Sit Down Startup: Recent Episodes
Zendesk
Here’s how to startup. Even when the world goes topsy-turvy.
From one home office to another, Zendesk leaders chat with founders, CEOs, and makers on their startup journey. There’s rule-flipping, new dogma and recycling failure into growth.
Plus, why customer experience is at the heart of success, as told by people who know unpredictability inside out. (That seems pretty helpful right now.)
Welcome back to Sit Down Startup! In this week's episode, host Adam O'Donnell sits down with Scott Stevenson, co-founder and CEO of Spellbook, the first generative AI copilot for lawyers, to discuss his remarkable journey in the legal tech space.
Uncover the invaluable insights Scott gained about resilience, the struggles of achieving product-market fit, and the transformative power of large language models in revolutionizing legal document management. Learn how Spellbook, which has raised over $30 million, found its breakthrough after years of iteration and perseverance.
(00:01:12) Overcoming Legal Fees: The Inspiration Behind Spellbook
(00:06:30) The Loneliness of the Founder: Facing Investor Pressure
(00:12:28) The Aha Moment: Discovering the Power of LLMs
(00:19:40) The Importance of a Clear Marketing Message
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 episode, Adam O'Donnell sits down with Driss Benamour, co-founder and CEO of Exponential.fi, to explore the journey of building a decentralized finance platform amidst the challenges of the crypto winter. Driss shares his insights on achieving product-market fit by focusing on user needs and simplifying access to DeFi investments. He discusses the importance of maintaining conviction during tough times and the pivotal moment that led to the creation of their innovative risk assessment tool, "Rate My Wallet." Tune in to learn how Exponential.fi is transforming the investment landscape for crypto holders.
- 00:00 - Introduction to Exponential.fi and its mission to simplify DeFi access
- 01:17 - Driss shares a low moment during the crypto winter and how they pivoted
- 05:57 - The development and impact of the "Rate My Wallet" feature
- 15:25 - Insights on achieving product-market fit and the importance of user feedback
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, Adam O'Donnell sits down with Jensen Harris, co-founder and CEO of Textio, to explore his remarkable journey in the world of AI-driven management solutions. Jensen shares how Textio has evolved over the past decade, transforming the way managers deliver feedback and recruit talent in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Discover the challenges Jensen faced during the early days of Textio, including navigating the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, and learn how he and his team pivoted to adapt to a rapidly changing market. Jensen emphasizes the power of storytelling in marketing and how utilizing data-driven insights helped Textio connect with major enterprise clients. Tune in for an enlightening conversation about resilience, innovation, and the continuous quest for product-market fit in the tech industry.
(00:00:19) AI Solutions for Feedback and Team Management
(00:10:05) Enhancing Recruitment and Team Management Through AI
(00:19:18) Data Storytelling for Customer Engagement Strategy
(00:23:08) Personalized Enterprise Sales Approach with Data-Analytics
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! Today, host Adam O'Donnell sits down with Tigran Sloyan, an MIT alumnus and the co-founder and CEO of CodeSignal, to discuss his remarkable journey to the forefront of innovation.
Uncover the invaluable insights Tigran gained about resilience, adaptability, and the necessity of continuous product evolution. Learn how CodeSignal, which has raised almost $100M, achieved product-market fit by shifting focus to advanced talent assessment tools.
Here's the takeaway: navigating the path to product-market fit is a dynamic process that demands a clear long-term vision and the agility to pivot in response to market needs.
Stream this episode of our Zendesk for Startups podcast for an inspiring dialogue on the future of talent discovery and the power of embracing change in entrepreneurship.
(00:12:53) Balancing Supply and Demand in Talent Marketplaces
(00:14:04) Transitioning to Software for Sustainable Growth
(00:16:29) Navigating Founder's Identity Amid Company Pivots
(00:18:41) Iterative Evolution to Achieve Product-Market Fit
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 chats with Lauren Salz, co-founder and CEO of Sealed, about her unexpected journey from aspiring musician to leading a revolutionary home energy startup.
Discover the invaluable lessons Lauren learned about resilience, adaptability, and the importance of continuous product evolution, and hear how Sealed found its product-market fit by transitioning from in-person sales to a streamlined phone-based sales process. The lesson? Sometimes you need to pivot from even successful ventures to better align with market demands. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on the future of home energy and embracing change in entrepreneurship.
(00:10:25) Resilience and Adaptability in Entrepreneurship
(00:14:53) Continuous evolution for product-market fit success
(00:19:23) Embracing Change for Business Growth
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 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
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
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!
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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
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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.
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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 the Jeremy Wood, OpenStore podcast.
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.
- The Early Days: Selling the Product and Finding Customers
- Understanding Product-Market Fit
- Avoiding the Pitfalls of Scaling
- Practical Strategies for Prioritization and Focus
- The Importance of Customer Conversations and Self-Awareness
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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. https://forecastrbeta.typeform.com/to/Ls2659os?__hstc=214461320.967743ae1e27af771d721b70d520b7d5.1669917970238.1675362705643.1675365339101.60&__hssc=214461320.1.1675365339101&__hsfp=2345164724&hsCtaTracking=d4be50be-e37b-4a3c-ba8d-61001abe8b1c%7C74936f8a-63da-40c9-b6e0-13a0e4c956d6&typeform-source=www.forecastr.co
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.
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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.
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?
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.
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:
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Test your product with friends. Get in touch with past clients or contacts to present your new idea.
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Pick up the phone. Talk to big brands to get your product out to the markets and generate trust.
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Understand the need. Make sure that you are supplying a solution to an actual need in the industry.
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 1,300 employees, 10K customers worldwide and raised +600M dollars.
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:
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Classic strategies work. Encourage your investors to talk about you on social media to get word-of-mouth going.
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Show ambition. Make sure your message encapsulates the scale of what you’re trying to achieve.
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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:
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Set clear objectives. Find an authentic place for your product.
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Discover interesting ways to tell the same story. Come up with a clear and simple focus and apply that message to different contexts.
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Listen to people’s needs. Pay attention to real human behaviors — listening is what sparks big ideas.
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.
In only three years, financial planning company Origin grew from 20 to more than 150 employees and raised over 70 million USD. While only beginning their journey, the company — created to help employers answer their employees’ tough questions about financial benefits — has found success by focusing on solutions for real-world problems.
We sat down with Co-Founder & CEO Matt Watson, who shared tips from his experience:
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Run towards the pain of your customer. Find out what you can take off their plate.
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Tell your story. Gain trust in the industry by showing up and making yourself known.
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Be resilient. Expect adversity and stay true to why you started the company.
In only three years, financial planning company Origin grew from 20 to more than 150 employees and raised over 70 million USD. While only beginning their journey, the company — created to help employers answer their employees’ tough questions about financial benefits — has found success by focusing on solutions for real-world problems.
We sat down with Co-Founder & CEO Matt Watson, who shared tips from his experience:
-
Run towards the pain of your customer. Find out what you can take off their plate.
-
Tell your story. Gain trust in the industry by showing up and making yourself known.
-
Be resilient. Expect adversity and stay true to why you started the company.
In only three years, financial planning company Origin grew from 20 to more than 150 employees and raised over 70 million USD. While only beginning their journey, the company — created to help employers answer their employees’ tough questions about financial benefits — has found success by focusing on solutions for real-world problems.
We sat down with Co-Founder & CEO Matt Watson, who shared tips from his experience:
-
Run towards the pain of your customer. Find out what you can take off their plate.
-
Tell your story. Gain trust in the industry by showing up and making yourself known.
-
Be resilient. Expect adversity and stay true to why you started the company.
In only three years, financial planning company Origin grew from 20 to more than 150 employees and raised over 70 million USD. While only beginning their journey, the company — created to help employers answer their employees’ tough questions about financial benefits — has found success by focusing on solutions for real-world problems.
We sat down with Co-Founder & CEO Matt Watson, who shared tips from his experience:
-
Run towards the pain of your customer. Find out what you can take off their plate.
