Unicorn Builders

Satyen Sangani: The GTM Story of Alation ($1.7 Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Satyen Sangani, CEO & Co-Founder of Alation, a data intelligence platform that has raised over $340 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Category Creation Challenges: Alation’s journey involved building a brand-new category from scratch, which took nearly five years to be recognized. The process was long and required articulating a problem customers didn’t realize they had — data understanding and accessibility.
The Search for Product-Market Fit: Early on, the company focused on user interviews and trials, identifying that customers struggled more with writing SQL queries than data discovery. This discovery led to the development of their first product.
Resisting Temptations to Fit into Existing Categories: Although Satyen considered repositioning Alation under the emerging “data governance” category, the team chose to stick to their vision, focused on enabling data consumption, which paid off in the long run.
Building the Go-to-Market Motion: In the early days, marketing drove 90% of the company’s leads, while sales focused on enterprise deals. This inbound-heavy approach allowed them to grow without significant outbound efforts initially.
The Evolution of Data Intelligence: Alation’s positioning evolved from a data catalog to “data intelligence” as competitors emerged and the need for a broader vision became apparent. This shift helped the company compete at a higher level.
Fundraising as a Storytelling Exercise: Satyen emphasizes the importance of balancing the proof of success with the dream during investor pitches. Storytelling and the articulation of the long-term vision have been key to securing over $340 million in funding.
//
 
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
 

Robert Nishihara: The GTM Story of Anyscale ($1+ Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Robert Nishihara, Co-Founder of Anyscale, an AI compute platform that has raised over $250 Million in funding.
 
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Anyscale's Origin Story: The company began as a commercialization effort for Ray, an open-source project tackling AI compute challenges.
AI's Early Days: In 2012, AI was still experimental until deep learning breakthroughs rapidly expanded the field, driving demand for scalable compute solutions.
The ChatGPT Inflection Point: The release of ChatGPT in 2022 turned AI into a top priority for businesses, validating Anyscale’s bets on scalable AI infrastructure.
Scaling AI for Business Impact: Many businesses are still in the experimentation phase of AI, needing rapid iteration and productionization to fully unlock AI’s potential.
AI Flexibility Is Key: Companies seek platforms like Ray that can support diverse AI workloads, from deep learning to generative AI, to future-proof their infrastructure.
Community-Driven Marketing: Anyscale’s marketing strategy revolves around growing its open-source community through events like Ray Summit, converting users into loyal customers.
 
//
 
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

Dimitri Sirota: The GTM Story of BigID ($1.25 Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Dimitri Sirota, CEO & Co-Founder of BigID, a data security and compliance platform that's raised $350 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
BigID's Origin Story: Dimitri shares how the company was founded during the nascent stages of the internet and how the evolution of browsers like Mozilla sparked early excitement in the tech industry.
Data Privacy as a Market Opportunity: The idea for BigID emerged from identifying a gap in the market for data privacy and compliance, which was becoming increasingly crucial due to regulatory demands.
Securing Major Funding: The company's ability to raise $350 million is tied to its strong value proposition in the data security space and the growing importance of compliance in enterprise environments.
Early Challenges and Growth: Dimitri discusses the challenges faced in the early days of BigID, including convincing companies of the importance of data privacy and navigating the complexities of the regulatory landscape.
Market Expansion and GTM Strategy: The conversation dives into how BigID expanded its market presence, focusing on a global go-to-market strategy that involved strategic partnerships and a strong emphasis on customer success.
Future of Data Security: Dimitri offers insights into the future of data security, highlighting emerging trends in AI and automation that are set to reshape the landscape.
 
