Topline SPOTLIGHT: Skipping the SMB Trap and Building for Big Brands with CEO Matt Allison
13 snips
Jun 26, 2025 In this discussion, Matt Allison, CEO and co-founder of the AI media intelligence platform Handraise, shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey. He delves into the challenges of building Handraise, particularly in targeting enterprise accounts like Walgreens and Hershey. The conversation highlights how AI is reshaping product development and market strategies. Matt also emphasizes the importance of a positive mindset for entrepreneurs, offering valuable resources for those aiming to succeed in the tech industry.
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Early Days at Embassy Suites
- AJ Bruno and Matt Allison met at Meltwater and later started discussions for a company while walking back from the office daily.
- Their startup idea was born in an Embassy Suites, leveraging free breakfast to fuel long talks about business strategy.
Skipping SMB to Focus on Enterprise
- Matt Allison emphasizes building Handraise as an enterprise-focused company from day one to avoid churn seen in smaller deals.
- They are productizing manual enterprise-level service into software for high-value customers like Walgreens and Hershey.
AI Revolutionizes Product Development
- AI dramatically accelerates product development, making features more sophisticated than those built over years in previous startups.
- AI enables new capabilities like automatically summarizing vast news coverage with high quality and speed.
