Category Visionaries

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Damien Hutchins, Co-Founder of Rollzi, a full truckload carrier provider that's raised over $8 Million in funding, about why it’s time for a whole new approach to trucking and how Rollzi is making it happen. Deploying an innovative ‘single-lane relay’ strategy in which a network of local transit nodes keep trucks on the road while taking the pressure off drivers, Rollzi is reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and providing a less grueling work lifestyle for the drivers at the heart of their business. We also speak about how, despite being a ‘non-tech guy,’  Damien found himself with a career-long history in tech, what excites him about the trucking industry in particular, how drivers deal with difficult schedules, and what Rollzi plans to do about it, and where autonomy might fit into the freight network of the future. Topics Discussed: Damien’s background in the tech sector despite being  self-professed ‘non-tech guy’ How Damien found himself in the trucking space and what excites him about this industry in particular The challenges facing the trucking industry in a post-covid economy and how they inspired Damien to found Rollzi How Rollzi builds efficiency into its business model by bringing a whole new approach to road freight Why automation is far from a panacea for freight, but where it might find a place in Rollzi’s business model How Damien tries to strike a balance between the expense of innovation and the need to stay profitable   Favorite book:  Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Sean Knapp, Founder & CEO of Ascend, a data engineering platform that's raised $50 Million in funding, about why, in an era where every company is transforming into a software company, getting the right digital infrastructure in place is critical for optimizing productivity. Providing a single ‘pane of glass’ through which their clients can create, ingest, transform and ultimately utilize data, Ascend is positioning itself as an essential backend software system for the digital economy. We also speak about Sean's career in tech, what it was like getting in on the ground floor during the early days of google, the lessons he brought forward to his own tech startup, why the inexorable rise of data presents its own challenges of scale for an increasingly interdependent commercial landscape. Topics Discussed: Sean’s career in the software engineering space, and what he learned from joining Google during the early days of 2004 How it felt to leave a stable, secure position and take a leap into the unknown by risking it all on a startup Why ‘data is eating the world,’ and forcing every company to essentially become a software company How the deluge of data in the modern marketplace presents its own unique challenge for businesses Why most companies’ data teams spend 80% of their time trying to integrate different software solutions Why Sean is actually excited to see a bit of a down market in the years to come, cutting out some of the background noise   Favorite book:  Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Matt Giffune, Co-Founder at Occupier, a lease management platform that's raised $16 Million in funding, about why businesses need help to handle this major area of expense, and how Occupier’s integrated real estate workflow tool for provides everything their client’s need. Guiding people through the entire life cycle of a lease, from transaction management to lease administration and keeping in line with pertinent regulations, Occupier finds itself functioning as the backbone of many companies’ real estate operations. We also speak about the origin story of Occupier in Matt’s years as a real estate broker, why he was less than impressed with the state of technology in the industry, the current state of the commercial real estate space, and why people might be surprised to learn that Occupier’s ideal product-market fit came long after they actually launched. Topics Discussed: Matt’s career trajectory in the real estate space, from broker to joining a startup and eventually founding his own Why Matt was less than impressed with the technology being deployed in the commercial real estate market How this high value and highly significant sector of the contemporary economy found itself relying on PDFs, spreadsheets and outdated software The life cycle of a real estate lease and how Occupier supports their clients through every stage of the process Why Occupier’s product-market fit came only after they started receiving feedback from their clients   Favorite book:  John Adams

