20VC: Is Speed the Most Important Thing from 0-1 | Why Hiring Inexperienced People is Better | The Biggest Lessons Scaling Zip to $1.5BN Valuation with Rujul Zaparde, Co-Founder and CEO @ Zip
Rujul Zaparde, Co-founder and CEO of Zip, shares his entrepreneurial journey from a failed startup to leading a $1.5 billion company. He emphasizes the importance of speed in startups and why hiring inexperienced talent can foster innovation. Rujul discusses standing out in competitive markets, lessons learned at Airbnb, and the significance of adaptability in early-stage companies. He also challenges conventional wisdom on design partners and the impact of AI on sales, providing invaluable insights for aspiring founders.
56:11
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Early Entrepreneurial Ventures
Rujul and his friends created and sold video games and bumper stickers in middle and high school.
These early entrepreneurial ventures, though simple, instilled a business mindset from a young age.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Embrace Imperfect V1
Release your v1 product even if imperfect, focusing on learning and iteration.
Compensate for initial product shortcomings with exceptional customer service and responsiveness.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Zip's Origin Story
Rujul and his co-founder experienced firsthand the pain of complex procurement processes at Airbnb.
This led to the 'aha' moment for Zip, aiming to simplify intake-to-pay solutions.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity
Frank Slootman
In 'Amp It Up,' Frank Slootman shares his leadership approach for achieving hypergrowth. The book emphasizes the importance of raising standards, aligning teams, sharpening focus, picking up the pace, and transforming strategy. Slootman argues that most leaders can significantly improve their organization's performance without expensive changes to talent, structure, or the business model. He stresses the need for execution, a strong team culture, and a relentless focus on the mission. The book provides practical advice on making conflicted choices, promoting collaboration, and maintaining high standards to avoid mediocrity[2][3][5].
Rujul Zaparde is the Co-Founder and CEO of Zip, the world’s leading Intake-to-Pay solution, adopted by leading enterprises and startups including Snowflake, Canva, Airtable, Webflow, and others. In 2023, Zip raised $100 million in a Series C round, valuing the company at $1.5 billion. Before founding Zip, Rujul was a Visiting Partner at Y Combinator and a product manager at Airbnb.
In Today’s Episode with Rujul Zaparde We Discuss:
From Airbnb PM to $1.5BN Founder
How did Rujul’s first company fail? What were his lessons?
What did Rujul learn from his time at Airbnb?
How did Rujul come to co-found Zip? What was the aha moment?
What did Rujul wish he’d known when he started Zip?
Standing Out in a Hyper-Competitive Market
Why did Rujul pick such a competitive market? How did they stand out?
Does Rujul think founders should focus on pain points or platform solutions on day one?
What is Rujul’s advice to founders who are in the discovery process?
Does Rujul agree with Trae Stephens @ Founders Fund that serial entrepreneurs doing B2B enterprise SaaS are wasting their talent?
The Biggest Lessons Scaling Zip to $1.5BN Valuation
Which key moment caused Zip to accelerate?
Why does Rujul think speed is the most important element in startups?
Why does Rujul not believe in design partners?
Why does Rujul believe repeatability is the most important thing when pitching?
Does Rujul think AI will destroy outbound sales?
How to Hire & Manage Teams
What was Rujul’s “rude awakening” building a sales team?
What was Rujul’s biggest hiring mistake? What did he learn from it?
How does Rujul decide where to focus his attention and resources?
Why does Rujul believe younger managers are more creative?
The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch 
