BUILDERS

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Swapnil Shinde, CEO and Co-Founder of Zeni, a finance operations platform that's raised over $47 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Swapnil’s background in computer science, and starting a service that was like Spotify for Indian music Working together with his identical twin brother Why startup bookkeeping is generally fragmented, complex, and lacking in insights, and how Zeni helps solve those problems Creating a new service category and disrupting a longstanding business Why fundraising becomes easier with every startup you found   Favorite book:  Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Nishika de Rosairo, CEO and Founder of HumanQ, a platform dedicated to unlocking human potential that's raised $3.5 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Nishika’s background growing up and living in four continents, and her passion for unlocking human potential How education creates a problem for people because they are forced to choose between the left or right side of the brain The workings of HumanQ and how it harnesses the power of AI to help people transform Success stats, with 95% of people declaring HumanQ programs make them more equipped to add value in their workplace Why Nishika would advise her past self to take faster and bigger bets sooner   Favorite book:  Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable (Tim Grover Winning Series)

In today’s episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Kelsey Bishop, Founder and CEO of Candor, a culture-building platform that's raised $5 Million in funding. Topics discussed:  How her experience loving some teams she worked with, but not others, led Kelsey to start Candor Kelsey’s favorite founder, his success story, and why she admires him Building a platform that allows people to get to know colleagues on a personal level, and the one element that plays a big part in the success of Candor Using TikTok as a marketing tool, and why luck and timing play a big part in fundraising The importance of following your intuition rather than someone else’s advice   Favorite book: The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Raghu Gollamudi, CEO and Co-Founder of Included, a people analytics platform that's raised $5.4 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Raghu’s experimenting with tech as a kid, which included blowing a TV fuse in a country where TVs were very expensive His background in engineering and telecommunication in India, building a startup during the .com crash, and working at Microsoft Why Raghu admires an innovator who’s making sanitary napkins more accessible  Creating an AI-powered HR analytics platform that provides insights and actionable recommendations to leaders Lessons Raghu learned from fundraising, and what his vision is for the future of Included   Favorite book:  Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers

In today’s episode of Category Visionaries, we speak to Zach Rash, CEO and Co-founder of Coco, a food delivery robot that's raised $60 Million in funding. Topics discussed:  Zach’s background in mechanical engineering and wanting to build something for the physical world Why Sam Altman, Coco’s largest investor, is an inspiration for Zach Using tech and a remote work model to build a product that makes food delivery cheaper for merchants and buyers, and the ins and outs of Coco’s workings Regulatory headaches, why Coco doesn’t steal jobs from human food deliverers, and how it contributes to sustainability Dealing with competition, lessons learned from fundraising, and Zach’s view for the future of Coco   Favorite book: Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Troy Carter, CEO and Co-Founder of Earthshot Labs, an ecological restoration finance platform that's raised $11 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Troy’s background as a Stanford graduate, and also as founder of a successful cider company in the West Coast Finding fulfillment in one’s professional and personal life, and improving organizations How one can make environmental issues more personal and motivating for people, and what we can learn from stoicism The way Earthshot Labs uses ecosystem forecasting to help people develop carbon reduction projects Difficulties in the industry, and what Troy sees in the future of Earthshot Labs /   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 Ian White, Founder, CEO & CTO of ChartHop, a people ops platform that’s raised over $74 Million in funding. Topics discussed: Ian’s background as a student of both computer science and theater, and as a startup founder  Building a new way of planning, managing, and supporting the people in an organization Differences between being a CTO and a CEO How ChartHop helps connect, visualize, and align people to empower organizations through insights, alignment, and action. Lessons from getting his first customer, people operations, and community building   Favorite book: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Matthew Stoudt, CEO and Founder of AppliedVR, a virtual reality therapeutics platform that's raised over $70 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Matthew’s background as a kid entrepreneur who sold stuff in school, and studying investment banking The first startups Matthew built and why it’s important to stick to your vision instead of chasing what is hot right now  Entrepreneurs Matthew admires, collecting experiences rather than material things, and the most touching experience he’s had on a trip The staggering numbers of people who suffer from chronic pain around the world, and what AppliedVR is doing to change that Matthew’s vision for the future of his company

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 Spencer Thompson, CEO & Co-Founder of Prelude Security, a continuous security testing platform that's raised over $30 Million in funding Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Emergence from a School to a Security Platform: Prelude started as a cybersecurity training school before pivoting to its current form, integrating education and cybersecurity innovation into one platform. Continuous Security Testing Explained: Prelude helps companies assess if they are vulnerable to specific cyber threats by running safe, simulated attacks on their systems, addressing the fundamental question, "Are we vulnerable to this?" Strategic Branding and Messaging: Prelude distinguishes itself from typical cybersecurity firms with a focus on foundational science and transparency, avoiding the fear-based marketing common in the industry. Impact of SEC Rulings on Cybersecurity: Spencer discussed the recent SEC rulings requiring public companies to disclose material breaches, a regulation that aligns with Prelude's mission to provide continuous, real-time security assessments. Customer-Centric Development: Emphasizing the importance of extensive customer discovery, Spencer highlighted how engaging deeply with customers has shaped Prelude's product and go-to-market strategy. Vision for National Scale Intelligence: Spencer envisions Prelude scaling to millions of endpoints, providing proactive security intelligence and transforming the reactive nature of current cybersecurity practices. //   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 Dylan Etkin, CEO and Co-Founder of Sleuth, an engineering efficiency platform that's raised $25 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Dylan’s career background as an engineer and engineering manager, and contributions to important products like Jira and Bitbucket Transitioning from engineer to CEO, new responsibilities and the importance of product-market fit Why so many engineering teams struggle with bottlenecks, and how automated tools can enhance their processes How DORA metrics established themselves as the gold-standard for efficiency monitoring, and integrating them into Sleuth’s solution Building a unique marketing approach based on sponsoring industry reports and thought leaders in the space   Favorite book:  The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win