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Otto Hanson, CEO at TermScout, a contract review platform that's raised $7 Million in funding, about why the current approach to signing contracts wastes time, money and risks potentially souring key relationships, and how TermScout plans to trim the fat from this most basic business process. Providing neutral, independent, third-party data to build confidence in the terms of a deal, TermScout has achieved an incredible rate of more than 40% of their clients agreeing to a contract without any further negotiation necessary. We also speak about the TermScout story and Otto’s background in business law, exactly what inspired him to start such a specific startup, the big ideas which have shaped his career and why he’s happy to leave the corporate world behind, and why keeping agile and always pivoting can help you identify unique approaches to solving profitable problems. Topics Discussed: Otto’s career in business law and what it taught him about contracts as the critical components of doing modern business The problems which pushed Otto to start a contract-focused startup, and how businesses can save time and money through the process Why learning and adjustment is key to moving forward in business, identifying new ways to approach perennial problems Why identifying a ‘bad contract’ is about more than just reviewing specific clauses How ease of use and accessibility helped TermScout build momentum and gather customers Why TermScout invested so heavily in marketing, and how they’re getting the message out to their mark   Favorite book:  The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Tomas Reimers, CEO of Graphite, a code review platform that's raised $22.5 Million in funding, about why high-speed teams need more than what the open source software space can offer, and how Graphite delivers development solutions in real-time, with relevant insights to guide people with their nose to the grindstone. Their unique offering has seen the company generate impressive growth, with more customer requests than they can handle.   We also speak about Tomas’ experience working at Facebook, and the lessons he learned from one of the world’s tech giants, how networking with users helped Graphite develop a unique PLG strategy, the fundamental differences between developing software in an open source vs. closed environment, and exactly what it means to be part of a ‘fast moving team.’ Topics Discussed: Tomas’ career in tech, and what three years at Facebook taught him about good team and engineering culture The difference between open source and closed software development, and why GIThub is great but might not work for everyone How Graphite makes sure customers re-engage with their product after fixing identified features What it means to be part of a ‘fast moving team’ and why Graphite’s offering appeals to those in the corporate economy Why so many of Graphite’s clients insisted that they manage the solution themselves How Graphite copes with a deluge of client requests, and their plans for expansion in the years ahead   Favorite book:  The Last Days of Night: A Novel

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Florian Wimmer, Co-Founder & CEO at Blockpit, a crypto tax platform that's raised $15 Million in funding, about why their comprehensive cryptocurrency calculations are set to become an essential product for those looking for trouble-free future trading in the crypto markets. Inspired by Florian’s personal experience trying to tabulate his own crypto investments, Blockpit gives users the tools they need to get their earnings in order without the headache of manual calculations. We also spoke about Florian’s career across multiple industry sectors, why he’ll never go back to the corporate world, how what started s hobby, and why starting in Austria was a great incubator for the company’s European expansion.eventually grew into the Blockpit business we see today,  Topics Discussed: Florian’s career across multiple corporate sectors, and why he’s much happier in the startup space now The personal tax headache which led Florian to seek a software solution working out crypto valuations across multiple platforms The Blockpit value proposition for their customers, and why crypto tax calculation is tomorrow’s must-have product Why Austria was an ideal starting place for a crypto tax platform, and how a strict regulatory environment helped Blockpit prepare for a wider market launch The Blockpit customer base, and why retail investors are the natural market fit for their software solution   Favorite book: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Joshua Aaron, CEO of Aiden, a software packaging and deployment platform that’s raised over $3 Million in funding, about how the power of automation is bringing exponential change to our modern high-tech economy, and where Aiden fits into this exciting future. By layering automation onto a people-focused approach to software development, Aiden delivers innovative solutions for mid-market clients across a whole range of countries. We also speak about some of the books and business leaders which have influenced Joshua’s approach to business, his career in technology building innovative solutions for several major financial and business institutions, what makes Aiden’s offering so attractive to their clients, and exactly why AI & Natural Language Processing is such an important part of their business model. Topics Discussed: Joshua’s career in consulting, designing data centers and trading floors for companies like Credit Suisse First Boston. The role of automation in Aiden’s business model, and how it is helping improve software delivery across the world How Aiden’s paradigm-shifting approach to software development helped them stand out from the background market noise Proving ROI from existing customers as an effective education strategy for potential clients of automated services