-
Tell your story. Gain trust in the industry by showing up and making yourself known.
-
Be resilient. Expect adversity and stay true to why you started the company.
In March 2020, everything stopped for events company Bizzabo. So they quickly pivoted and designed a new product for the times we were living in — pairing in-person conference tools with a virtual event management platform. With offices spanning the globe and a team from all walks of life, the company is united by one mission: to define the future of hybrid events.
We chatted with Co-Founder, CMO and CCO of Bizzabo Alon Alroy about:
- What to do when VCs are saying no, but prospects are saying yes
- Finding ways to provide value to core customers
- Investing in a strong company culture
In March 2020, everything stopped for events company Bizzabo. So they quickly pivoted and designed a new product for the times we were living in — pairing in-person conference tools with a virtual event management platform. With offices spanning the globe and a team from all walks of life, the company is united by one mission: to define the future of hybrid events.
We chatted with Co-Founder, CMO and CCO of Bizzabo Alon Alroy about:
- What to do when VCs are saying no, but prospects are saying yes
- Finding ways to provide value to core customers
- Investing in a strong company culture
BharatAgri began as a college project back in 2015 and came to reality when they launched in 2017. Since then, the company has stuck to their mission of being the bridge between tech and farming. Today, their app has over 100K subscribers and is available across India. Co-Founder & CEO Sai Gole gives us a glimpse of their journey:
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Think outside the box. When hit by adversity, work around it by changing your strategy.
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Personalize content. Keep users top of mind when designing your product.
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Innovate comms. Stay on the lookout for the best tools to reach your audience.
BharatAgri began as a college project back in 2015 and came to reality when they launched in 2017. Since then, the company has stuck to their mission of being the bridge between tech and farming. Today, their app has over 100K subscribers and is available across India. Co-Founder & CEO Sai Gole gives us a glimpse of their journey:
-
Think outside the box. When hit by adversity, work around it by changing your strategy.
-
Personalize content. Keep users top of mind when designing your product.
-
Innovate comms. Stay on the lookout for the best tools to reach your audience.
When digital B2B payment service Paystand launched in 2013, it had one mission: to democratize commercial payments. Today, the company has over 400,000 businesses making payments through their network, as well as $4B of volume on the block chain.
Co-Founder & CEO Jeremy Almond joins Adam to give some advice:
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Stay true to your mission. Imagine the world not as it is, but as what it could be.
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Meet clients halfway. Make sure clients can understand what your business offers.
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Talk to your customers. Build a product and communicate with customers to lift off.
When digital B2B payment service Paystand launched in 2013, it had one mission: to democratize commercial payments. Today, the company has over 400,000 businesses making payments through their network, as well as $4B of volume on the block chain.
Co-Founder & CEO Jeremy Almond joins Adam to give some advice:
-
Stay true to your mission. Imagine the world not as it is, but as what it could be.
-
Meet clients halfway. Make sure clients can understand what your business offers.
-
Talk to your customers. Build a product and communicate with customers to lift off.
Since launching in late 2017, AI service experience startup Aisera successfully raised over $164M from VCs such as Zoom, Menlo Ventures, First Round Capital and Norwest Ventures — helping them grow to the +180 employee company they are today.
Co-Founder and CEO Muddu Sudhakar gives his tips on fundraising:
- Vision is everything. Make sure your investors share it and are in it for the long haul.
- Board members matter. Get people who are running businesses now.
- Don’t waste your time. If they have serious interest, they will invest early on.
Check out Founders Village: https://bit.ly/3QPApIe
It’s been a rocky two years since Ukrainian cloud-based financial company Fuel Finance opened their doors. In 2022, they faced the toughest challenge yet — the invasion of their home country.
Here’s what Co-Founder & CEO Alyona Mysko had to say:
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Adapt your priorities. When times of uncertainty hit, it’s important to look out for your family and team — understand where they are and be there for them.
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Find purpose to boost growth. Fuel reshaped their mission to include supporting Ukraine, adding core human value to their business objectives.
