Diaspora.nz S2 | E5 — Campbell Brown (Co-founder & CEO at PredictHQ) on helping the world's biggest brands predict demand; launching, scaling, and raising in the U.S.
Campbell Brown is Founder & CEO at PredictHQ, based in San Francisco.
PredictHQ help customers understand the catalysts behind any form of consumer demand, with a particular emphasis on real-world events. Today, they provide this “Demand Intelligence” to a who’s who of global brands, airlines, and marketplaces like Uber and Airbnb, helping them optimise supply and pricing whether they’re facing an anomalous weather event or Taylor Swift concert.
Before founding PredictHQ, Campbell was part of the early team at GrabOne, where he saw first hand how sudden volatility in demand could affect business operations (for better or worse). He went on to join Online Republic as CMO, where he encountered the challenges of predicting traveller demand based on global events and weather conditions.
This is the first repeat guest we’ve had on the pod… having recorded an episode for the very first season of diaspora.nz back in 2017. Since then, Cam raised another $33.5M USD, has substantially grown the team and product suite — it’s been awesome to see this growth over the years.
In today's episode, we discuss:
* The journey from GrabOne to PredictHQ, and how past experiences shaped Campbell's understanding of data-driven business decisions.
* PredictHQ's evolution from focusing on the travel industry to diversifying across various sectors including parking, transportation, and accommodation.
* Building models on top of event data to provide unique intelligence and enable businesses to become context-aware.
* The importance of selling value over features, and focusing on the impact a product can bring to a customer's business.
* Exploring different pricing models, including category-based and consumption-based approaches.
* Challenges and strategies for managing a multi-location team and fostering company culture across New Zealand and the US.
* The pros and cons of having a New Zealand-based versus US-based top company, and navigating international tax implications.
* Campbell's fundraising journey and advice for approaching investors, including the importance of warm introductions and treating fundraising like a sales process.
* Balancing work and family life in the US, and tips for building community when moving abroad.
Where to find Campbell:
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/campbellbrown/
* Twitter/X: https://x.com/campbellb
Listen & Subscribe on:
* Spotify
Learn more about Diaspora.nz:
* Around 20% of New Zealanders live outside of New Zealand. This is our “Diaspora” — and it’s one of the world’s largest, per capita.
* And not only is it large, it’s insanely talented: Early in their lives and careers, many of New Zealand’s most ambitious individuals realise— if they want to make a dent in the universe, they need to get out there… to study abroad, gain experience, build relationships.
* Unfortunately— as they go, many drop off the “domestic NZ” radar…
* We’re here to surface and share their stories, create opportunities to meet and support each other along the way, on and offline.
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