Unicorn Builders

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Justin Borgman, CEO and Co-Founder of Starburst, a data lake analytics platform that's raised $414 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Why Justin prefers to be called a “workhorse” rather than an unicorn The entropy in the data universe and how Starburst aims at giving customers the freedom to analyze their data regardless of where it’s stored Why Justin has over 10 co-founders, and how this has been an advantage for Starburst Justin’s transitioning away from sales, what keeps him awake at night, and what he does to balance his work and personal life The lowest point for Justin as a founder, the importance of finding the right mentors, and the day Starburst became a unicorn

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Arvind Jain, CEO of Glean, an AI-powered workplace data search and management platform that has raised $155 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Arvind’s background, including a decade in Google in the early 2000s and being a unicorn builder twice in a row Why Arvind thinks luck plays a big role in building unicorns, what his superpower is, and his vision on leadership Why employees spend up to 25% of their work time searching for data in the company’s servers How Glean uses the power of generative AI to help people find enterprise information quickly Why a startup founder starting out should look for a big problem to solve, and the challenges of achieving unicorn status

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders we speak with Abhay Parasnis, Founder and CEO of Typeface, an enterprise AI platform that has raised $165 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Abhay’s background, including his time at IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and being CTO at Adobe, and working on the project that became Java Photography, Abhay’s favorite photo he ever took, and landscapes he would love to photograph What Abhay has learned being a board member at Schneider Electric and Dropbox How Typeface personalizes AI content generators to each company’s brand and voice What Typeface is doing that makes it stand out in the market, and lessons Abhay learned from fundraising

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Rodrigo Liang, Co-Founder and CEO of SambaNova, an enterprise generative AI platform that's raised over $1 Billion in funding. Topics Discussed: Rodrigo’s decades-long background in the tech industry, including Sun, Oracle, and HP What are the two qualities that Rodrigo most admires in the great CEOs he has met, and what it was like to work with Larry Ellison Why companies have difficulty breaching the chasm from pre-AI to post-AI, and how SambaNova helps them do that Lessons from “near-death” corporate experiences, and fundraising skills Why, for Rodrigo, a startup is first of all a mentality

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Arif Nathoo, CEO and Co-Founder of Komodo Health, a data platform that has raised over $400 million. Topics Discussed: Arif’s background as a hospital volunteer, his studies in medicine and public policy, and his work as a management consultant Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, stoicism, and Arif’s personal philosophy The “curse” of being a startup founder and what motivates Arif to continue working Advice Arif would give to his younger self when starting his company What Komodo has already accomplished and what Arif’s vision is moving forward   Favorite book: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Dave Wessinger, CEO and Co-Founder of PointClickCare, a healthcare technology platform that's raised over half a billion in funding, about why the healthcare industry in on the verge of a technological breakthrough, and what it means for customers and patients alike. By making patient data accessible, breaking down data silos and connecting care teams with the insights to manage relationships in the right way, PointClickCare is building a better world of healthcare. We also speak about Dave’s background as a tech entrepreneur and how a desire to build video games transformed into pioneering healthcare solutions, the benefits of building a business with close family members, building significant market shares across various markets, and how PointClickCare evolved from an senior-focused SaaS firm to a comprehensive care solution.  Topics Discussed: Dave’s background as a technology entrepreneur, and how a passion for video games led him to a pioneering role in providing healthcare Working closely with family members as a unique entrepreneurial experience built on inherent trust How PointClickCare evolved from a senior-centered SaaS company into a comprehensive care solution Achieving dominant positions through brand building and customer satisfaction across various markets Why starting a company requires a combination of self-belief and a sense of adventure, and Dave’s experience with both

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Jean Paul Chauvet, CEO of Lightspeed, a unified point of sale payments platform that's raised over a billion dollars in funding.   Topics Discussed: Jean Paul’s background as an engineer, and how a ‘golden childhood’ in Nigeria helped him find his road to business leadership The importance of timing and industry insight to guide critical business decisions, and how Jean Paul got it right again and again How Lightspeed manages to stay ahead of the game by listening to customers and constantly striving for innovation Why founders looking to achieve big things should learn to fail fast and course correct Being hyperactive, hardworking, and ultimately always coming back to business rather than rest   Favorite book:  Crossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers (Collins Business Essentials)

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Federico Larsen, CTO and Co-Founder of Copado, a DevOps platform for Salesforce that's raised over $250 Million in funding.  Topics Discussed: Federico’s background, coming from Argentina and working on Latin America’s first Salesforce system integrator How challenges of implementing complex processes gave rise to the inspiration for an automated solution, and, ultimately, Copado itself How Copado rose from humble roots to service enterprise-scale customers, including Fortune1000 companies Federico’s advice on fundraising, and the importance of choosing investors who align with the company's goals and values The key elements of building a business that every funder needs to get right, from building a cohesive team to encouraging collaboration, even among a distributed workforce   Favorite book:  Conquest of Mind: Take Charge of Your Thoughts and Reshape Your Life Through Meditation

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Henrique Dubugras, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Brex, a fintech unicorn most recently valued at more than $12 Billion. Topics Discussed: Henrique's entrepreneurial journey, from starting his first company in Brazil, attending college in the United States, and eventually Co-Founding Brex How setbacks shaped Henrique's determined mindset as an entrepreneur, and the lessons he learned along the way Brex’ company focus on corporate expenditure, accountability and compliance, whether for travel costs or credit cards Why the closure of Silicon Valley Bank might create a real opportunity for Brex to provide transactional services to startups How Brex profiles their potential competitors, and their plans to make sure they secure their own space 

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Assaf Resnick, CEO and Co-Founder of BigPanda, an AIOps platform that's raised $337 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: The serendipitous moment that took Assaf from VC to strike out on his own as a founder, and the hunger that drives him forward The personal challenges of becoming a business founder, from emotional strain to strategic divergences Why building a successful business means balancing growth with efficiency, and always being ready to adapt as circumstances change Why product-market fit is absolutely essential, and how founders can make sure they never lose focus of their clients’ pain points BigPanda’s vision of becoming the leading name in the AI ops space, and the strategic steps that they hope will take them there   Favorite book:  Siddhartha: A Novel