Unicorn Builders

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Arik Shtilman, CEO and Co-Founder of Rapyd, a Fintech as a service platform that's raised over $800 Million in funding, about why today’s global economy needs a new generation of payment solutions. Offering powerful fintech solutions to collect, hold and send funds across countries and between currencies with ease, Rapyd makes sure their customers have the time and resources available to focus on what matters most - building and growing their businesses. We also speak about Arik’s CEO superpowers of staying hungry and getting deep into the details, advice for early founders to focus on building a brand and boosting awareness, Rapyd’s marketing strategies, and creating a new category with ‘fintech as a service.’ Topics Discussed: Lessons learned from the Israeli military  The mindset Arik and his co-founders had when they founded the company How to deal with negative press The ROI of David Guetta How one meeting saved the company from being closed  Why the spray and  pray approach to fundraising doesn't work  How Arik keeps him team and himself hungry and motivated  Why brand awareness is everything 

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Raj De Datta, CEO and Co-founder of Bloomreach, an e-Commerce experience platform that’s raised $450 Million in funding, about why, in a world where we all live digitally, it’s time to bring the e-Commerce experience up to the standards we’d expect from traditional shopping. By providing personalized advertising to engage digital customers, and then a seamlessly integrated pathway to the products that caught their attention, Bloomreach is making e-commerce a more rewarding experience for everyone involved, and helping the brands behind it reach new levels of growth and engagement. We also speak about what the post-financial crisis startup economy of 2009, why hard times can actually be a benefit in the long run, how years of trials and tribulations with Bloomreach taught Raj the central importance of perseverance, and how his singular vision on a more enjoyable experience of a digital world eventually carried Bloomreach to the top. Topics Discussed: The story of a startup cycle, Bloomreach’s trials and tribulations from a strong start to uncertainty and back again to the top Why money is only one thing you need to  build a successful business, and easy access to capital is no guarantee of success Why what leaders need more than anything is clarity of vision, but how Raj found catharsis in sharing his uncertainty during a difficult time How Raj envisioned a digital shopping experience long before e-Commerce came to dominate the market How Bloomreach’s cultural playbook puts strong teams at the heart of their business model Why Raj wants to share his story to encourage other founders in the space, and why, for him, it’s always ‘day’

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Marcelo Lebre, COO and Co-founder of Remote, a global payroll, tax and HR compliance platform that’s raised nearly $500 Million in funding, about how supporting employers to recruit, hire and pay the best talent from across the world is building a better way of working for everyone. Their remote-first offering might have seemed outlandish just a few years ago, but in a post-pandemic economy it has quickly taken this young startup to unicorn status, a growth trend that sees no signs of slowing down any time soon. We also speak about what it was like growing up as a tech-obsessed kid in a small rural town, how Marcelo’s family responded to his rapid success, why it’s sometimes hard for him to comprehend the scale of what remote has become, why anxiety can be a superpower as much as a ‘super problem,’ and why, at the end of the day, for Marcelo it all comes down to problem-solving. Topics Discussed: The origins of remote, from a small village upbringing to a chance double date, and on to become a globally recognised brand Why working remotely means Marcelo sometimes struggles to get his head around the growth Remote has experienced in recent years How the COVID-19 pandemic supercharged the remote-work revolution, and how Marcelo’s vision put Remote ahead of the curve What it felt like to have friends and family recognise Remote’s astounding success Why Marcelo might call anxiety both a ‘super problem’ and superpower Why solving one problem after the next is still the main motivation for Marcelo to keep driving Remote forwards

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Michael Witte, CEO & Co-founder of Workrise, a marketplace for on demand services and skilled labor in the energy industry that’s raised over $750 Million in funding, about why the energy sector’s needs for digital innovation are equal to its dependence on advanced extraction technologies, and how Workrise fits in to the future of energy. A B2B marketplace to bring together skills and expertise from disparate vendors and individuals to implement energy projects to the highest possible standard, Workrise is set to drive efficiency and expediency in this foundational part of our economy. We also speak about Michael’s background as a native Texan and as a energy engineer, the staggering technology in the energy extraction process but why the sector lags behind in terms of digitalization, how personal experience led him to found Workrise, and how he manages to balance being a father, husband, dog owner and CEO. Topics Discussed: Michael’s life as a native Texan and his career in the oil and gas sector The complexity of energy extraction projects involving a wide range of stakeholders, skills and expertise The current state of the Austin tech ecosystem and why Michael is proud to be a part of it The staggering technology required to extract energy resources, but why the sector still lags behind in terms of digitalization Why so many would-be founders never really consider what their success might mean, and the responsibility that comes with a leadership role How Michael balances his business with the responsibility of being a husband, father and ‘dog father’

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Spike Lipkin, CEO and Co-founder of Newfront, a modern insurance platform that’s raised $310 Million in funding, about why the insurance industry has been so slow to move with the times, and the new generation of insurance solutions delivering better outcomes for their customers. By empowering experts in risk management with the latest digital technologies, Newfront is leading the way in transforming the sector on behalf of their customers. We also speak about Spike’s background, from growing up in Colorado to finding his way into the insurance industry, his personal experiences confronting mountains of paperwork, why insurance is so central to innovation and progress across almost every field of human endeavor, and how large language models are helping Newfront produce actionable comparisons from huge amounts of industry data. Topics Discussed: Spike’s background and why he feels fortunate to have found his way into the insurance industry The central role of insurance, and managing risk more generally, in driving innovation across almost every field of human endeavor Spike’s first-hand experience confronting huge amounts of insurance industry paperwork, and why the sector has been so slow to modernize The role of new technology like large language models in redefining the insurance experience, and the importance of actionable comparisons for clients The central focus on broker productivity and transaction rates as metrics of success for Newfront

