Unicorn Builders

Jeff Denworth: The Story of VAST Data ($9.1 Billion Valuation)

In this episode of Unicorn Builders, we're speaking with Jeff Denworth, co-founder of VAST, an AI data platform that has raised an impressive $381 million in funding.
Key topics discussed in this episode:
Jeff's journey as a "consummate startup guy," having been involved in five startups and working in distributed scalable systems for most of his career.
The foundational thesis of VAST: to unlock data for the era of AI by building a simpler, more scalable, and more cost-effective data management system than existing solutions.
The early days of selling VAST's product, focusing on customers with petabytes or exabytes of data and taking the time to deeply understand their needs and challenges.
The shift in VAST's marketing philosophy from appealing to technical buyers with deep dives into the technology to focusing on customer reference marketing as the company scaled.
The impact of the ChatGPT launch on VAST's business, accelerating revenue growth and attracting a flood of new AI cloud service providers and venture-backed large language model companies as customers.
VAST's approach to fundraising, using the capital primarily for marketing purposes while maintaining cash flow positivity and operational autonomy.
Jeff's advice for founders on choosing investors who bring not just capital but also strategic value and long-term partnership to the table.

Joseph DeSimone: the Story of Carbon ($2.5 Billion Valuation)

In this episode of Unicorn Builders, we're joined by Joseph DeSimone, co-founder and former CEO of Carbon, an idea-to-production platform that has raised over $680 million in funding. Joe shares his journey of taking Carbon's groundbreaking 3D printing technology from the lab to large-scale commercial adoption, offering invaluable insights for founders seeking to bring deep tech innovations to market.
Key topics discussed in this episode:
The evolution of Carbon's technology from a rudimentary "toaster" to a full-fledged manufacturing solution, enabling the production of previously unmakeable designs at scale.
Navigating the challenges of category creation, from identifying compelling use cases to educating customers on the transformative potential of a new approach.
The power of lighthouse customers like Adidas in validating the technology, driving adoption in adjacent markets, and building momentum for the new category.
Overcoming skepticism and resistance to change by demonstrating clear value, cultivating strong customer relationships, and persistently evangelizing the vision.
The importance of an innovative business model, such as Carbon's subscription approach, in aligning incentives and enabling customers to embrace a rapidly evolving technology.
Joe's reflections on the emotional challenges of the founder journey, from the weight of responsibility to the loneliness of leadership, and the criticality of a strong support system.

Hari Ravichandran: the Story of Aura ($2.5 Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders! Today, our unicorn builder is Hari Ravichandran, CEO and founder of Aura, a digital security company that's raised over $500 million in funding. 
Hari's Early Fascination with Computing: Starting from a young age with an 8085 microprocessor, Hari's passion for technology and computing shaped his future endeavors, laying the groundwork for his innovative contributions to the tech industry.
The Leap from Stanford to Startup Life: Hari's decision to drop out of Stanford during the internet boom of 1997, driven by a desire to be at the forefront of the burgeoning tech revolution.
Comparing Tech Booms: Insights into how the startup frenzy of the late '90s compares to the investment climate of 2021, highlighting the changes in public and private market dynamics over the years.
Navigating the Dotcom Bubble Burst: Hari shares the challenges faced when the tech bubble burst in 2001, and the strategic decisions made to steer his company through the crisis.
The Journey to IPO: Reflecting on the milestone of taking a company public, Hari discusses the blend of excitement and strategic planning involved in transitioning to a publicly traded entity.
The Genesis of Aura: The inspiration behind founding Aura stems from a personal incident of identity theft, underscoring the necessity for robust digital security solutions.
Evolving from a Startup to Scale: Hari's transition from leading a large, established company to starting Aura from scratch, emphasizing the mindset shift required when moving from scale to startup.
Celebrity Influence on Brand and Marketing: Hari discussed the impact of having Robert Downey Jr. involved in Aura's marketing efforts. Robert Downey Jr.'s participation is part of a broader strategy to build trust and awareness for Aura's digital security products. His celebrity status and investment in Aura bring a level of attention and credibility that is hard to achieve through traditional marketing channels.
 
Aura's Growth and Market Positioning: With significant revenue, profitability, and a growing team, Aura is rapidly scaling, leveraging both direct-to-consumer and partnership channels to expand its reach.
Founder-Led Marketing and Storytelling: The importance of founder involvement in marketing and storytelling was discussed, with Hari highlighting how personal passion and narrative play a crucial role in connecting with customers and building brand trust.
The Future of Aura and Digital Security: Looking ahead, Hari shared his vision for Aura's role in shaping the digital security landscape, emphasizing the ongoing need to innovate and adapt to protect families in an ever-changing technological environment.

Michael Wax: the Story of Forto ($2.1 Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders! Today, our unicorn builder is Michael Wax, CEO and founder of Forto, a logistics tech platform that has raised nearly $600 million in funding. Forto is at the cutting edge of revolutionizing global logistics through technology, making shipping cargo worldwide more efficient and transparent for companies of all sizes.
Michael’s entrepreneurial journey, starting from founding Konux, a sensor and analytics company, at 23, to creating Forto, a leading logistics tech platform.
The inspiration behind Forto and the vision to transform the logistics industry by leveraging technology for greater efficiency and transparency.
The early challenges of transitioning from the academic world to entrepreneurship and the pivotal role of mentorship and peer networks in Munich’s startup ecosystem.
Insights into the foundational days of Forto, from ideating the concept to securing the first paying customer through proactive networking and a bold value proposition.
The strategic focus on niche markets such as Amazon FBA importers in the early stages to quickly gain traction and validate the business model.
Michael’s approach to fundraising, emphasizing the importance of storytelling, investor alignment, and the art of navigating stakeholder dynamics effectively.
The significance of building a strong company culture and team as the cornerstone of Forto’s success, including attracting top talent and maintaining a growth-oriented mindset.
Michael’s reflection on leadership, the continuous pursuit of innovation, and the commitment to solving meaningful problems in the logistics industry on a global scale.
The future vision for Forto as the backbone of global trade, aiming to create a seamless, technology-driven platform for international shipping and logistics operations.

Jeremy Johnson: the Story of Andela ($1.5 Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. Today, our unicorn builder is Jeremy Johnson, CEO and Co-founder of Andela, the world's largest private marketplace of on-demand skilled technical talent. Andela has made significant strides in connecting extraordinarily gifted individuals from emerging markets to global companies in need of their skills, fostering a more inclusive and diverse tech ecosystem worldwide.Key Topics Discussed: 
Jeremy's Journey: Starting with a social network for high school students and evolving into the education technology sphere, leading to the foundation of Andela.
Inspiration Behind Andela: A talk for the MasterCard Foundation about increasing access to economic opportunities in Africa sparked the idea for Andela.
Andela's Growth: From its initial focus on Nigeria to becoming a global talent platform representing 175 countries.
Challenges and Successes: Expanding into new countries, adjusting to remote work, and evolving the business model from gig work to full-time, embedded team members.
The Importance of Remote Work: How the pandemic shifted perceptions on remote work and validated Andela's model.
Fundraising Insights: Jeremy's experiences and strategies in raising almost $400 million, emphasizing the importance of product quality and finding aligned investors.
Advice for Founders: Emphasize keeping operations lean, focusing on niche markets, and the importance of building trust in marketplaces.
Andela's Core Success: Believing in people and building trust across continents, which has been central to Andela's growth and impact.

