BUILDERS

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

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 Chris Hare, CEO of PRTI, a waste-to-energy company that's raised over $25 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: Chris’ experience in various industries and leadership roles, and his long-term passion for innovation and building teams PRTI’s automated thermal-processing technology, breaking down tires into a gas stream, liquid oil, solid fuel, and steel Why the magnitude of the tire waste problem attracted the interest of large-scale, institutional investors Overcoming significant challenges related to automating a manual process, unexpected performance issues and adapting approaches Strong storytelling and open communication as crucial elements for effectively engaging investors //   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 Omer Glass, Co-Founder and CEO of GrowthSpace, a skill mastery platform that has raised $44 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Omer’s background in Behavioural Economics, his first (failed) startup and the lessons he learned about B2B and B2C What creating a “culture of excellence” in an enterprise means in practical terms How GrowthSpace contributes to human-to-human development within companies by using data to understand pain points What sets GrowthSpace apart from competitors The advice Omer would give his past self about fundraising   Favorite book:  Free Prize Inside: How to Make a Purple Cow

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Ankit Ratan, Co-Founder and CEO of Signzy, a digital onboarding infrastructure platform that's raised over $38 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Ankit’s financial services background, and the personal experiences which led him to found Signzy The challenges modern banks face in transitioning to digital processes and collaborating with external ecosystems. How the conversation around digital transformations for banks shifted from uncertainty to necessity The appeal of digital onboarding for customers and how Signzy intends to create a ‘Netflix’ experience for the banking sector Fundraising insights focused on how founders need to focus on demonstrating real-world customer problem solving