The Room Podcast S11E6: Building the Unified API with Merge Co-Founder, Shensi Ding
Welcome back to The Room Podcast! Today, we’re thrilled to explore the fast-evolving world of B2B tech innovation with Shensi Ding, co-founder of Merge. Merge has become a leader in unified APIs, creating a category that addresses the challenges many companies face with complex integrations. Shensi’s journey is a unique one—from her coding days in Boston to Columbia, then a career at Silver Lake, all of which prepared her to tackle the 'SAAS sprawl' problem head-on. Together with her co-founder, Gil Feig, Shensi has built a powerhouse team and a product that’s essential for clients like Ramp and BambooHR. Their customer-first approach has secured $75 million in funding and a growing presence across SF and NYC.
In this episode, we delve into topics like using customer insights to drive category creation, balancing skills in co-founder dynamics, and navigating fundraising from seed stage through metrics-driven growth.
(00:00) Introduction
(05:04) Where did Shensi grow up and how did that shape her view of the world?
(06:07) Did Shensi always think she was going to become a founder?
(06:29) How were website designers making money in the early 2000's?
(07:25) How did Shensi move from making websites to computer science?
(08:19) How has finance influenced Shensi to become a founder?
(10:26) Why did Shensi leave finance to join Xpanse?
(11:35) How did Shensi meet her co-founder, Gil, and why did they decide to find Merge?
(14:20) What was the aha moment that encouraged the start of Merge?
(14:57) What is the core product of Merge?
(16:48) Who was the first company to say yes to using Merge?
(17:53) What are some of the ways that customers are using Merge?
(18:48) How does Shensi classify the space that Merge is a part of?
(19:38) How did Shensi think about building her initial team?
(21:00) Who was the first person to say yes to investing in Merge?
(21:31) How was Shensi's experience fundraising for Merge?
(22:44) What advice does Shensi have for fundraising?
(25:37) What is Merge's go-to-market strategy and how did Shensi build the initial sales team?
(26:29) How do you scale up after the seed round?
(28:19) How is AI disrupting the unified API space and how does Merge fit into that?
(29:14) What is a part of the founding journey that Shensi didn't expect?
(31:17) How is the founding landscape today? Are people looking to keep building?
(32:52) What companies are a part of Merge's tech stack?
(33:38) What's next for Merge and for Shensi?
(34:48) Who is a woman in Shensi's life that has had a profound impact on her and her career?
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