform for you to manage all your SaaS payments using virtual credit cards, discover new & relevant SaaS using AI and deep learning, and get massive discounts on more than 500 SaaS products.

Offer: Zendesk customers get 50% lifetime discount on NachoNacho membership fees. https://nachonacho.com/partner/zendesk

Vishal Sunak, Founder of LinkSquares, shares his journey of building software for legal teams. Listen as he speaks to Sit Down Startup's host Adam O'Donnell about raising $161 million over five rounds of venture capital, overcoming fundraising struggles, and unlocking the secrets to growth. 

Discover the importance of building a strong product, founder-led sales, and knowledge assembly, as well as how to validate product ideas before building solutions. 

Vishal also gives invaluable advice on understanding buyers as well as his superpower as a founder. Don't miss out on this engaging and informative episode packed with valuable insights that every founder should know.

Join Adam O'Donnell on Sit Down Startup as he sits down with David Cummings, the founder of Pardot, which eventually sold to Salesforce. In this episode, they discuss pivoting from unsuccessful strategies, customer discovery, and marketing automation platform, while sharing their personal stories of startup challenges.

Adam O'Donnell sits down with Elliot Shmukler, former Chief Growth Officer at Instacart and co-founder of Anomalo, to discuss the challenges data teams face in detecting and solving data quality issues using machine learning.

Despite the initial failure of their product to meet customer needs, Anomalo was able to grow 10x ARR during the big recession by listening to customer feedback and building a fully-featured product to address gaps in their initial product.

Elliot emphasizes the importance of talking to customers regularly and trusting your gut when experimenting with ideas. Through a shared Slack channel and regular office hours, Anomalo maintains its customer feedback loop, leading to successful customer experiences for their notable clients like Discover Financial, Buzzfeed, and Notion.

This episode provides invaluable advice for any startup founder looking to develop a successful product that meets the needs of their customers.

Welcome to the Sit Down Startup podcast, where host Adam O'Donnell interviews entrepreneurs and startup founders about their inspirational stories.

In this episode, Adam brings in Ami Luttwak, the CTO and co-founder of Wiz, one of the largest cloud security companies. Ami shares the hands-on culture of the company, where all managers do the work themselves, and explains how they identified a gap in the market by combining vulnerability, application, network exposure, and identity analysis. Together, they discuss the success of Wiz, how the COVID-19 pandemic was actually beneficial to their product development, and the importance of focusing on the customers' needs.

Listen now and be inspired by their entrepreneurial journey!

Glean was founded in 2019 as an AI-powered workplace search engine aimed at helping people browse through their company apps to find the information they need and boost productivity. Since then, Glean has raised $155M+ and grown to 200+ employees while staying true to its initial mission.

In this episode its founder, Arvind Jain, shares his experience and provides a few key insights:

• Ask the hard questions. Make sure prospective clients are willing and able to implement what you’re offering.

• Quantify the problem. Prove the value of your product by quantifying the problem your customers face.

• Sell at the top. Pitch your product to key leaders such as CIOs, and let the word spread internally.

Jesse Lipson initially thought he would become a philosophy professor — until he took a job with a startup that changed his career path. After founding his first company Sharefile in 2005, he sold it to Citrix in late 2011 for almost $100M. And in October 2017 he established Levitate, which helps relationship-based businesses keep in touch with clients in a more personal and authentic way.

This entrepreneur offers a few insights from his career to date:

• Acquisitions are a rollercoaster. Deals can take months to finalize and it’s important to maintain focus while they’re ongoing.

• Do the hard work. Attracting customers doesn’t happen overnight, so be prepared to go the extra mile.

• Be data-driven. The benefits of testing and measuring everything outweigh the costs.

During Truora’s first year, they raised no money. Four years later, this customer-engagement and WhatsApp-first startup has come a long way, with 8M USD in ARR, 14M USD in revenue, and presence across seven Latin American countries.

Co-Founder and CEO Daniel Bilbao shares his tips for founders looking to succeed:  

• Hire the best people you can. Talent comes first; good recruiting never fails.

• Do the homework beforehand. Spend time on the setup and talk to founders before going to market.

• Don’t avoid the “no”. If you tell someone all the cons and they’re still interested in your product or service, the deal is likely to go through.

When Chris Ebeling co-founded entertainment company Virtually Human back in 2018, Blockchain was just becoming popular. Since then, the company has raised $21M+ and their online horse racing game ZED RUN gained an impressive following. 

In this episode, Chris talks to Adam about his experience launching in the digital world and shares a few tips:  

• Innovation comes with risks. Don’t be afraid to seek advice; be transparent and self-critical.

• Nothing is permanent. If you believe in an idea, don’t overthink it — start making it a reality.

• Involve the community. When your product is in beta, let your users weigh in on what is and isn’t working.

Zapier has one mission: to help companies use automation to connect tools and apps so data can automatically move between them. The business was founded in 2012 and their remote team has since expanded worldwide across 40 countries.

Founder Mike Knoop shared some takeaways from their 11-year journey so far:

• Stay patient. Growth is organic, so be prepared to play the long game.

• Tap into search. Creating landing pages will make your product more visible to potential customers.

• Always look ahead. Where do you want your company to be heading?

Welcome back to this Thanksgiving week's episode of Sit Down Startup! Today, host Adam O'Donnell sits down with Angie Westbrock, CEO of Standard AI, to explore her inspiring journey from the manufacturing sector to leading a cutting-edge retail technology company.

Discover how Standard AI pivoted from autonomous checkout to leveraging computer vision for retail analytics, unlocking valuable insights for retailers. Angie shares her experiences navigating the challenges of product-market fit, the importance of understanding customer needs, and the strategic decisions that led to their recent success.

