Unicorn Builders

Marcelo Lebre: the Story of Remote ($3 Billion+ Valuation)

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Marcelo Lebre, COO and Co-founder of Remote, a global payroll, tax and HR compliance platform that’s raised nearly $500 Million in funding, about how supporting employers to recruit, hire and pay the best talent from across the world is building a better way of working for everyone. Their remote-first offering might have seemed outlandish just a few years ago, but in a post-pandemic economy it has quickly taken this young startup to unicorn status, a growth trend that sees no signs of slowing down any time soon.
We also speak about what it was like growing up as a tech-obsessed kid in a small rural town, how Marcelo’s family responded to his rapid success, why it’s sometimes hard for him to comprehend the scale of what remote has become, why anxiety can be a superpower as much as a ‘super problem,’ and why, at the end of the day, for Marcelo it all comes down to problem-solving.
Topics Discussed:
The origins of remote, from a small village upbringing to a chance double date, and on to become a globally recognised brand
Why working remotely means Marcelo sometimes struggles to get his head around the growth Remote has experienced in recent years
How the COVID-19 pandemic supercharged the remote-work revolution, and how Marcelo’s vision put Remote ahead of the curve
What it felt like to have friends and family recognise Remote’s astounding success
Why Marcelo might call anxiety both a ‘super problem’ and superpower
Why solving one problem after the next is still the main motivation for Marcelo to keep driving Remote forwards

Michael Witte: the Story of Workrise ($3 Billion Valuation)

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Michael Witte, CEO & Co-founder of Workrise, a marketplace for on demand services and skilled labor in the energy industry that’s raised over $750 Million in funding, about why the energy sector’s needs for digital innovation are equal to its dependence on advanced extraction technologies, and how Workrise fits in to the future of energy. A B2B marketplace to bring together skills and expertise from disparate vendors and individuals to implement energy projects to the highest possible standard, Workrise is set to drive efficiency and expediency in this foundational part of our economy.
We also speak about Michael’s background as a native Texan and as a energy engineer, the staggering technology in the energy extraction process but why the sector lags behind in terms of digitalization, how personal experience led him to found Workrise, and how he manages to balance being a father, husband, dog owner and CEO.
Topics Discussed:
Michael’s life as a native Texan and his career in the oil and gas sector
The complexity of energy extraction projects involving a wide range of stakeholders, skills and expertise
The current state of the Austin tech ecosystem and why Michael is proud to be a part of it
The staggering technology required to extract energy resources, but why the sector still lags behind in terms of digitalization
Why so many would-be founders never really consider what their success might mean, and the responsibility that comes with a leadership role
How Michael balances his business with the responsibility of being a husband, father and ‘dog father’

Spike Lipkin: the Story of Newfront ($2.2 Billion Valuation)

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Spike Lipkin, CEO and Co-founder of Newfront, a modern insurance platform that’s raised $310 Million in funding, about why the insurance industry has been so slow to move with the times, and the new generation of insurance solutions delivering better outcomes for their customers. By empowering experts in risk management with the latest digital technologies, Newfront is leading the way in transforming the sector on behalf of their customers.
We also speak about Spike’s background, from growing up in Colorado to finding his way into the insurance industry, his personal experiences confronting mountains of paperwork, why insurance is so central to innovation and progress across almost every field of human endeavor, and how large language models are helping Newfront produce actionable comparisons from huge amounts of industry data.
Topics Discussed:
Spike’s background and why he feels fortunate to have found his way into the insurance industry
The central role of insurance, and managing risk more generally, in driving innovation across almost every field of human endeavor
Spike’s first-hand experience confronting huge amounts of insurance industry paperwork, and why the sector has been so slow to modernize
The role of new technology like large language models in redefining the insurance experience, and the importance of actionable comparisons for clients
The central focus on broker productivity and transaction rates as metrics of success for Newfront

Ajay Kulkarni: the Story of Timescale ($1 Billion+ Valuation)

