A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders

Aviv Leibovici, co-founder of Buildots, a construction-tech innovator, shares his journey from intelligence work to construction. He emphasizes the importance of working directly with customers to truly understand their challenges. Aviv reveals how a simple change transformed Buildots from near failure to rapid growth, highlighting the pitfalls of underpricing and the necessity of validating value before coding. With tens of millions in revenue, his insights are a goldmine for founders navigating product-market fit.

Shensi Ding, the founder and CEO of Merge, shares her journey from coding whispers to a booming $10M+ ARR. She brazenly cold-messaged 50,000 engineers and offered initial customers two free months to build trust. Shensi emphasizes the importance of outbound sales, detailing her relentless demos and hiring in-office during COVID. Discover why she decided to hold off on revenue collection until hitting $1M ARR and how she regained a lost major client. Her raw, determined spirit proves that sheer grit can lead to remarkable success.

Eldon Sprickerhoff, co-founder of eSentire, risked his home to launch a cybersecurity venture when no VCs would support him. After seven grueling years, they finally hit $1M in revenue. The turning point? Bringing in a seasoned CEO who pivoted the business strategy, skyrocketing revenue from $1M to $10M in just three years. Eldon shares how they creatively outperformed competitors and the emotional resilience needed to thrive in the startup landscape. His journey is a testament to bootstrapping success against all odds.

Soham Ganatra, founder of Composio, shares his whirlwind journey of turning an AI agent integration idea into a thriving platform with 100,000 users and a $30M Series A funding in just a year. He discusses the pitfalls of relying on friendly customers and his strategy of relentless outreach to strangers for brutally honest feedback. Soham reveals his innovative Discord and SEO tactics that sparked early user adoption, emphasizing that in AI, it’s more effective to build and surprise users than to merely ask them what they want.

Sahil Phadnis, the founder of fintech company Affiniti, shares his journey from being labeled a fraud at 18 to building a $10M ARR business. He discusses the tough pivot after a failed crypto startup, highlighting how cold-calling SMBs revealed their reliance on outdated banking systems. With 2,000 customers today, he reveals their innovative go-to-market strategy using trade associations to cut acquisition costs. Sahil emphasizes the importance of resilience and stoicism in navigating the unpredictable world of startups.

Join Jon Noronha, co-founder of Gamma, an innovative AI-powered presentation platform, as he shares his rollercoaster journey to success. After years of struggle, a pivot to AI caught fire when Paul Graham publicly questioned their launch—turning a mockery into a viral sensation. They skyrocketed from 2,000 to 60,000 daily signups in mere days, with their servers crashing under the demand. Discover how leveraging negative attention, user research, and a strategic onboarding process transformed a floundering startup into a million-dollar success in just two months!

Soham Mazumdar, co-founder of Rubrik and Wisdom AI, transitioned from Google to start Rubrik, turning it into a $1B ARR company. He discusses the importance of charging for pilots and how early customers can become loyal supporters when their pain points are genuinely addressed. Soham also shares insights on the challenges of launching Wisdom AI amidst the current AI boom, emphasizing the critical role of customer feedback and innovative strategies for successful market entry.

Stéphan Donzé, the founder of AODocs, shares his journey of bootstrapping a document management solution for enterprises, raking in $55M without VC funding. He discusses the benefits of steady growth over hypergrowth and why it’s essential for founders to personally close their first deals. Stéphan reveals the brutal realities of enterprise sales, including long sales cycles and the need for strong customer relationships. He also explains how being European gave him an edge against U.S. competitors in the tech world.

Andrew Filev, founder of Wrike and Zencoder, shares his remarkable journey of bootstrapping Wrike to a $2.2B exit without pivots or customer pre-launch feedback. He reveals how relentless focus on one problem and manning support calls fueled product innovation. Andrew discusses the pitfalls of conventional startup wisdom and how copycats accelerated growth. Now, with Zencoder, he envisions AI not as a replacement for developers but as a tool to make everyone more effective. A must-listen for any founder looking to break the mold!

Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, reveals the stark realities of startup funding. It now takes over two years to transition from seed to Series A, with $3M ARR as the new benchmark. Founders now face greater dilution, owning just 56% post-first round. The shift towards AI is crucial—without it, startups struggle to attract attention. However, leaner teams and an uptick in exits signal a recovering landscape. Walker emphasizes the importance of understanding cash flow and current funding dynamics to succeed in this evolving market.