Guy Tytunovich: the Story of CHEQ ($1+ Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. Today, our unicorn builder is Guy Tytunovich, CEO and Co-founder of CHEQ, a go-to-market security platform that has raised $183,000,000 in funding. Guy's journey from a 10-year stint in the Israeli military to becoming a pioneer in the cybersecurity space offers a unique perspective on leadership, innovation, and the entrepreneurial spirit. His military experience, especially in intelligence and AI, laid the groundwork for his insights into scaling, managing big companies, and compensating for inherent lack of scale with innovation.
Key topics discussed:
Guy's Transition from Military to Entrepreneurship: Insights into how experiences in the Israeli Defense Forces, particularly in intelligence, inform leadership and problem-solving in a business context.
The Genesis of CHEQ: The story behind the creation of CHEQ, highlighting the journey from identifying a gap in the market security domain to becoming a category leader in go-to-market security.
Category Creation Challenges: Guy discusses the ambitious and risky venture of creating a new category in the cybersecurity space, emphasizing the importance of innovation and market education.
Importance of Go-To-Market Security: The discussion sheds light on the critical nature of securing the go-to-market processes, from ad visibility to customer acquisition, and the unique challenges this presents.
The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Israel: Insights into how the Israeli culture fosters innovation, risk-taking, and entrepreneurship, contributing to the country's status as a startup nation.
Scaling and Operational Excellence: Guy shares the significance of operational efficiency, the role of playbooks, and the importance of a COO in scaling a tech company.
Advice for Aspiring Category Creators: Practical advice for founders looking to create new categories, emphasizing the need for focus on operations, market education, and building a comprehensive solution.
Future of Go-To-Market Security: A vision for the evolution of go-to-market security as a critical component of business strategy, underlining its growing importance in protecting companies' digital assets and reputation.

Harrison Rose: the Story of Paddle ($1.4 Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders!
Today, our unicorn builder is Harrison Rose, co-founder of Paddle, a payments infrastructure provider for SaaS companies that has raised $300 million in funding. Harrison's journey from starting his first business at 18 to stepping back and co-founding Good Fit provides a unique glimpse into the mind of a successful tech entrepreneur. Paddle, now with 300 staff and 3000 global customers, exemplifies the trials and triumphs of scaling a global tech business.
Key topics discussed:
Harrison's entrepreneurial journey from co-founding Paddle at 18 to stepping back and starting Good Fit.
The inspiration and challenges behind creating Paddle, aimed at solving B2B payment issues for software companies.
Early days of Paddle, including stories of raising funds without understanding the VC world and learning from mistakes.
Insights into Paddle's growth strategy, focusing on software verticalization and the shift from a marketplace model to providing comprehensive payments infrastructure.
The evolution of Paddle's marketing philosophy, transitioning from heavy reliance on outbound sales to investing in brand and market presence.
Harrison's reflections on the importance of founder self-awareness and the ability to adapt and grow with the company.
Good Fit's inception, leveraging the lessons learned at Paddle and focusing on changing how companies approach go-to-market strategies.
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Jack Newton: the Story of Clio ($100M+ in ARR)

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Jack Newton, CEO and Founder of Clio, a legal tech company that's raised $386 million in funding and surpassed $100 million in annual revenue, making Clio our first Centaur interviewed on the show. 
Topics Discussed: 
The backstory of Clio, and how it helps lawyers run every aspect of their practice from a business perspective
The biggest barrier that Clio faced as a newly-created business, and what Jack and his team did to overcome it
Thought leadership and its role in Jack’s work with Clio, and how Jack approaches marketing when working with SMBs
When to create a category — and when not to
What were the toughest times for Clio, and Jack’s advice to CEOs facing difficulties

Kyle Clark: the Story of Beta ($1.2 Billion Valuation)

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Kyle Clark, Founder of Beta, an electric aerospace company that's raised $900 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Kyle’s background, including his time as a hockey player, his passion for airplanes since he was a kid, and studying at Harvard
Founders in the aviation space who inspire Kyle
Why aviation is currently operating outside of sustainability, and what it’s like to fly an electric airplane that takes off like a helicopter
The present and future of electric aircraft, and the origin story of Beta
Why shipping and logistics are the key to making aviation more green, and how Kyle plans to achieve that through Beta

Jerome Ternynck: the Story of SmartRecruiter ($1.5 Billion Valuation)

In today's episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Jerome Ternynck, Founder and CEO of SmartRecruiters, a hiring success platform that's raised $225 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed: 
Jerome’s background: a family of French entrepreneurs, and working in recruiting in Central and Eastern Europe before the Internet
Founding a tech company in London in the 2000s, and the tech market changed after 9/11
What are the people and books that inspired Jerome
How SmartRecruiters helps companies attract and select the best candidates
How Jerome dealt with Covid so that, against the industry trend, his bookings went up by 70% in 2020
 
Favorite book: 
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela