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The Undefeated Underdogs

Phil Lakin - How an enterprise no-code startup went from zero to one to Zapier acquisition!

Aug 14, 2024
01:11:30

πŸ‘‰πŸΌ About the Guest:

Philip Lakin is the co-founder and CEO of NoCodeOps, a community and automation management platform (Operator) dedicated to supporting operations professionals that are reimagining the future of internal innovation with no-code. He was previously the Solutions Architect for National Operations at Compass where he built the onboarding program for over 15,000 real estate agents across the United States. He has more than 8 years of experience in operations, internal system implementation, field marketing, and onboarding.


πŸ‘‰πŸΌ About the Host:

Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one, as well as running Founder Gigs, a resource to discover flexible gigs while building your dream business.

πŸ‘‰πŸΌ Sponsor Corner:

Shoutout to Acquire.com for sponsoring The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/

This episode is brought to you by Sunset. They handle all the legal, tax, and operational burdens when shutting down β€” making sure founders and investors avoid penalties, reduce liabilities, and immediately move on to what's next. If you're interested in learning more, visit sunsethq.com to meet with a representative for their team. And make sure to mention the Undefeated Underdogs Podcast to get $2K off of your dissolution.



πŸ‘‰πŸΌ Description:

Listen in as Sharath and Phil discuss how to the best nocode tools, how to sell your company, and more!
 
πŸ‘‰πŸΌ Timestamps:

  • 00:00: Episode Highlight
  • 01:25: Shoutout to Acquire.com and Sunset
  • 04:43: Introduction to Phil Lakin - co-founder and CEO of NoCodeOps
  • 10:22: How acting led Phil to the world of no-code
  • 15:30: What Phil would tell his beginner no-code self
  • 19:30: Phil's 0 to 1 journey to building NoCodeOps and raising $5M+
  • 26:00: Why Phil loves no-code
  • 31:10: How no-code fits into today's tech stack
  • 37:10: Predictions for the future of no-code and the best no-code tools
  • 45:25: The downsides of AI and no-code
  • 52:55: The journey: going from founding NoCodeOps to being acquired by Zapier
  • 56:16: What's next for Zapier with Phil as Head of Enterprise Innovation?
  • 59:49: Advice for younger founders
  • 1:04:31: How to balance being a parent and a founder
  • 1:08:59: Outro and closing thoughts

πŸ‘‰πŸΌ Resources:

  • Link to Acquire.com: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
  • Link to Sunset: https://www.sunsethq.com
  • Butternut AI: https://butternut.ai/
  • Butternut AI Podcast Episode: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/60

πŸ‘‰πŸΌ Where to find Phil:

  • NoCodeOps: https://www.nocodeops.com/about-us
  • Twitter: https://x.com/philiplakin
  • Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-lakin

πŸ‘‰πŸΌ Where to find Sharath:

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