Check out this week's podcast partner MassChallenge: https://bit.ly/3NrGisF
This week Adam sat down with Cy Scott, Co-Founder of Leafly — think Yelp, but for cannabis — now a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ ($LFLY).
Here are some key learnings:
- Be smart about hacks — know when and when not to do them. In the long term, doing things the right way can bring far better results than cutting corners!
- Keep user experience top-of-mind to choose when to fight for your convictions. Navigating through change means pushing through barriers.
Checkout this week's partner Startup Grind, a global community for startups and entrepreneurs: https://bit.ly/3tSUEvp
When Pair Eyewear first started, their focus was on making glasses a fun and dynamic accessory for kids. Today, they provide frames for everyone and employ over 90 people across the U.S. In this episode, Co-Founder and Co-CEO Nathan Kondamuri shares their journey as we discuss:
- The importance of evaluating possible paths when opportunities arise
- How social media channels like TikTok can be used as a trigger for growth
- Why listening to what your customers want and need is the key to success
Check out this week's Zendesk partner SOSV: Learn more here.
Tammy Sun co-founded Carrot Fertility in 2016 with a mission to provide personalized fertility benefits for everyone, regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, income or geography. Since then, the company has gone global and their services are available in over 120 countries. Adam sat down with Tammy to get her take on:
- Why you should always listen to your customers and stay connected to your mission
- Strategies for navigating rejection and developing resistance
- The importance of understanding your category and business model better than anyone else
Jeremy Parker made the unusual switch from documentary filmmaker to entrepreneur in 2007 and hasn’t looked back. Since then, he founded promotional product platform Swag.com in January 2016, before it was acquired by major online apparel retailer Custom Ink in 2021. Adam sat down with Jeremy for a virtual chat to get the stories behind:
- How Swag.com landed Facebook as its first customer
- The importance of getting your foot in the door early on
- Why fully understanding your buyer is crucial to success
Check out this week's partner WeWork Labs: https://www.wework.com/labs/
At the age of 42, Eugenio Pace was a late bloomer in the startup game. But he more than made up for lost time when he built up identity authentication platform Auth0 from scratch in 2013, before the company was acquired by Okta in May 2021. The Co-Founder joined Adam for a chat about:
- Why developers are so important in the tech industry
- The first sale being a valuable milestone for any startup
- How the right timing (and luck) both play their part in company growth
Zendesk for Startups partner Silicon Valley Bank: Learn more here.
Modern Health first opened its virtual doors in 2017 and has since grown to 400 employees — experiencing a surge in demand as a result of changing perceptions towards mental health. We caught up with Founder & CEO Alyson Watson to talk about:
- How focusing on the big picture is key in periods of growth
- Looking at business objectives to find out where to prioritize resources
- The importance of looking after and supporting your own team
Check out Firstbase: 15% Off the $399 All Included Incorporation Package for Zendesk customers
When sales software company Outreach began back in 2014, there were three people making the amount of sales a team of 20 would. Today, they have 1,000 employees across the world and over 5,000 customers. We were joined by Co-Founder & CEO Manny Medina to discuss:
- Encouraging your employees to be high performers in and outside the organization
- Using feedback to understand what you’re doing right and where you can improve
- The importance of prioritizing customer retention before expansion
AWS: Get $5k in AWS Activate credits
- With AWS Activate, startups get access to the resources they need to quickly get started on AWS - including credits, technical support, and training.