//
 
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

Oren Kaniel: The GTM Story of AppsFlyer ($2 Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Oren Kaniel, CEO & Co-Founder of AppsFlyer, a mobile attribution and marketing analytics platform that has raised over $300 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Inception of AppsFlyer: Oren shared how his first experience with an iPhone in 2011 led him to realize the potential of mobile technology, sparking the idea behind AppsFlyer.
Early Days and Challenges: He discussed the early challenges of convincing people about the growth potential of mobile, especially in a market still dominated by desktop and Blackberry users.
Focus on Data Privacy: From the beginning, AppsFlyer was built with a strong emphasis on data privacy, which Oren recognized as a critical need for the future of mobile marketing.
Bootstrapping Before Funding: Oren mentioned how the company was bootstrapped for its first few years, which instilled a strong discipline in the team and shaped the company's culture.
Navigating Fundraising: The fundraising journey wasn’t straightforward. Oren shared key insights into how they strategically positioned AppsFlyer to attract significant venture capital investment.
Building a Global Presence: Oren emphasized the importance of thinking globally from day one, highlighting how AppsFlyer expanded its operations to over 20 offices worldwide, ensuring a strong local presence in key markets. ​​
 
//
 
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

Doug Winter: The GTM Story of Seismic (Nearly $400M ARR)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Doug Winter, CEO & Co-Founder of Seismic, a sales enablement platform that has raised $450 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Early Vision of Sales Enablement: Doug describes how Seismic identified the gap in content management for sales and marketing, focusing on building a cloud-based solution when the market was still hesitant about the cloud.
Riding Salesforce’s Wave: Seismic leveraged the trust and groundwork laid by Salesforce to gain customer confidence in cloud-based solutions, especially in the early days when skepticism was high.
Category Creation Challenges: Doug highlights the lengthy and patient process of defining and popularizing the sales enablement category, a journey that took over five years to gain widespread industry recognition.
Large Enterprise Focus: From the outset, Seismic targeted large enterprises instead of smaller startups, a strategic decision that shaped their growth trajectory and helped secure substantial deals, including their first million-dollar customer.
Customer-Centric Growth: The company's growth strategy is rooted in a deep focus on customer satisfaction, leading to increased cross-selling opportunities and long-term partnerships with enterprise clients.
Strategic Marketing Evolution: Although the founding team was more sales-focused, Seismic invested in brand building and targeted events to establish a strong presence, eventually leading to significant milestones like the Forrester Wave recognition.
 
 
//
 
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
 

Jason Zintak: The GTM Story of 6sense ($5.2 Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Jason Zintak, CEO of 6sense, the world's leading revenue AI platform that has raised over $500 in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Evolution from Predictive Scoring to Revenue AI: 6sense transitioned from a black-box predictive scoring tool to a comprehensive revenue AI platform, addressing both sales and marketing needs with transparency and actionable insights.
Critical Early Challenges: Early on, 6sense faced high churn due to a lack of context behind predictive scores, which led to a strategic pivot towards providing clear explanations and actionable workflows, ultimately regaining customer trust.
Data-Driven Decision Making: 6sense leveraged its own platform to identify its ideal customer profile (ICP), streamline sales territories, and build marketing segments, fueling rapid growth and refining its go-to-market strategy.
Building a Ubiquitous Brand: Jason emphasized the importance of branding and awareness, especially when expanding beyond tech markets. Tailoring content to different verticals was key to 6sense's success in financial services, manufacturing, and more.
Surviving Financial Strain: During a critical period, 6sense secured a bridge round under challenging conditions, ensuring the company had enough runway to demonstrate sustained sales momentum and secure a successful Series C.
Dreaming Big and Scaling Fast: Jason joined 6sense with a clear vision to build a multibillion-dollar company. The company's growth trajectory, from $5 million in ARR to $250 million, and a $40 million valuation to $5 billion, exemplifies this ambition.
 
//
 
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
 

Rich Liu: The GTM Story of Navan ($9 Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Rich Liu, CEO of Navan Travel, part of Navan, a global travel and expense management platform that's raised over $1.5 Billion in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Company Evolution: Navan evolved from TripActions, focusing on end-to-end travel and expense solutions, combining technology with real support to provide seamless global service.
Strategic Focus: The decision to initially target mid-market and commercial segments before scaling to enterprise was crucial for avoiding resource spread and ensuring sustainable growth.
IPO Insights: Rich shared experiences from Mulesoft's IPO, emphasizing the importance of building a durable business solving significant pain points for customers.
Market Narrative: Reframing the narrative from "cool travel tool" to "strategic lever for CFOs" helped Navan penetrate mainstream markets and diversify its customer base.
Global Scale: Navan manages billions in travel budgets, serving customers worldwide with offices and teams across multiple continents.
Marketing Evolution: Navan's marketing strategy evolved from guerrilla tactics to sophisticated growth marketing, focusing on brand awareness, demand generation, and a burgeoning product-led growth (PLG) strategy.
 