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Ajay Kulkarni, CEO of Timescale, an open source time series SQL database that’s raised over $180 Million in funding, about why, as computers get more powerful and data storage gets cheaper, the future of our digital transformation lies in better databases. With a market offering optimized for data intensive applications which capture large volumes of information for use in enterprise decision making, but faster, cheaper and better than current market offerings, Timescale is set to make a massive impact on the way data affects all of our daily lives.
We also speak about how perseverance kept Ajay in the startup space even after less than successful attempts at first, why he believes the success in any business is the grind, the pros and cons of starting a business during tough economic times, and how Timescale’s early PLG strategy was built on the strength of their community.
Topics Discussed:
Ajay’s first forays as a founder, and why he feels he learned a lot but never quite got the formula right until now
Why Ajay believes that when it comes to business success, there’s nothing more essential than the grind
The competitive aspect of a commercial enterprise, and why every founder needs a bit of faith in themselves and their idea
How constant development in the data collection and storage capacity of our devices makes better databases and essential tool for the economy of tomorrow
Why Timescale’s faster, cheaper, better model for data intensive applications is leaving the competition behind
How building a community helped give Timescale’s PLG strategy a head start

Gary Hoberman: the Story of Unqork ($2 Billion+ Valuation)

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Gary Hoberman, CEO and Founder of Unqork, a no-code enterprise application platform that’s raised over $400 Million in funding, about why the future of tech innovation for some of the world’s largest companies is being built without a single line of code. With a range of software solutions combining automation and cutting-edge analytics, Unqork helps their clients divert critical resources back to driving forward momentum instead of maintaining out-of-date solutions.
We also speak about Gary’s impressive career in some of the world’s leading enterprises, how his entrepreneurial family helped shape his unique approach to business, Gary’s vision for innovation in business, and why, as far as he’s concerned, cutting-edge technology really is magic.
Topics Discussed:
Gary’s career in the world of global enterprise and what it taught him about his own personal approach to business
How Gary found firms spending 80% of their budget just to ‘keep the lights on.’
What it was like transitioning from corporate heights to the world of startup technology
Gary’s fascination with coding as a language, and why Unqork helps their clients innovate without it
How people find happiness in different enterprise spaces and why it all comes down to personal psychology
Why technology is magic as far as Gary is concerned

Tony Jamous: the Story of Oyster ($1.1 Billion Valuation)

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Tony Jamous, CEO of Oyster, about how remote working is bringing the world together, building new opportunities and making a dent in one of our greatest collective challenges – global inequality. Oyster’s seamless, red-tape-free solution for any company to hire anyone, anywhere, is more than just a revenue stream, it’s a mission-based company determined to lead the way toward a better future of work for us all.
We spoke about Oyster’s extraordinary funding success, the impact of the pandemic and the importance of timing, and how personal experiences building a global company led him to appreciate the challenge of hiring across borders. A self-proclaimed ‘future of work activist,’ Tony wants to see a world where barriers and borders to productivity are eliminated, allowing people to optimize their skills in their communities and end the cycle of brain drain afflicting much of the world.
 Topics Discussed:
The future of a truly global economy, and why bureaucracy hurts us all, in the long run,
How Tony became a ‘future of work activist’ and what it means to run a mission-based company
Why global talent can become the basis of a global community, and why borders build inequality into our society
The importance of like-minded investors, and why a mission is everything when founding a company to drive real change
Why learning and leadership go hand in hand, and why every first-time founder needs a good coach
Target market resonance and the challenge of positioning a revolutionary company in a saturated market
Why global work will soon become ‘future work,’ and how Oyster is positioning itself to get ahead of the curve

Barr Moses: the Story of Monte Carlo ($1.6 Billion Valuation)

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Barr Moses, Co-Founder & CEO of Monte Carlo, a data observability platform that’s raised over $230 Million in funding. 
Topics Discussed:
Barr’s background in the Israeli military, and the lessons in analytics and dealing with challenges that she brought to the world of business
How Barr’s Mother became her business inspiration from a young age, and what she learned from watching her business journey
Why it can be easy to end up making content only for yourself, and how important it is to communicate with your potential clients to know what’s really going on
Why Monte Carlo’s focus is on getting as many customers as possible and making them as happy as they possibly can
Why Barr spends time on podcasts, at speaking events and writing blogs to share the concept behind her new business category
The data observability category and why Barr is so thrilled to see it establishing itself