Since launching at New York’s TechCrunch Disrupt back in 2014, DocSend was acquired by Dropbox in March 2021 and has brought on over 20,000 customers. In our Season 5 opener, Adam sat down for a virtual coffee with Co-Founder Russ Heddleston to get the lowdown on:
- How word of mouth is still important to achieve growth
- Using customer feedback as a base for making improvements
- Why founders should monetize their products from the get-go
Since 2015, Jane Technologies has been revolutionizing the world of e-commerce, providing a channel for cannabis businesses to get their product directly to consumers' homes. We talked to Founder & CEO Socrates Rosenfeld to learn more about:
- Market innovation through product development
- Focusing on long term strategies
- UPC codes and product data in e-commerce
Shout out to our top partner Segment! Here’s a link to get $50k in free credits: https://bit.ly/3wdhYGb
Founded in 2014 and acquired by Medallia in September 2020, Sense360 offers businesses clearer insights on customer behavior through data. We met for a virtual chat with Founder & CEO Eli Portnoy to find out more about:
- Prioritizing value at every step of your pitch
- Effective cold outreach strategies
- Leverage your existing data to engage prospects
Shoutout to our top partner Deel! They are a global hiring platform that makes it easy to hire anyone in a new country in minutes.
After 16.5 years in business and a half a billion-dollar IPO, Olo still has that “day-one energy” and lives by its original vision: to enable restaurants to meet the needs of on-demand consumers. We caught up with Founder & CEO, Noah Glass to discuss:
- How to best segment in the early days
- How to leverage the demonstration effect to create FOMO with prospects
- How resilience is the best founder superpower
Over the past five years, ZoomInfo has grown 10X to an $800 million dollar run rate business with over 3,000 employees and 25,000 customers. We sat down with Founder and CEO Henry Schuck to hear a few of his growth strategies. Here are a few things we talked about: * Prioritize your go-to-market fit * Increase expansion with CDRs (customer development reps) * Never stop listening to prospect calls
Going from a small takeout store to a hyperlocal fulfillment platform in 6 years, ZFW Hospitality has a story to tell. We spoke with their Founder, Madhav Kasturia — one of India’s youngest serial restaurateurs — about:
- Lockdown lessons and the impact on the hospitality industry
- Decision making in challenging situations
- Empowering customers through a great experience
Accion Venture Lab provides support to early-stage startups looking to tackle financial exclusion around the world. Zendesk’s Adam O’Donnell sat down with Accion’s Senior Director Matt Schaar for a chat about:
- Strategy development with founders
- The importance of product market fit
- Why low-income customers shouldn’t be overlooked
Guava is a banking hub for Black entrepreneurs, aimed at closing the wealth gap. CEO & Founder, Kelly Ifill has a virtual coffee chat with Adam about:
- Authenticity in startups
- Guava’s customer journey
- How they are helping to shrink financial inequality among small business owners
Rapidly expanding Fintech company, Capchase, partners with startups to help them tap into upfront capital in order to grow. Zendesk’s Adam O’Donnell and Capchase CEO & Co-Founder Miguel Fernandez dive into:
- His personal path to entrepreneurship
- What it takes for a startup to succeed
- Customer centricity: the importance of action over words
- How Capchase raised over $500mil in equity in one year
Combining seed capital and hands-on support, Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator has gained the title of NYC’s top technology accelerator and early-stage venture capital firm. We sat down with serial entrepreneur and ERA Co-Founder, Jonathan Axelrod to talk about:
- How ERA helps founders learn, fail and succeed faster
- The need for agility and a customer-driven mindset for growth
- Stories of companies that led successful pivots
Using AI as fuel, Ada equips companies with everything they need to make personalized customer experiences at scale. And all without the help of an engineer. Co-Founder and CEO Mike Murchison takes us behind the scenes of Ada in this discussion about:
- How to free up live agents and focus on more creative work
- What to look at when building software
- Behavior traits among top leaders
Pachama is on a mission to remove carbon from the atmosphere — with the aim of protecting and restoring forests globally. Through machine learning, the startup monitors carbon capture and finances both conservation and reforestation projects. Zendesk’s Brad Bowery chats with Co-Founder and CEO Diego Saez Gil about:
- How to help companies and consumers navigate carbon removal and offsetting
- The importance of finding solutions to climate change
- Building trust in the marketplace with a long-term approach and patience
Lang.ai is a no code AI platform designed to help CX teams automate repetitive tasks. This startup is breaking the stereotype that AI is built for engineers by engineers. Zendesk’s Pedro Muller sits down with Co-Founder Jorge Peñalva to discuss:
- How AI boosts efficiency and prepares companies for the unexpected
- The importance of tagging systems in early stage startups
- Lang.ai’s role in freeing up operators to focus on creativity
In this episode, we reflect on how two startups navigated a rocky year. Our hosts, Pedro Muller and Tara McCann, handpick their favorite moments with past guests from TravelNest and Wavy. Both businesses found unique ways to grow, even during the pandemic. Find out some of their top lessons, including:
- Switching strategies in times of crisis
- Ways to put your customers first
- How customer experience starts with employee experience
In our first episode recorded on Clubhouse, we invited the Co-Founders of OneSkin onto the show. OneSkin develops products to improve “skinspan”, and was founded by Brazilian entrepreneurs, Alessandra Zonari and Carolina Oliveira. Join their conversation with Zendesk’s Pedro Muller to learn:
- The unique challenges of growing a startup in a new country
- Creating a business based on a love of science
- How to identify a specific customer profile
Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia is the CEO and Founder of Product School, the global leader in product management training. Since 2014, the community has grown to more than one million people. In this episode, Carlos shares his experiences from the digital product world, in a conversation with Shawna Wolverton, Executive Vice President of Product at Zendesk. Learn about:
- The bootstrap approach to building a community-centric business
- The role of a product manager in early stage startups
- How to best unify the customer experience from product to service
Christoph is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of performance management platform, Kaizo. An entrepreneur and investor with a passion for ecological innovation, he’s also kicking goals with non-profit City AI, and the revolutionary domain name marketplace DAN.COM. In this episode, Christoph is in conversation with Zendesk’s Pedro Mueller. Find out:
- Kaizo’s journey in building tools for support heroes
- Best practices for growing in the Zendesk Marketplace—the one-stop shop for apps and integrations
- How to empower support agents to achieve goals
Pedro Sorren is the founder of Atman, an early-stage venture capital firm. The firm has seeded category-defining companies, like Coinbase, Instacart, GitLab, and Webflow. In this episode, Pedro shares a virtual espresso with Zendesk’s Pedro Muller. Listen to the pair chat about:
- Why the venture capital industry needs innovation
- Entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley versus Latin America
- The mighty force of “inevitable” founders who don’t give up
Finimize is working on making finance a breeze. The London-based startup gives people information and tools that empower them to make smarter decisions about finance. In this episode, Founder and CEO, Max Rofagha, is in conversation with Zendesk’s Tara McCann. Learn about:
- Putting in the grind to reach critical mass
- The power of driving community and brand equity
- How to align your business model with your consumers
In 2019, legal cannabis business sales hit an all-time high of $12 billion. In this episode, get insights on being the first in a fresh industry. Hear Justin Hall, Founder and CTO of Bud.com, in conversation with Zendesk’s Pedro Muller, as he clears the smoke on building a cannabis startup. Find out:
- The blazing journey of bud.com, starting with a domain purchase in1994
- How to enable customer support teams to educate users
- Growing a business in a highly legislated industry
Unstack is a no-code marketing platform for startups. It aims to replace systems like WordPress with all the tools that teams need to win in the digital economy. Learn about Unstack’s journey direct from Founder and CEO, Grant Deken, as he chats with Zendesk’s Tara McCann on:
- Identifying the problem and building the ultimate solution
- The power of building community to improve loyalty
- Advice on creating a strong feedback loop with early customers
Defy is an early-stage focused venture fund based in Silicon Valley. In this episode, Madison McIlwain, a Partner at Defy, catches up with Pedro Muller, GM of Startups at Zendesk. The pair discuss Madison’s journey from growing up chatting entrepreneurship at family meals, to transitioning out of the corporate world. Learn about:
- The role of Venture Capital on the startup ecosystem
- How innovative investors are making it easy for founders to grow their business
- Advice for getting backed by a venture capital firm
