BUILDERS

BUILDERS

By Front Lines MediaBusinessEntrepreneurship
Download on the App Store

BUILDERS episodes

  • Bryan Mahoney, CEO and Co-Founder of Chord Commerce: $40 Million Raised to Power the Future of E-commerce Data

    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 Bryan Mahoney, CEO and Co-Founder of Chord Commerce, an e-commerce data platform that has raised $40 Million in funding. 

    Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

    • From PowerPoint Hackers to E-commerce Pioneers: Bryan's entrepreneurial journey began in university, where a side project turned into a venture that led him deep into the world of e-commerce, setting the stage for his future endeavors.
  • Transition to Glossier and the Rise of Direct-to-Consumer Brands: Bryan recounts his transition from running an agency to joining Glossier, highlighting the brand's emphasis on technology and direct engagement with customers, which influenced his perspective on the e-commerce space.
  • Foundation of Chord Commerce: The inception of Chord Commerce was a pivot from a broader ambition to create a new type of CPG company, focusing instead on leveraging technology to empower other e-commerce operators with sophisticated data tools.
  • The Evolution of Chord's Offering: Initially a full commerce platform, Chord has honed its focus to become a commerce data platform, partnering rather than competing with established e-commerce infrastructure providers like Shopify and Salesforce.
  • Marketing Philosophy in B2B Ecommerce: Chord's approach to branding and marketing reflects a blend of enterprise-grade sophistication and the approachability of direct-to-consumer brands, aiming to resonate with e-commerce operators who value both robust technology and compelling brand experiences.
  • Future of E-commerce: Bryan shares his vision for the future of e-commerce as an increasingly experiential and omnipresent aspect of consumer life, emphasizing the importance of first-party data and personalized customer experiences across all touchpoints.
    • 33 min
  • Matt LeDucq, CEO & Co-Founder of Forum Mobility: $423 Million Raised to Power the Future of Zero-Emission Trucking

    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 Matt LeDucq, CEO & Co-Founder of Forum Mobility, a zero-emission fleet solutions provider that has raised $423 Million in funding. 

    Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

    • Transitioning from Renewable Energy to Zero-Emission Trucking: Matt's extensive background in renewable energy and the trades shaped his perspective on the potential of zero-emission heavy-duty trucking, drawing parallels between early skepticism towards solar energy and current doubts about electric trucks.
  • Overcoming Skepticism with Vision: Despite facing skepticism similar to early doubts about renewable energy, Matt is confident that zero-emission trucking will become as ubiquitous as solar energy has, driven by undeniable environmental and community health benefits.
  • The Journey from Concept to Creation: The realization of the vast infrastructure investment needed to support California's zero-emission mandates spurred Matt to move from ideation in 2018-2019 to founding Forum Mobility in 2021, with a focus on addressing the regulatory push towards cleaner transportation.
  • Charging Infrastructure as the First Step: Matt emphasizes that building a successful zero-emission fleet solution starts with acquiring strategically located land for charging depots, underscoring the importance of understanding market dynamics and regulatory environments.
  • Providing Comprehensive Fleet Solutions: Forum Mobility distinguishes itself by offering trucks and charging as a service, aiming to make the transition to zero-emission vehicles seamless and affordable for truckers and fleet operators.
  • Navigating Policy and Regulation: Matt highlights the critical role of policy and regulatory engagement in the energy and transportation sectors, advocating for collaboration with competitors and policymakers to foster industry advancement.
    • 27 min
  • Manik Suri, CEO and Founder of Therma: $30 Million Raised to Build the Cooling Intelligence Category

    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 Manik Suri, CEO and Founder of GlacierGrid (formerly known as Therma°), a cooling intelligence platform that has raised over $30 Million in funding.

    Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

    • Manik's Transition to Tech Entrepreneurship: From his roots in law and public service, Manik was motivated to pursue technology as a means to effect social change more dynamically outside the confines of government, focusing on public benefits through innovation.
  • The Inception of GlacierGrid: Recognizing the outdated methods in food industry temperature control, which led to significant resource wastage and operational inefficiencies, inspired the creation of GlacierGrid to modernize and optimize these systems.
  • Innovative Technology for Efficiency: GlacierGrid introduces IoT sensors and data analytics into refrigeration and HVAC systems, enabling real-time monitoring and adjustments that enhance energy efficiency and reduce unnecessary waste.
  • Overcoming Adoption Barriers: One of the key challenges GlacierGrid faces is convincing businesses to adopt new technology solutions amid numerous operational demands, despite the clear advantages of their system.
  • Growth Strategy: The company employs a strategic mix of thought leadership, direct sales, and digital marketing efforts to educate potential customers about the transformative benefits of intelligent cooling solutions.
  • The Power of Storytelling: Manik highlights the critical role that effective storytelling plays in both fundraising and marketing, considering it an essential skill that can be refined to inspire and mobilize change.
    • 29 min
  • Batist Leman, CEO and Co-Founder of Azumuta: $3 Million Raised to Power the Future of Connected Workers

