BUILDERS

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Sivan Tehila, Founder and CEO of Onyxia, a cybersecurity performance management platform that's raised $5 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Sivan’s background, including her time as Head of Information Security in the Israeli military and in the civilian defense industry Why cybersecurity professionals are often seen as blocking the business, and how this pushed Sivan to start Onyxia The reasons why companies have a hard time managing security programs, and how Onyxia makes this easier for them Building a new category, and the need to educate the market How important it is to build relationships with investors

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Thomas Millay, CEO of DemandJump, a marketing strategy platform that's raised over $25 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Evolution of Tech and Marketing: Tom reflects on the significant changes in the tech industry over 40 years, highlighting the transition from slow development cycles to agile methodologies and the impact of cloud computing on startup costs. The Shift in SEO Strategy: DemandJump focuses on improving search engine rankings by helping clients understand what content to develop and how to structure it, moving away from traditional keyword strategies to a more holistic topic-based approach. Impact of Google's Algorithm Changes: DemandJump capitalized on Google's shift towards prioritizing quality content and user experience, leading to the development of their unique content strategy software. Capital Efficiency in the Midwest: Based in Indianapolis, DemandJump benefits from a conservative approach to capital, leveraging a lower cost of living and a dedicated workforce to drive growth. Raising Prices for Value Capture: Tom discusses the strategic decision to raise prices, ensuring that DemandJump captures a fair share of the economic value provided to customers, which led to increased average contract values. Future Vision as a Thought Leadership Platform: DemandJump aims to evolve from a content strategy platform to a comprehensive thought leadership strategy platform, helping clients distribute various types of content across multiple channels.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with David Johnson, CEO of Dexai, a kitchen robotics platform that's raised over $12 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: David’s background, including his PhD in physics, and how growing up on mother-cooked meals inspired his hobby as a chef The man who invented the helicopter, and why he’s an inspiration for David What David was like as a teenager, and why the idea of starting a company never scared him How Dexai uses robots to allow chefs in commercial kitchens to avoid the boring, repetitive tasks of large-scale cooking The challenges of working in kitchen automation, and what advice David would give to his earlier self starting out   Favorite book:  One Hundred Years of Solitude

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Kaycee Lai, CEO and Founder of Promethium, a data fabric platform that's raised $34.5 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Kaycee’s background, including his time as a Federal Reserve analyst Why Martha Stewart is the CEO Kaycee admires the most, and why his favorite book is a classic 19th-century French novel The difficulties companies have in leveraging data, what data fabric is, and how Promethium uses data fabric to help companies overcome those obstacles The data industry: its current state and trends, and its future Why marketing is less important than educating prospects and being transparent about your product, and why fundraising is not really a numbers’ game   Favorite book:  The Count of Monte Cristo

  In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Michael Guirguis, Co-Founder and CEO of SESO, a workforce management platform for the agriculture industry that has raised nearly $30 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Michael’s background in labor policy, his internship in the White House, and why he switched from the public to the private sector What Michael admires in Ryan Peterson, and why Michael likes a massive book about Gengis Khan Why the biggest problem in agriculture is access to labor, and how SESO streamlines the process of hiring and managing agricultural employees What an H-2A visa is, why it’s crucial for the US agricultural sector, and how SESO helps farmers take advantage of it Disrupting a market, and the importance of focus and speed   Favorite book:  Gengis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Luke Hansen, CEO & Founder of CompanyCam, a visual communication platform for contractors that has raised $38 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Embracing Uniqueness: Luke's mustache is more than a quirky feature; it’s a branding strategy. He believes that being memorable is often more important than being slightly better, as it helps occupy a unique space in customers' minds. Visual Communication for Contractors: CompanyCam simplifies the organization of job site photos by automatically sorting them using GPS, providing an Instagram-style feed that improves communication and project management for contractors. Market Understanding: Initially self-funded through a family roofing business, Luke discusses the challenges of convincing investors about the significance of visual tools for contractors and the importance of having a real solution to a real problem. Product-Driven Growth: Luke emphasizes the importance of having the best product that solves a real problem. This focus on quality has driven significant referral-based growth and user adoption. Balancing Life and Business: Building a tech company in Nebraska offers unique advantages, such as lower costs and a balanced lifestyle, while also presenting challenges like limited access to SaaS industry expertise. Future Vision: Luke envisions CompanyCam mediating the homeowner-contractor relationship, leveraging AI to enhance how contractors interact with their data, transforming it into actionable insights and efficient project management.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co

In today’s episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Shariq Siddiqui, Co-founder and CEO of Veeve, a shopper engagement platform that's raised over $10 Million in funding. Topics discussed: Shariq’s humble background in Pakistan, getting a full scholarship to study in the US, and creating his first app so he could stay in the US The valuable skill Shariq learned during his time as a server in an NYC restaurant Why Satya Nadella is a CEO Shariq admires What pushed Shariq to create a smart shopping cart, and the details of how the cart works to make life easier for both shopper and shop-owner  Creating an ecosystem for his product and getting big companies to give it a chance

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Barbra Gago, CEO and Founder of Pando, an employee career progression platform that's raised $7 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Barbra’s background in B2B tech entrepreneurship, and getting into the space at a very early stage The challenges of transitioning from a marketing leadership role to assuming full control of a company as a lone founder Pando’s value proposition, and why it's time for a transition towards a new kind of career-progression system How Pando created a new category and successfully positioned themselves in an emerging marketplace The importance of market research and customer feedback in successfully finding space for a new category

In today's episode of Category Visionaries we speak with Dan Rosen, Founder and GP at Commerce Ventures, an early-stage venture firm.  Topics Discussed: Dan’s background in venture capital and market changes in the sector since the 2000s Successful startups Dan has invested in and his criteria for choosing which companies to put money into Current venture capital activity in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area The three most important traits that successful startup founders have in common Innovations, market challenges and outlook for the venture capital landscape

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Alex Zekoff, CEO and Co-Founder of Thoughtful AI, an AI-powered healthcare automation platform that's raised $21 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Alex’s background, including his time working in Mitsubishi in Japan and deploying software robots Why Alex shifted from consulting to founding a startup, and the reasons why Alex’s father is the founder he most admires What “a meaningful and fulfilling life” means for Alex, and the importance his wife has in his self-development journey How Thoughtful uses the power of AI to help mid-market healthcare providers get paid faster The impact and value of executive coaching   Favorite book: Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything