Middleware: The YC Startup Slashing Cloud Monitoring Costs & Observability | Episode 5

Did you know some companies face shockingly high cloud bills (think millions)?  

Laduram Vishnoi, CEO of Middleware, experienced this firsthand. Skyrocketing cloud costs are a major pain point for many companies, with some facing bills in the millions. Frustrated by the limitations and expense of existing observability tools, he decided to build a better solution.

Middleware is an observability platform designed with the complexities of modern cloud environments in mind. In this episode, Laduram shares his startup journey, including how he bootstrapped Middleware, leveraging his own capital and a talented team in India, the unique challenges and solutions for managing a distributed workforce, his experience navigating Y Combinator and tips for aspiring founders and how he impressively raised $6.5M in seed funding, even during a turbulent market

If you're grappling with cloud monitoring costs, or are simply fascinated by the startup world, this episode is a must-listen!

EPISODE IN A GLANCE

-What is Middleware?

-Laduram's background and founding story

-Managing a distributed team across time zones

-Laduram's experience with Y Combinator

-How to get into Y Combinator

-Secrets to successful fundraising for startups

-Middleware's progress and future plans with AI

-"Show me your friends and I will show you your future": Books and quotes that inspire Laduram

ABOUT LADURAM VISHNOI

Laduram Vishnoi is the founder and CEO of Middleware, an observability platform for cloud-native and microservices applications. Originally from India, he moved to San Francisco in 2016 to run his previous company, Acquire, which he grew to over 200 people and raised $57 million. Frustrated by the lack of affordable observability tools at Acquire, Laduram bootstrapped Middleware by investing his own money and building an initial team of 15-20 engineers in India. After a year of development, he went through Y Combinator's Winter 2023 batch, raising an impressive $6.5 million seed round amidst the Silicon Valley Bank crisis. Laduram's unique approach to distributed teams, fundraising strategies, and vision for AI-driven observability position Middleware as an innovative player transforming cloud monitoring.

CONNECT WITH LADURAM

Website → https://middleware.io/

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/laduramvishnoi/

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/middleware-labs/

GRAB THE BOOK LADURAM RECOMMENDS 

The Courage to Be Disliked → https://a.co/d/bP19SBS

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind → https://a.co/d/8we0Ki2

ABOUT GABRIEL JARROSSON

Gabriel Jarrosson is a seasoned investor and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the startup space and the General Partner of Lobster Capital. He has invested over $25M in Y Combinator startups. Having sold three of his own startups, he shares his expertise in his books "My Investor Secrets" and "Investing in Startups: x100 or Nothing."

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL JARROSSON

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercapital

Website → https://www.lobstercap.com/

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrieljarrosson/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/lobstercapital/

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