Kevin Busque: the Story of Guideline ($1.1+ Billion Valuation)

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Kevin Busque, CEO and Founder of Guideline, a 401K platform for small business that’s raised $339 Million in funding, about why so few employees in the US have access to a retirement plan for their autumn years, and their mission to make them more accessible and effective for everyone involved. Covering everything from payroll integrations to intuitive dashboards and intelligent advertising, Guideline gives people the power to invest in their financial future with confidence.
We also speak about Kevin’s early start in business with a highschool custom computer enterprise, his lifelong love of digital technologies and transition through the sector to become a founder, the regulatory pain that both inspired and impeded the early days of Guideline, and how technology is revolutionizing the retirement industry.
 
Topics Discussed:
Kevin’s lifelong love of computer technology, from a highschool business to working in firms across the sector
The early struggle to raise capital which meant Guideline almost ‘died before it started’
Why only 10% of US firms offer their employees meaningful retirement plans, and why Guideline is on a mission to change that
How technology is helping bring a new category of solutions to this long-struggling aspect of the US economy
The regulatory pain of trying to launch a startup in such a heavily regulated and slow-moving space
How working with finance engineers helped generate a wealth of actionable business ideas to work from

Tom “TJ” Jermoluk: the Story of Beyond Identity ($1.1 Billion Valuation)

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Tom “TJ” Jermoluk, CEO of Beyond Identity, a passwordless authentication platform that’s raised over $200 Million in funding, about why it’s time to address the fundamental flaw in the way we’ve all been running our security. We all know that sharing passwords is a no-no, but it’s built into the alphanumeric system on which our traditional security systems have been based for decades. By combining identity management and security infrastructure, Beyond Identity are carving out a new market category, and successfully bringing investors and clients along for the ride.
We also spoke about TJ’s legacy in Silicon Valley and the companies which helped to make him a legend there, why it’s such a uniquely great place for starting a startup, and how it’s changed over the decades. Leading the way in a new market space means confronting a whole host of unique challenges, foremost among which is educating your market about exactly why what you’re offering is something they need, and how it’s going to change their whole world.
Topics Discussed:
TJ’s time in Silicon Valley, and why a unique combination of innovation and investment means its still a uniquely special place to do business
Why most existing security solutions are just a ‘band aid on a gaping wound,’ and how Beyond Identity is taking a totally different approach
How seamless, password-free authentication can save a business time and money in the medium-long term
How the .com crash changed the silicon valley ecosystem, and why some of the strongest companies emerged on the other side
Why selling a unique vision to your customers might mean selling what seems impossible, and making it worth their money to support
How Beyond Identity carved out a new market category by combining identity and security as twin priorities

Doron Myersdorf: the Story of StoreDot ($1.2 Billion Valuation)

In today’s episode of Unicorn Builders, we speak with Doron Myersdorf, CEO and Founder of StoreDot, a battery developer that’s raised over $200 Million in funding, about how battery technology holds the key to a more sustainable future for us all. By rapidly advancing the technology that quite literally drives electric vehicle adoption around the world, StoreDot is positioning itself as a key component in the green energy revolution that is already well underway.
We also speak about Doron’s background in the Israeli tech sector, his role in developing the storage technology that all of us rely on, ‘charging anxiety’ as a barrier to electric vehicle adoption, how StoreDot overcomes the trust barrier with a simple proposition that ‘the proof is in the pudding,’ and how the electric vehicle market is set to mature differently across various regions of the world today.
Topics Discussed:
Doron’s engineering background and what led him to the battery technology space
The critical anxieties holding back widespread adoption of electric vehicles, and his StoreDot plans to overcome them
How StoreDot overcomes the trust barrier with customers simply by demonstrating that ‘the proof is in the pudding’
Why StoreDot have their eyes set on a target of ‘100 in 2,’ and what achieving it would mean for the electric vehicle economy
Why various markets across the world will experience different maturation rates of the inevitable electric vehicle transition
The technological factors still to be addressed in future generations of electric vehicle technology, from cold weather to carrying capacity