//
 
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
 

John Kim: The GTM Story of Sendbird ($1+ Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with John Kim, CEO & Co-founder of Sendbird, a customer communications platform that has raised $220 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Founding Journey: John co-founded Sendbird after recognizing a need for a chat feature in his previous app for moms. The pivot was driven by organic growth and market needs.
SEO Optimization: Sendbird's growth was significantly boosted by targeting specific keywords like "chat API" and "chat SDK," which improved their inbound leads and organic growth.
Customer Evolution: The initial customer base included SMBs and startups, especially in gaming and social networking, but evolved to mid-market and enterprise clients over time.
Product-Market Fit: The company realized product-market fit through unexpected inbound leads from significantly larger companies, indicating a real market demand for their product.
Marketing Evolution: Sendbird’s marketing evolved from manual SEO efforts to a structured approach involving specialized functions like demand generation and product marketing.
New Product Launch: The latest product, Sendbird Business Messaging, extends beyond user-to-user communications to include transactional and marketing messages, significantly cutting costs for clients using traditional SMS 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
 

Chen Amit: The GTM Story of Tipalti ($8.3 Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Chen Amit, CEO & Co-Founder of Tipalti, a finance automation platform that has raised over $8 Billion in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Founding Journey: Chen founded Tipalti in 2010 after identifying significant pain points in payment processes for ad networks. Initially, it was meant to be a side project, but it quickly grew into a substantial business.
Early Customer Validation: The initial customers were ad networks facing severe payment issues. Tipalti's early adoption by these companies, including Seeking Alpha, validated the need for a comprehensive solution.
Product Market Fit: Chen emphasized the importance of focusing on the CFO's pain points rather than just payment mechanics. This customer-centric approach led to strong product market fit and set the foundation for Tipalti's success.
Evolution to Mid-Market Focus: Tipalti's focus shifted to the mid-market, which presented a lucrative yet challenging segment. The company adapted its product to meet the complex needs of mid-market finance teams.
Scalable Sales Organization: The company evolved its sales approach from founder-led sales to building a robust, scalable sales organization. This included hiring leaders capable of creating effective enablement programs and managing large sales teams.
Continued Growth and Vision: With a clear vision and strategy, Tipalti aims to capture a significant portion of the $100 billion mid-market finance automation category. The company continues to innovate and expand its product offerings.
//
 
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
 
 

Philip Cutler: The GTM Story of Paper ($1.5B Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Philip Cutler, CEO and Founder of Paper, an edtech company that has raised $390 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Transition from Educator to Entrepreneur: Philip Cutler shares his journey from being a classroom teacher to founding Paper, driven by the desire to support students needing extra academic help.
Initial Solutions and Pivots: The early days of Paper focused on leveraging technology for remote tutoring. Insights from students led to a pivot from video conferencing to a chat-based tutoring model, which saw higher engagement.
First Customer Success: By targeting school districts in Southern California, Paper secured its first customers, Laguna Beach Unified and Irvine Unified, through direct engagement and understanding local needs.
Growth Strategy: Paper's growth was accelerated by moving the team closer to its customers, allowing for better support and understanding of the market, resulting in the acquisition of numerous school districts.
Market Penetration and Product Development: With 700 school districts served, Paper continuously evolves its educational support system (ESS) by integrating various tools to support diverse student needs.
Navigating COVID-19: The pandemic was a critical turning point. Instead of cutting back, Paper invested in innovation, resulting in substantial growth as the need for educational technology surged.
//
 
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