Sit Down Startup

[$10M+ Raised] Mark Doble, Co-Founder of Alexi, on Overcoming Adversity and Achieving Product-Market Fit in Legal Tech

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:43:42 -0500

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

[Harnessing AI Technology for Business Growth] Founder Daniel Saks Discusses Persistence, Overcoming Rejection, and the Evolution of AppDirect and Landbase

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 11:40:35 -0500

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

[Sustaining Competitive Edge] CEO Randy Wootton of Maxio on the Dynamics of Product-Market Fit in a Changing Landscape

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 11:52:45 -0500

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

[$121.5M in Funding] Efficient Capital Labs' Kaustav Das on Bridging the Funding Gap and Achieving Product-Market Fit

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:49:39 -0500

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

[Pioneering Retail Innovation] CEO Angie Westbrock on Standard AI's Journey from Autonomous Checkout to Computer Vision Insights

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 12:28:37 -0500

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

[$30M Raised] Transforming Legal Tech: Spellbook Co-Founder & CEO Scott Stevenson on Achieving Product-Market Fit

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 11:00:00 -0500

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

[Transforming Crypto Access] Co-Founder/CEO Driss Benamour on Building Exponential.fi and Overcoming Crypto Winter

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 12:00:24 -0400

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

[Navigating the AI Landscape] Co-Founder and CEO Jensen Harris on Textio's Journey and the Future of AI in Management

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 12:15:32 -0400

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

[~$100M Raised] Transforming Talent Assessment: Co-founder and CEO Tigran Sloyan on Building CodeSignal

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 10:08:06 -0400

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

[Revolutionizing Climate Tech] Sealed’s co-founder and CEO Lauren Salz on Raising ~$100 Million and Finding Product-Market Fit

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 11:41:13 -0400

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

[$300M Raised] Mapping the Human Immune System for Drug Discovery: Noam Solomon on Building Immunai

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 11:39:39 -0400

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

[90% of Co-Founder's Time Spent Speaking to Customers] How Inspectify has Navigated Startup Success

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:30:00 -0400

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

[$0 to $20M ARR in 1 year] Creating a Path to Financial Empowerment with Brigit's co-founder and CEO Zuben Mathews

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0400

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

[$150M Raised] Navigating Product-Market Fit in Healthcare: Ashok Subramanian on Building Centivo

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 11:00:00 -0400

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

[$3 Trillion Market Revolution] Democratizing Structured Notes with Halo Investing

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 12:29:39 -0400

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

[4x Founder] From FBI to Founder: Jo Riley’s Journey to Product-Market Fit with Censia

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 11:40:28 -0400

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.

[$30B Market Reimagined] Unlocking Home Care's Potential with Honor

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 15 May 2024 08:13:00 -0400

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.

[$400M raised] FLYR Labs’s Founder, Alex Mans: journey to product-market fit

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 10:45:14 -0400

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!

[$80M+ raised] THAT Product-market fit moment: Avoid the analysis trap; Shippo’s Founder, Laura Behrens Wu

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 11:30:00 -0500

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.

Trulia’s Founder; product-market-fit journey with Sami Inkinen

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 11:30:00 -0500

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

Failed startup to $98M raised; Thoropass’s Founder, Sam Li shares their product-market-fit journey

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 10:59:00 -0500

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

[$163M raised] Knowing you’ve hit product-market fit; Redpanda’s Founder, Alex Gallego

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:33:23 -0500

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.

[$100M+ raised] How to get product-market fit validation without an MVP

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 16:47:12 -0500

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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[$217M raised] Stop convincing prospects and find the ones who get it: Sentry’s Founder, David Cramer

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 16:19:59 -0500

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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Arc’s $181M Success: Unity-Led-Growth with Founder, Don Muir

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 15:15:18 -0400

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!

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Bootstrapped to $40M and then raised $125M? Slice’s Founder, Ilir Sela

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 15:57:57 -0400

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

[$150M raised] OpenStore’s Co-Founder, Jeremy Wood: Building the Right Engine: Overcoming Doubts

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 16:16:07 -0400

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.

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[$200M+ Raised] Self-Doubt & Worry to Thriving Through Startup Challenges; Electric.ai's Founder, Ryan Denehy

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 19:48:35 -0400

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!

