Scott Dorsey

Ben and David return to make their first foray into enterprise software, covering Salesforce’s $2.5B acquisition of ExactTarget in 2013 with the help of special guest and ExactTarget cofounder & CEO, Scott Dorsey.   Technical note: due to an issue we didn’t catch during recording, audio quality is significantly lower than usual for this episode (especially David’s voice). We apologize but hope you’ll give it a chance anyway— Scott offers great wisdom & insights, and the ExactTarget success story is a inspiring one underdog entrepreneurs, especially (but not limited to!) anyone located in the Midwest or elsewhere outside of traditional "Silicon Valley-style” tech hubs. Sponsors:WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25Sentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentryServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acquiredsnMore Acquired!:Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2025 ACQ, LLCTopics covered include: The decision to start ExactTarget post-internet bubble and in Indianapolis, with zero software experience between Scott and cofounders Chris Baggott & Peter McCormickRaising initial money from friends & family, followed by early investment and mentoring from Indianapolis venture pioneer Bob ComptonBuilding and scaling a great sales organization within a technology companyThe importance of focusing early on a clearly defined target market (SMBs in the case of ExactTarget), and then “stair-stepping” up as the product and business scale grow over timeExactTarget’s unsuccessful first IPO filing during the financial crisisBuilding a "capital-efficient” early stage company, and the value of raising growth capital at the right time to step on the acceleratorThe value of “secondary” investments allowing founders, employees & early investors to “stay hungry” by achieving some liquidity along the wayWhen and how to expand internationally and the importance of strategic resellersExactTarget’s second successful IPO filing and life as a public company with quarterly financial reporting to Wall StreetHow the acquisition process played out with Salesforce and other bidders (including reference to ExactTarget’s incredible SEC filing detailing the entire negotiation—scroll down to "Background and Reasons for the ExactTarget Board’s Recommendation”, starting at the bottom of page 13)Approaching the difficult task of integrating a major acquisition involving thousands of peopleThe fun story of ExactTarget’s winning Microsoft as a large customer—including actual sledgehammersScott’s new Indianapolis-based venture studio, High AlphaPlus as always the "hard hitting" analysis across acquisition category, what would have happened otherwise, tech themes—and final grading  The Carve Out Ben: The Talk Show live at WWDC 2016 with Phil Schiller & Craig FederighiDavid: The Score Takes Care of Itself by legendary 49ers coach Bill Walsh, originally recommended by Jack Dorsey [no relation to Scott :) ] at YC Startup School '13Scott: 2016 Scipps National Spelling Bee, including one of the finalists’ favorite words: indefatigable  Followups: Instagram’s incredible user numbers announcement: 500M monthly active users / 300M daily active users

Scott Dorsey, co-founder and managing partner of High Alpha, is a tech visionary known for revolutionizing digital marketing with ExactTarget, a company sold to Salesforce for $2.5 billion. He shares insights on the unique 'Orange Culture' that defined ExactTarget's success. Dorsey discusses his commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and strengthening Indiana's tech ecosystem. He also emphasizes the importance of civic engagement and education through his nonprofit initiative, Next Tech, showcasing how community and innovation drive lasting change.

Scott Dorsey, managing partner of High Alpha, discusses the keys to successfully scaling a business: scaling yourself, scaling your team, and scaling your organization. Topics include building a strong culture, surrounding oneself with coaches and mentors, combating high turnover rates in the tech industry, identifying growth opportunities, and strategies for scaling a business.

Scott Dorsey, co-founder of High Alpha, discusses the venture studio model and its differences from traditional venture funds. He explains the specialties of High Alpha and the types of founders and businesses that are a good fit for partnership. They also dive into the details of High Alpha's sprint week process and the benefits for portfolio companies. Scott provides advice for new entrepreneurs on raising venture capital.

Scott Dorsey, Managing Partner at HighAlpha and co-founder of ExactTarget, shares fascinating insights from his journey in the SaaS landscape. He opens up about his time working with Marc Benioff at Salesforce, highlighting key lessons and challenges faced. Dorsey explains the critical nature of product-market fit and effective pricing strategies for startups, emphasizing the importance of early customer engagement. He also discusses navigating the dual role of investor and operator while fostering innovation in emerging tech ecosystems.