In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Vrushali Paunikar, Chief Product Officer at Carta—the company revolutionizing how private companies manage equity and capital. Originally starting as a cap table management solution, Carta now manages over $150 billion in assets and positions itself as the "Network ERP for Private Capital," supporting over 50,000 companies from early-stage startups to pre-IPO giants.
As CPO at Carta, Vrushali has been instrumental in driving the company's evolution from a single-product focus to a comprehensive platform serving various stakeholders in the private capital ecosystem. Her unique background, including experience at Rocket Lawyer and an interesting hobby as an amateur florist, brings a fresh perspective to product leadership in fintech.
In this episode, we'll explore Carta's transformation from a cap table management tool to a comprehensive platform for private capital, diving into organizational structure changes, international expansion strategies, and innovative approaches to product development.
What you'll learn:
- How Carta expanded from cap table management to fund administration by deeply understanding customer needs
- Strategies for restructuring product teams from a business unit model to a modular approach
- Insights into different approaches for international expansion (organic vs. acquisition)
- The role of micromanagement as a temporary coaching tool in product development
- How to balance platform ambitions with focused execution
Content:
(00:00) Introduction and Personal Background
(05:00) Carta's Evolution Story
(15:00) Organizational Transformation
(25:00) International Expansion Strategy
(35:00) Leadership Philosophy & Management Style
(45:00) Product Strategy & Market Positioning
Key Takeaways👇:
- Carta's shift from a business unit-based structure to a modular approach has enabled better scalability and reduced duplicate work across teams. This restructuring has been crucial for maintaining consistency while expanding product offerings.
- Starting with cap table management, Carta identified larger market opportunities through their existing customer base, leading to strategic expansion into fund administration and positioning as the "ERP of private capital."
- Different markets require different approaches—exemplified by Carta's organic expansion in Singapore versus acquisition-based entry into the UK/EU market, highlighting the importance of adaptable go-to-market strategies.
- Vrushali brings a unique perspective on micromanagement, viewing it as a potential coaching tool when used temporarily and situationally to help teams understand quality standards.
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Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbr