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The Founder-led Content Formula; Atrium’s Founder Pete Kazanjy

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 16:14:55 -0400

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

[$1.2B Val] Epidemic Sound's Founder, Oscar Hoglund: Overcoming Gov Regulations & Launching A Marketplace

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 15:31:46 -0400

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

Tailscale's $113M Success: Developer-Led-Growth

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 21:32:24 -0400

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

[$161M Raised] From Series A Struggles to 400 Employees: LinkSquares' Growth Strategies with Founder Vishal Sunak

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:17:08 -0400

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.

Bootstrapped to $100M+ Exit: Pardot’s Founder, David Cummings' Startup Journey

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 16:16:27 -0400

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.

Instacart's Former Chief Growth Officer; Building a Successful ML Startup: Anomalo's, Founder, Elliot Shmukler

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 24 May 2023 15:39:57 -0400

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.

$0 to 100M ARR in 18-months: Revolutionizing Cloud Security With Base Thinking; Wiz’s Co-Founder, Ami Luttwak

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 10 May 2023 15:22:30 -0400

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!

($155M raised) Glean’s Founder, Arvind Jain: How to close enterprise deals from day one

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 16:10:16 -0400

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.

Bootstrapped to nearly $100M exit to Citrix; Jesse Lipson; knowing when to ignore the “smart” advisors vs. just building

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:09:59 -0400

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.

[$271M raised] Frubana’s Founding Engineer, now board member, Daniel Bilbao; GTM tactics for $0 - $1M

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 15:23:25 -0400

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.

Backed by a16z, Virtually Human Studio’s Co-Founder, Chris Ebeling: Building with community, listening vs. letting them lead

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 16:25:12 -0500

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’s Founder: scalable growth strategies

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 16:27:10 -0500

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?

[$0 - IPO] Braze’s Founder, Mark Ghermezian; knowing when to pivot & the power of persistence

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 16:22:24 -0500

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.

Talkdesk & Cleverly Co-Founder: Cristina Fonseca - Product obsessed, 5-min rule & not being distracted by competition

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 16:20:44 -0500

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.

[$396M Raised] Nailing pitch-market-fit? Eightfold AI’s CEO, Ashutosh Garg

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 16:51:41 -0500

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?

[0-IPO] Yext’s Founder, Howard Lerman: key to building a lasting company

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 16:29:17 -0500

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.

[$0-IPO] Shift’s Co-Founder, Toby Russell; knowing when to pivot DESPITE having product-market-fit?!

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 16:13:45 -0500

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.

[$99M raised] Sweep’s Co-Founder, Rachel Delacour; listening for low signals during customer research to land big logos

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 17:19:34 -0500

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.

[$600M+ raised] Deel’s Founder, Alex Bouaziz: pivoting with conviction

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 15:16:36 -0400

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.

[$1.6B val] Mercury’s Founder, Immad Akhund; rapid growth via word of mouth

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 15:06:24 -0400

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.

[$1.2B val] Pilot’s CEO, Waseem Daher; knowing where to stay in the weeds

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 15:29:29 -0400

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.

[Acquired by Apple] Beats by Dre’s Omar Johnson on building a brand and standing out

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 15:34:57 -0400

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.

[$70M+ raised] Origin’s Matt Watson on finding clarity to target problems

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 15:45:22 -0400

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.

[$194M raised] Bizzabo’s Alon Alroy on pivoting early and fast

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 15:18:27 -0400

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

[3M+ users] BharatAgri’s Founder, Sai Gole: micro influencers as a GTM channel

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 15:40:42 -0400

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.

[$98M raised] Paystand’s Founder, Jeremy Almond; meet them where they are > selling a cool tech idea

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 15:42:54 -0400

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.

[$164M+ Raised] Aisera’s Muddu Sudhakar on fundraising the right way

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 15:36:52 -0400

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

[Ukrainian Founder] Fuel Finance’s Alyona Mysko; growth during a war

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 15:40:36 -0400

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:

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.

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

[$LFLY] Leafly’s Founder, Cy Scott - don’t hack everything & knowing which battles to fight

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 15:49:42 -0400

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

[$73M+ Raised] Pair Eyewear’s Nathan Kondamuri - customer discovery & GTM wins

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 15:24:48 -0400

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.

