Building Pendo: The Early Struggles & Eventual Strategy for Success

You will be treated to the fascinating beginnings of Pendo, a product experience platform company now valued at over two and a half billion dollars. We'll highlight Pendo's growth from an initial sponsor to a prominent supporter of product conferences. Todd Olson, Pendo's CEO, joins to recount his journey prior to Pendo at Rally Software and the subsequent challenges that inspired the creation of Pendo. Todd delves into the significance of the close-knit founding team and their collective decision to secure funding to capitalize on the perceived urgency of the business opportunity.

We'll also reflect on Pendo's pivot from an attempted viral strategy to a focus on larger companies and the inclusion of sales, a move that significantly streamlined the company's growth trajectory. Speaker C also addresses Pendo's cultural constants despite a decade of transformation; the company's core values—such as work-life balance and a bias to act—remain as pivotal to Pendo's identity as they were at its inception. Looking ahead, we discuss Pendo's application of AI technology, assisting traditional businesses in becoming more product centric, and international expansion. Todd Olson closes the episode with a piece of seasoned advice for other entrepreneurs: Success comes from thoroughly solving a profound problem.

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