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Ajay Kulkarni, CEO of Timescale, an open source time series SQL database that’s raised over $180 Million in funding, about why, as computers get more powerful and data storage gets cheaper, the future of our digital transformation lies in better databases. With a market offering optimized for data intensive applications which capture large volumes of information for use in enterprise decision making, but faster, cheaper and better than current market offerings, Timescale is set to make a massive impact on the way data affects all of our daily lives. We also speak about how perseverance kept Ajay in the startup space even after less than successful attempts at first, why he believes the success in any business is the grind, the pros and cons of starting a business during tough economic times, and how Timescale’s early PLG strategy was built on the strength of their community. Topics Discussed: Ajay’s first forays as a founder, and why he feels he learned a lot but never quite got the formula right until now Why Ajay believes that when it comes to business success, there’s nothing more essential than the grind The competitive aspect of a commercial enterprise, and why every founder needs a bit of faith in themselves and their idea How constant development in the data collection and storage capacity of our devices makes better databases and essential tool for the economy of tomorrow Why Timescale’s faster, cheaper, better model for data intensive applications is leaving the competition behind How building a community helped give Timescale’s PLG strategy a head start

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Gary Hoberman, CEO and Founder of Unqork, a no-code enterprise application platform that’s raised over $400 Million in funding, about why the future of tech innovation for some of the world’s largest companies is being built without a single line of code. With a range of software solutions combining automation and cutting-edge analytics, Unqork helps their clients divert critical resources back to driving forward momentum instead of maintaining out-of-date solutions. We also speak about Gary’s impressive career in some of the world’s leading enterprises, how his entrepreneurial family helped shape his unique approach to business, Gary’s vision for innovation in business, and why, as far as he’s concerned, cutting-edge technology really is magic. Topics Discussed: Gary’s career in the world of global enterprise and what it taught him about his own personal approach to business How Gary found firms spending 80% of their budget just to ‘keep the lights on.’ What it was like transitioning from corporate heights to the world of startup technology Gary’s fascination with coding as a language, and why Unqork helps their clients innovate without it How people find happiness in different enterprise spaces and why it all comes down to personal psychology Why technology is magic as far as Gary is concerned

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Tony Jamous, CEO of Oyster, about how remote working is bringing the world together, building new opportunities and making a dent in one of our greatest collective challenges – global inequality. Oyster’s seamless, red-tape-free solution for any company to hire anyone, anywhere, is more than just a revenue stream, it’s a mission-based company determined to lead the way toward a better future of work for us all. We spoke about Oyster’s extraordinary funding success, the impact of the pandemic and the importance of timing, and how personal experiences building a global company led him to appreciate the challenge of hiring across borders. A self-proclaimed ‘future of work activist,’ Tony wants to see a world where barriers and borders to productivity are eliminated, allowing people to optimize their skills in their communities and end the cycle of brain drain afflicting much of the world.  Topics Discussed: The future of a truly global economy, and why bureaucracy hurts us all, in the long run, How Tony became a ‘future of work activist’ and what it means to run a mission-based company Why global talent can become the basis of a global community, and why borders build inequality into our society The importance of like-minded investors, and why a mission is everything when founding a company to drive real change Why learning and leadership go hand in hand, and why every first-time founder needs a good coach Target market resonance and the challenge of positioning a revolutionary company in a saturated market Why global work will soon become ‘future work,’ and how Oyster is positioning itself to get ahead of the curve

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Barr Moses, Co-Founder & CEO of Monte Carlo, a data observability platform that’s raised over $230 Million in funding.  Topics Discussed: Barr’s background in the Israeli military, and the lessons in analytics and dealing with challenges that she brought to the world of business How Barr’s Mother became her business inspiration from a young age, and what she learned from watching her business journey Why it can be easy to end up making content only for yourself, and how important it is to communicate with your potential clients to know what’s really going on Why Monte Carlo’s focus is on getting as many customers as possible and making them as happy as they possibly can Why Barr spends time on podcasts, at speaking events and writing blogs to share the concept behind her new business category The data observability category and why Barr is so thrilled to see it establishing itself

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Kevin Busque, CEO and Founder of Guideline, a 401K platform for small business that’s raised $339 Million in funding, about why so few employees in the US have access to a retirement plan for their autumn years, and their mission to make them more accessible and effective for everyone involved. Covering everything from payroll integrations to intuitive dashboards and intelligent advertising, Guideline gives people the power to invest in their financial future with confidence. We also speak about Kevin’s early start in business with a highschool custom computer enterprise, his lifelong love of digital technologies and transition through the sector to become a founder, the regulatory pain that both inspired and impeded the early days of Guideline, and how technology is revolutionizing the retirement industry.   Topics Discussed: Kevin’s lifelong love of computer technology, from a highschool business to working in firms across the sector The early struggle to raise capital which meant Guideline almost ‘died before it started’ Why only 10% of US firms offer their employees meaningful retirement plans, and why Guideline is on a mission to change that How technology is helping bring a new category of solutions to this long-struggling aspect of the US economy The regulatory pain of trying to launch a startup in such a heavily regulated and slow-moving space How working with finance engineers helped generate a wealth of actionable business ideas to work from