Unicorn Builders

Henry Kim: The GTM Story of Swiftly ($1B+ Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders — Centaur edition. In this episode, I chat with Henry Kim, Co-founder and CEO of Swiftly, a retail technology platform that has raised over $200 million in funding.
Key Topics Discussed:
Swiftly's mission to empower brick-and-mortar retailers with digital tools, positioning themselves as the "Shopify for brick and mortar retail"
The evolution of Swiftly's market approach from traditional BI to a developer-first, embedded analytics solution for retailers
Henry's transition from finance and private equity to entrepreneurship, and the lessons learned along the way
The company's strategic go-to-market approach in a conservative industry, focusing on larger retailers despite initial pressures
Swiftly's rapid growth strategy, leveraging key partnerships and expanding into new verticals like convenience stores
The vision for Swiftly to become a global platform, with plans for international expansion, particularly in Asia

Ariel Katz: The GTM Story of Sisense ($150M+ ARR)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Ariel Katz, CEO of Sisense, an embedded analytics platform that's raised over $275 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Microsoft Journey: Ariel spent 21 years at Microsoft, witnessing its growth from a small R&D center in Israel to a global giant, and shared insightful experiences working with Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates.
Cultural Evolution: Highlighted the cultural shift at Microsoft under Satya Nadella, emphasizing empowerment, collaboration, and a growth mindset that revitalized the company's innovation.
Sisense Vision: Ariel joined Sisense in 2022, recognizing the opportunity to transform traditional BI into a developer-first embedded analytics platform, aiming to redefine the category.
Market Evangelism: Discussed the challenges and strategies in evangelizing a new category, emphasizing the importance of customer and analyst education and consistent messaging.
Customer-Centric Approach: Ariel stressed the importance of understanding customer problems over solutions, focusing on how embedded analytics can seamlessly integrate into users' workflows.
Operational Excellence: Shared insights on achieving operational excellence through rigorous processes, automation, and detailed execution to scale the company beyond $100 million in revenue.
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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

Steffen Tjerrild: The GTM Story of Synthesia ($1 Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Steffen Tjerrild, Co-Founder, CFO & COO of Synthesia, an AI video platform that has raised over $150 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Early AI Eureka Moment: Steffen discusses the pivotal moment when he realized the potential of AI to change video post-production, igniting the journey of Synthesia.
Navigating Initial Challenges: The first 90 days were a rollercoaster, marked by high excitement and multiple rejections before securing Mark Cuban as an investor through a cold email.
Impact of ChatGPT: The launch of ChatGPT accelerated AI adoption, significantly boosting Synthesia’s visibility and growth.
Wilderness Phase Lessons: Steffen explains how three years of exploring various industries before finding product-market fit provided invaluable insights and resilience.
Strategic Niching: The importance of focusing on learning and development as a core market before expanding into other use cases.
Market Penetration: Synthesia’s strategy to penetrate nearly two-thirds of the Fortune 100 by demonstrating clear benefits and scalability of their AI video technology.
 
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

Milin Desai: The GTM Story of Sentry ($3+ Billion Valuation)

Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In this episode, we're joined by Milin Desai, CEO of Sentry, a developer-first application monitoring platform that has raised over $200 Million in funding.
These are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Leadership Amidst Crisis: Milin took over as CEO of Sentry in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Despite the unforeseen global upheaval, Sentry navigated through the crisis, capitalizing on the sudden demand increase for digital services, which spiked as businesses moved online.
Evolution and Growth: Sentry began focusing on error monitoring and has since evolved into a comprehensive observability platform tailored specifically for developers, distinguishing itself from traditional observability tools aimed at DevOps.
Developer-Centric Solutions: The platform is designed to identify issues in real-time within software applications, providing developers with immediate notifications about errors, slowdowns, or crashes, right down to the line of code and the developer responsible.
Open Source and Community Focus: Sentry maintains a strong commitment to the open source community, contributing financially and by providing free services to open source projects. This community-driven approach continues to shape its product development and company ethos.
Product-Led Growth: Sentry’s growth has been significantly driven by its product's ability to meet developers' needs effectively, leading to organic growth through word-of-mouth within the developer community.
Future Vision: Looking ahead, Sentry aims to become indispensable to developers, much like essential tools such as Git, by continuing to enhance its capabilities to address the most critical and complex issues faced in software development.

Jeff Denworth: The GTM 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 GTM 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 GTM 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 GTM 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 GTM 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 GTM 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.