(00:00:15) The Evolution of Standard AI: From Autonomous Checkout to Computer Vision

(00:04:39) Navigating the Pivot: Lessons Learned as a New CEO

(00:12:29) The Discovery Phase: Balancing Research and Execution

(00:21:31) Understanding Customer Experience: Shifting Focus in B2B Markets

Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk for six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

Back in 2008, when mobile apps were the talk of the town, Mark Ghermezian had an idea: build a bridge between app developers and users. That was the seed for Braze, a customer engagement platform, which has grown to 1200+ employees and 3.5M+ monthly active users. 

In this episode, Mark tells his story and teaches us a few lessons:

• Iteration is key. Listen to feedback from designers and people using your app in order to innovate. 

• Trust the process. Sometimes the market won’t be ready for your product, but when it is, you’ll be ready to deliver. 

• Choose your market. Every customer requires a specific approach — whether they are enterprise, long tail, or mid-market.

Cristina Fonseca, our very own VP of Product, knows a thing or two about being a founder. She has set up two companies specializing in CX: Talkdesk, back in 2011 (right after college!), which went on to raise over 250M USD; and Cleverly in 2017, now acquired by Zendesk. 

In this one-to-one with Adam, she shares her experience: 

• Build trust. Stay present and proactively communicate with your customers. 

• Be aware of the market. If there is more than one company offering the same product, that means the demand is there.

• Share your knowledge. Make sure your team is aware of what the goal and product are, and use disagreements as an opportunity to reach compromises.

When Ashutosh Garg founded talent intelligence platform Eightfold AI in 2016, he had one clear goal in mind: to help businesses hire and retain the best professionals out there. The company has since grown to almost 700 employees and has raised $400M.

Ashutosh sat down to discuss Eightfold’s journey with Adam, sharing a few learnings along the way:

• Strike the right balance. Both a lack of and overconfidence will stop you from going anywhere.

• Keep evolving. Adapting to market changes in order to maintain product market fit is crucial.

• Come up with your pitch market fit first. Do you have a story and vision that the market needs?

Howard Lerman founded tech company Yext in 2006, recording revenues of $100M during his final quarter as CEO. In November 2022, he started building his next project: Roam, an all-in-one Cloud HQ — and predicts it’s going to be even bigger. 

The entrepreneur joined Adam for a chat to share some key insights and strategies from his +20 years’ experience: 

• Make customers love you. Happy clients will get you everywhere.
• Try and try again. There’s no single magic trick to growth — except to try everything.
• Growth isn’t the be all, end all. There are other ways to measure success.

In 2013, e-commerce platform Shift set out with one simple mission: to make car sales and purchases a seamless experience. The company began accelerating in late 2015 before they went public in 2020, and last year recorded revenues of 630M USD, selling vehicles in all 50 US states.

Co-Founder Toby Russell joined Adam to share a few insights from their journey:  

• Keep it simple. When scaling, don’t try to do too much at once.
• Make your mission matter. Will your idea have an impact on people’s everyday lives?
• A little humility goes a long way. Trust in your team instead of doing everything yourself.

Carbon emission tracking company Sweep was founded in June 2020. In just over two years, they have evolved to employ +80 people across Europe and the United States and, in less than 12 months, raised an impressive 100M USD.
We sat down with Co-Founder & CEO, Rachel Delacour, who shared some key learnings:  

• Test your product with friends. Get in touch with past clients or contacts to present your new idea.

• Pick up the phone. Talk to big brands to get your product out to the markets and generate trust.

• Understand the need. Make sure that you are supplying a solution to an actual need in the industry. 

Founded in 2019 with the goal of offering a simple solution for hiring freelancers and contractors internationally, Deel pivoted just a week before demo day. They restructured their program and grew to over 1,900 employees, 10K+ customers worldwide and raised $600M+. 

Here are the key takeaways from our chat with Co-Founder & CEO, Alex Bouaziz:

• Time is money. Move fast and see what sticks — you are defined by your growth. 
• Be customer-centric. Have strong customer empathy and work hard to maintain their appreciation for your product.
• Put your hands in the “mud”. You need to be able to fully understand and do the job yourself before you hire other people.

Mercury, a banking service for startups, was launched in 2019 but their business idea had been brewing since 2013. Mercury has now grown to 357 employees and tens of thousands of customers. 

CEO & Co-Founder Immad Akhund joined us to share some advice:

• Classic strategies work. Encourage your investors to talk about you on social media to get word-of-mouth going.

• Show ambition. Make sure your message encapsulates the scale of what you’re trying to achieve. 

• Get talking. Participate in podcasts or start your own and chat with other founders.

Founded in 2017, Pilot is a platform that offers bookkeeping, tax and CFO services for growing businesses. From a team of 10 to now 400, Pilot helps thousands of startups — crediting their speed, responsiveness and going above and beyond for customers as key to their growth.

We sat down with CEO & Co-Founder, Waseem Daher, who shared his biggest takeaways:

• Be ‘in the weeds’. Stay close to the delivery of your product or service and know what your customer base is up to.
• Engage with your customers. Talk to them to understand what they are thinking and feeling.
• Move fast and get things done. Pick up on common themes from sales calls or support tickets and quickly address them.

In 2010, Beats by Dre saw a huge opportunity to pivot and make a mark. They were able to uniquely combine the world of sports and music in a way people hadn’t seen before. A clear vision and authentic messaging helped differentiate themselves. 

We talked with former CMO, Omar Johnson, who shared insights from Beats’ early days: 

• Set clear objectives. Find an authentic place for your product. 

• Discover interesting ways to tell the same story. Come up with a clear and simple focus and apply that message to different contexts.

• Listen to people’s needs. Pay attention to real human behaviors — listening is what sparks big ideas.