A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders He pivoted at $1M ARR—then raised $120M. | Kevin Tian, Co-Founder of Doppel
Feb 19, 2026
Kevin Tian, co-founder of Doppel and former NFT founder turned cybersecurity CEO, explains a daring pivot from NFT products to AI-driven defenses against impersonation. He recounts selling a $5k/month pilot with no product. He discusses shifting to enterprise cyber, network-led sales, and raising a Series A from a16z during the transition.
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Founders Met In Transit, Started During COVID
- Kevin and Rahul decided to start a company during COVID after long conversations and shared restlessness.
- They first tried a real-estate idea before joining forces to build Doppel focused on digital authenticity.
Digital Authenticity Was The Core Opportunity
- Kevin spotted a broad risk: AI makes impersonation trivial and digital authenticity is at stake.
- That macro insight guided building products for NFTs first and later for broader social-engineering defenses.
First $5k/mo Customer With No Product
- Doppel shipped a basic API prototype and got a $5k/month customer before building the full product.
- That early contract was month-to-month and driven by a buyer willing to invest in building a new solution.