Why Aiden’s future looks to even more automation, particularly in the area of software updates   Favorite book:  Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Mike Adams, Co-Founder & CEO of Grain, a meeting insights platform that raised $22 Million in funding, about how to build the next in-demand product by really drilling down into the problems people deal with on a daily basis. Grain exists to capture, copy, and share key points from live conversations automatically so clients can concentrate more effectively on the conversation itself instead of losing focus on writing notes about it. We also talk about how Grain acquires customers as a startup and builds strong relationships with them, tailoring their solution to a client’s specific problem. In addition to that, we also talk about Mark’s challenges in navigating remote work through the pandemic, despite his dislike towards remote working. Topics Discussed: Mike’s journey from Utah to San Francisco where he built his first start-up and eventually started Grain Mike's experience building MissionU, an education company which was sold to WeWork back in 2018, which is where the idea for Grain came from. Mike's admiration for Sid Sijbrandij, the Co-Founder and CEO of GitLab, particularly about their solid business and company culture. How Mike met his Co-founder and decided to start a company that could record every meeting or interview and store that data in their own software. How Grain acquires big names as a startup. He talks about building good and genuinely needed products that actually solve problems. They were always doing one-on-one on-boarding meetings with their customers to build relationships and tailor the product to the customer's needs. Grain’s competitive landscape and market creation. Mike considers Grain as a ‘new flavor inside an existing category’. Mike’s greatest challenge while building Grain: COVID and navigating through completely remote work.  Grain’s vision for the next three years and how those visions excite Mark.   Favorite book:  The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Jeff Crusey, a venture investor with a special interest in the world of deep tech innovation, about why investing in a startup should be about much more than just cutting a check with an eye to future returns. With years of experience in aerospace, climate and energy transition, cybersecurity and deep tech, Jeff brings credibility and critical insight to any venture he gets involved in, supporting new founders to flourish as they transform the future of technology. We also speak about exactly what drives Jeff’s passion for venture investing, why it’s a promising time for many deep tech adjacent sectors, why Jeff is determined to bring more to an investment than just taking up space on the board, and his key tactical insights for those looking to secure startup investment. Topics Discussed: How the deep tech space is driving the future of innovation, in everything from aerospace and defense to the green energy transition Why a world of geopolitical turmoil means a lot of opportunity for innovative tech startups, but why that doesn’t always mean building bombs The potential for state-startup collaboration and why the long established stigma against government might be starting to shift Why investing should mean much more than just cutting a check or taking up a seat on the board The challenge of accurate valuations for truly transformative tech companies, and potential workarounds Tactical insights for tech startups looking to secure investment, from extending more than a six-month runway to keeping your strong teams together no matter what

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Mike Janke, Co-founder of Data Tribe, a venture capital firm driving change through a whole new approach to investing, about how a hyper-targeted and hands-on approach has helped them achieve a 96% success rate when it comes to guiding their partners to transformative market change and, ultimately, commercial viability. By carefully selecting only truly innovative startups and embedding deep in their operations, Data Tribe are making a name for themselves and their world-changing technologies. We also speak about Mike’s unorthodox entrance into the startup sector from a background in the military, what really excites him about the investment cycles he’s involved in, why so many of Data Tribe’s partners originate from the state-supported sector, and why there’s no real way to scale the Data Tribe hyper-focused approach to venture beyond a few hand-picked partners. Topics Discussed: Mike’s path to venture capital, from the military to being a six-time founder in the startup tech sector and beyond The deluge of investment funding innovation in the state sector, and how Data Tribe helps build-out commercial viability beyond it How Data Tribe ended up behind six of the World Economic Forum’s ‘technologies of the year.’ Why Data Tribe focus on a small number of hand-selected partners, and what makes their approach impossible to scale further What makes for a good investment pitch, and why you should always leave it to the investor to set the valuation Why category creation isn’t a panacea, and why an innovative technology will guarantee a new category if it’s truly transformative