Vindi is a leader in payment solutions in Brazil. The startup was one of the first SaaS businesses in Brazil, and was recently acquired when it hit $33 million in valuation. Co-Founder and CEO, Rodrigo Dantas, is in conversation with Maira Gracini, Senior Director of Marketing LATAM at Zendesk. You’ll get insights on:
- Challenges unique to growing a startup in Latin America
- How to hire and train talent to build a world-class team
- Getting an edge on Silicon Valley and competing with big names, like Stripe and Paypal
Mary Louise Cosmetics is a natural and organic skincare brand. Founded in 2017, CEO, Akilah Releford, was inspired by many of the homemade beauty remedies used by her grandmothers. So, she started the company in her university dorm room. In this episode, hear Akilah in conversation with Marissa Tree, Zendesk’s Senior Director of Public Relations. Learn:
- Why a good business idea is always worth following through on
- The power of frugal bootstrap founders to investors and VCs
- How to avoid comparing yourself to other founders
Dispatch Goods is a zero-waste alternative for restaurant delivery. The startup provides reusable to-go containers for restaurants, so customers always have a sustainable option. Join CEO, Lindsey Hoell, in conversation with Zendesk’s Corporate Social Responsibility Director, Todd Lineart. Get insights on:
- Taking action to support business to be more sustainable
- Making it simple for people to choose eco-friendly restaurants
- Unique challenges as a female founder
- The value of customer feedback to shape the vision of the business
Everyone knows the value of understanding your product market fit. But getting there is never straightforward. For this live episode, we’re delighted to share a recording of a Zendesk webinar, in partnership with Pendo. Listen for insights and practical advice from two product experts: Mike Gozzo, VP of Product at Zendesk, and Eric Boduch, Co-founder at Pendo. You’ll learn:
- How to define product market fit is and measure it effectively
- The right time to prove your fit—should you ever stop?
- How to get feedback to guide your efforts, and metrics to prove your fit to investors
- Why product market fit must be a company-wide initiative
Wavy aims to bring simplicity to hair and beauty salons. It’s a simplified cash register app and booking app solution that gets to the heart of what counts: saving time. Join Victor Lebeau, CPO & Co-Founder in conversation with Prelini Udayan-Chiechi, Zendesk’s VP of Marketing for EMEA on:
- Why agility is vital in order to respond to shifts in customer sentiment
- All the ways Wavy prioritizes customer relationships
- Supporting remote teams during tough times
LeaseQuery is a cloud-based lease accounting software. Its CEO and Founder, George Azih, took the idea from a one-person startup to a thriving company with 180 employees—in less than six years. The entrepreneur talks with Zendesk for Startups whiz, Brad Bowery, on
- The rollercoaster journey towards record-breaking growth
- Getting to the heart of understanding your customers
- How a 3-year subscription model proved to be a recipe for success
Freshly is a meal delivery service that not only provides nutritious meals, but cares about reducing the food waste caused by the grocery supply chain. In this episode, CEO and Co-Founder, Michael Wystrach, chats with Zendesk’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jeff Titterton, on Freshly’s unique journey hacking the food industry. Together, they dish insights on:
- The power of identifying your core customer
- How to scale a food business
- Freshly’s approach to reducing environmental footprints
TravelNest is on a mission to reinvent the way hosts market their rental properties. The Edinburgh-based startup solves the problem of low occupancy by improving visibility and boosting bookings. From one Chief Operating Officer to another, TravelNest’s Rebecca Moore and Zendesk’s Peter Lorant get together (virtually) to chat:
- The fast-growth journey of a company that bridges tech and travel
- How COVID-19 is impacting the travel industry
- Robust and inspirational leadership amid uncertainty
In 2020, a couple of bright and compassionate Yale students decided to do something about the captive $1.2B prisons telecommunications industry. They founded technology nonprofit, Ameelio, to provide free communication tools for incarcerated people to connect with their families and loved ones. Learn from Co-Founder, Uzoma Orchingwa, on:
- How Ameelio is decoupling incarceration and profit
- Overcoming technical hurdles of providing free communications
- The value of human connection
In the United States, 93% of people who experienced police brutality, but did not report it. The independent service, Raheem, is working to change that. Raheem builds tools for communities to report and track police, and leverages open complaint data to find ways to respond to conflict with care. In this episode, learn important insights from Founder, Brandon D. Anderson, on:
