G2’s Godard Abel on How the “Yelp for Software” is Adapting to AI Buying and Discovery

In the past two decades, the number of software tools the B2B buyer can shop between has exploded. While that abundance has made it more likely that a buyer can find a tool that solves their problem, it also complicates the buying journey. Discovering and vetting the right tools is a job in and of itself. 

Godard Abel founded G2 to simplify that process. He knew firsthand from his experience founding five previous startups that a “Yelp for software” was desperately needed. Building a company and brand as big as G2 hasn’t always been straightforward, though (just ask Godard about when they launched and had just three site visitors). In this episode of Spotlight On, Godard sits down with Accel’s Arun Mathew to share his journey to founding G2, what he’s learned about building brands and teams, and how AI is changing the buying journey completely. 

Conversation Highlights: 

0:00 – How Godard’s journey as a six-time founder shaped his vision for G2

6:45 – Deciding to scale or aim for a strategic exit

8:45 – Building the Amazon storefront for B2B software

11:59 – The early days of G2: from no traffic to product-market fit

19:00 – Building a brand by enriching the startup ecosystem 

21:01 – Why you shouldn’t hire a sales team too early 

24:35 – The advantages of building a Chicago-first startup 

27:45 – How AI is changing the B2B buyer journey