This Week in Startups HubSpot CTO Dharmesh Shah on empowering entrepreneurs, HubSpot’s journey, and AI automation | E1781
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Jul 21, 2023 
Dharmesh Shah, Co-founder and CTO of HubSpot, dives into his angel investing journey and his philosophy of empowering small and medium businesses. He shares insights on HubSpot's evolution from startup to public company and discusses the transformative potential of generative AI in automating tasks and fostering innovation. Dharmesh emphasizes the importance of prioritizing passion over wealth in entrepreneurship and highlights the rapid product development that drives success in today’s competitive landscape.
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Dharmesh's Angel Investing Origin
- Dharmesh Shah started angel investing in grad school to vicariously experience startups after promising his wife he'd stop founding them.
- He developed a unique, hands-off approach, making quick decisions to minimize time commitment while still supporting founders.
HubSpot's SMB Focus
- HubSpot deliberately focuses on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) despite pressure to move upmarket.
- This allows for faster feedback loops, greater customer intimacy, and more control over their destiny.
SMB Market for Startups
- Startups should consider the SMB market, especially now that reaching them is easier.
- It's easier to get started, iterate quickly, and there's less competition than in the enterprise market.