Carrot Fertility’s Tammy Sun on knowing your business inside and out

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 16:44:54 -0400

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

Swag.com’s Jeremy Parker on targeting the top from the get-go

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 16:09:35 -0400

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/

[$6.5B Exit] Auth0’s Founder, Eugenio Pace on prioritizing people over segments

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 25 May 2022 15:37:08 -0400

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’s Alyson Watson on staying focused when navigating changes

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 18 May 2022 15:27:33 -0400

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

[$4.2B Valuation] Outreach’s Founder & CEO, Manny Medina on nailing the basics

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 11 May 2022 17:48:24 -0400

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

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DocSend’s Russ Heddleston on the importance of getting product pricing right

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 04 May 2022 16:25:10 -0400

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

Jane Technologies’ Socrates Rosenfeld on industry building

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 23:11:57 -0400

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

Sense360’s Eli Portnoy on getting the most from your data and the power of cold-reach email

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 19:03:35 -0400

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.

OLO (NYSE) Founder & CEO Noah Glass talks about segmentation & the demonstration effect

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 20:35:08 -0500

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

ZoomInfo’s CEO, Henry Schuck; Prioritizing Go-to-market-fit & Getting to $800M ARR

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 11:26:02 -0500

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

$469M Raised, Capchase’s CEO, Miguel Fernandez on funding startups with future revenue

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 09:57:24 -0400

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

ERA’s Jonathan Axelrod on prioritizing the customer for growth

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 09:05:49 -0400

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

Ada’s Mike Murchison on scaling customer experience

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 20:43:16 -0400

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’s Diego Saez Gil on building startups that make a true difference

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 15:11:18 -0400

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’s Jorge Peñalva on powering customer experience with AI

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 16:04:43 -0400

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

Highlights episode: Making it through a pandemic

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 11:27:45 -0400

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

Live episode: Creating the future of skin health

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 06:00:00 -0400

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

Product School’s Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia on unifying product with customer experience

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 25 May 2021 10:18:02 -0400

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

Kaizo’s Christoph Auer-Welsbach on hacking Zendesk Marketplace

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 18 May 2021 07:00:00 -0400

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

Atman’s Pedro Sorren on inevitable founders

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 11 May 2021 07:00:00 -0400

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’s Max Rofagha on becoming your own financial advisor

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 04 May 2021 07:00:00 -0400

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

bud.com’s Justin Hall on making it in a fresh industry

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 06:30:00 -0400

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’s Grant Deken on helping businesses be digital-first

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0400

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’s Madison McIlwain on breaking into venture capital

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 07:30:00 -0400

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’s Rodrigo Dantas on finding success in emerging markets

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 07:30:00 -0400

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’ Akilah Releford on following good ideas

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 07:30:00 -0400

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’ Lindsey Hoell on building sustainable solutions

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 07:30:00 -0400

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

(Live episode) How to find your product market fit

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 07:30:00 -0500

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’s Victor Lebeau on helping beauty services scale

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 07:30:00 -0500

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’s George Azih on making accounting easy

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 07:30:00 -0500

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’s Michael Wystrach on the future of food

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 07:30:00 -0500

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’s Rebecca Moore on strong leadership in times of flux

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 08:46:33 -0500

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

Ameelio’s Uzoma Orchingwa on changing the future of prison communications

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 08:00:00 -0500

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

Raheem’s Brandon D. Anderson on using AI to end police violence

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 08:00:00 -0500

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

Novo’s Michael Rangel on building a customer-centric Fintech

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 16:40:46 -0500

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’s Amanda Renteria on bringing startup values to government

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 15:50:30 -0500

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 Podcast is back!

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 17:00:00 -0500

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.

Software taking over the world: (Bonus live episode)

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 09:32:14 -0400

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’s Max Yoder on doing better work

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 12:30:20 -0400

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’s Magnus Pettersson on scaling a fast-growth startup

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 12:30:07 -0400

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’s Sophie Baik on hiring with less bias

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 09:53:07 -0400

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 Bai Gan on how customers influence product

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 09:52:51 -0400

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's Guillaume Moubeche and why CX is everyones job

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 08:33:30 -0400

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

Glofox’s Anthony Kelly on the rise of the Chief Customer Officer

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 08:33:09 -0400

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 Elisa Reggiardo on the value of support leaders

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 15:59:47 -0400

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

Startup Grind’s Derek Andersen on virtual C2C strategy

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 08:23:29 -0400

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’s James Gutierrez on empathy as secret sauce

laurel.wholihan@zendesk.com (Adam O'Donnell) — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 14:52:32 -0400

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