- Ending policy terror against Black people in the United States
- Building a team of incredible organizers, policy experts, and data science
- Using tools like AI to create better customer experience
Michael Rangel, Founder and CEO of Novo, believes all founders are a little outrageous. But that didn't stop him from creating Novo, a powerfully simple banking platform built for the modern entrepreneur. Since its founding, Novo has experienced fast growth and continues to do so, even during a pandemic. It’s a big credit to their laser focus on customer experience. Learn about:
- The process behind Michel founding Novo
- Why Novo chose to become a B2B vs. B2C banking platform
- The challenges of building a Fintech that puts customers at the heart of business
Code for America believes the two biggest levers for improving people’s lives at scale are technology and government. Since 2011, the non-profit organization has been helping state and local governments serve communities better to ensure that technology is simple, fast, and effective. In this episode, CEO, Amanda Renteria, shares how their team of techies and social justice activists do just that. Listen to learn:
- How to solve problems with human-centric systems and processes
- What's needed to build a diverse and equitable organization
- The unique value of applying startup principles to government
Sit Down Startup is made by us, Zendesk. We were once a scrappy startup (and we’ve got the kitchen bench we were born on to prove it). Now, we help all kinds of startups, baby to big, build the best customer experiences. Support, sales, or something in between, let us lend a hand in providing a solution that’s mightiest for you.
In 2020, Forbes Cloud 100 list is at its most impressive, with a record 87 companies valued at $1 billion or more. In this episode, we sit down (virtually) for a candid chat with two Cloud 100 leaders. Hear Archana Agrawal, Chief Marketing Officer at Airtable, and JD Peterson, Chief Growth Officer at Culture Amp in conversation with Zendesk CFO, Elena Gomez. Get lessons on:
The unexpected acceleration of the cloud and SaaS in 2020
Challenges of building a high growth cloud company
How investment in customer experience plays an important role in achieving growth
Lessonly is powerfully simple software that helps teams learn. Co-Founder and CEO Max Yoder chats with Zendesk’s Tiffany Apczynski on all things empathy. They explore how education can be used to build the new generation of leaders that the world needs. Tune in to hear the pair talk:
- Tying ROI and behavioral change to software
- How to boost confidence and competence with communication
- Living whatever you’re asking your team to do
- Letting go of perfectionism and tapping into play
Mindler believes that everyone should have access to mental health services. In this episode, Mindler COO, Magnus Pettersson sits down with Zendesk’s Warren Levitan at a time when distress is on the rise. They chat about the importance of the first interaction with customers, and defining best in class CX in the world of startups and mental health. Listen to learn:
- The journey towards making mental health accessible remotely
- How customer experience can plays a role in their services and the importance of
- Valuable lessons on scaling a growing startup
- The role of empathy in strengthening customer trust
CodeSignal is the first company to build an objective skills-based platform for recruiters and employers. In this episode, Co-Founder, Sophie Baik, chats with Ryan Nichols of Zendesk, about avoiding biases, and pivoting business strategy based on customer feedback.
Listen in to learn:
How to hire an effective remote team
Why bias in the hiring process can damage startup culture
The value of listening to customer feedback
Zenni Optical’s Chief Product Officer, Bai Gan, sits down with Kristen Durham of Zendesk—from their remote home offices in California. The pair chat about Zenni Optical’s growth journey, from the days of building a bootstrap startup to navigating the tides of 2020.
In this episode, find out:
How to listen to your customers in order to predict trends
The importance of investing in a direct to consumer strategy
Lessons on building a business during the dot com crisis
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:
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Prospecting techniques, and the “right time” to reach out—even during a pandemic
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The undervalued power of empathy in sales
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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:
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Anthony’s tried-and-tested motto: “When the customer wins, we all win”
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Why the virtual fitness format is here to stay
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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