    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 Batist Leman, CEO and co-founder of Azumuta, a connected worker platform that has raised $3 Million in funding. 

    Most interesting points from our conversation:

    • From Hobby to Startup: Batist's early start in programming at eleven and his evolution from working on small projects to founding Azumuta.
  • Identifying the Market Need: The inception of Azumuta was sparked by repeated requests for work instruction software from manufacturing companies, highlighting a clear market demand.
  • Iterative Growth and Development: The journey of Azumuta's growth was marked by gradual steps, from starting as an independent consultant to pivoting towards a service model for manufacturing software.
  • Inbound Marketing Success: Azumuta's growth has been significantly driven by inbound marketing, underlining the effectiveness of their content strategy and SEO efforts.
  • Overcoming Hiring Challenges: Batist shares his experiences with the initial challenges of building a marketing team and how hiring experienced professionals from HubSpot changed the game.
  • Future Vision for Azumuta: Batist envisions Azumuta playing a crucial role in making the manufacturing industry more productive by enhancing the capabilities of factory workers through better access to knowledge and instructions.
    • 18 min
  • Aasim Saeed, CEO and Founder of Amenities Health: $10 Million Raised to Build the Future of Patient Engagement

    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 Aasim, CEO and Founder of Amenities Health, a patient engagement platform that has raised $10 Million in funding.

    Most interesting points from our conversation:

    • Healthcare as a Foregone Conclusion: Aasim was virtually born into healthcare with two doctor parents but found his true passion at the intersection of healthcare, policy, and technology.
  • A Unique Path to Tech: Unlike many in tech, Aasim’s journey included a detour through med school, a master’s in public administration, and a stint in public policy, highlighting a non-traditional path to becoming a tech CEO.
  • Policy Meets Product: His work at Baylor, Scott & White Health as the lead of innovation rekindled his passion for making macro-level impacts through technology and product innovation within healthcare.
  • The Problem with Healthcare Engagement: Aasim observed a significant gap in how health systems manage patient engagement, particularly in making healthcare experiences as customer-centric as businesses like Amazon have done with retail.
  • Vision for Amenities Health: The aim is to transform patient engagement by treating every patient like a concierge client, significantly improving the healthcare experience.
  • The Challenge of Building Loyalty in Healthcare: Aasim is tackling the lack of true patient loyalty in healthcare by introducing a membership model aimed at ensuring no surprise billing, satisfaction guarantees, and transparent pricing.
    • 39 min
  • Ravin Thambapillai, CEO and Co-Founder of Credal: $5 Million Raised to Build the Future of AI Security

    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 Ravin Thambapillai, CEO and Co-Founder of Credal, an AI security company that has raised $5 Million in funding.

    Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: 

    • Ravin's Unique Background: Growing up in a risk-averse immigrant household and navigating a traditional British boarding school's rigid environment, Ravin developed a penchant for impactful work, setting the stage for his future entrepreneurial ventures.
  • Transition from Academia to Tech: Ravin's journey through Oxford, Google, GoCardless, and Palantir exposed him to the power of focusing on impactful problems, guiding him towards the startup ecosystem.
  • The Inception of Credal: A dinner conversation about the potential and challenges of deploying generative models in sensitive sectors led to the birth of Credal, highlighting the serendipitous nature of startup ideas.
  • Pivotal Early Decisions: The early days at Credal were marked by significant pivots, notably the shift from an AI application to a focused AI security product, driven by honest customer feedback.
  • First Major Customer Win: The story of securing Checker as a customer through a unique outreach effort underscores the importance of creativity and personalization in early-stage customer acquisition.
  • Vision for the Future and Scaling Challenges: Ravin shares Credal's ambition to create a controlled data environment for AI across industries, and the challenge of maintaining a high talent bar as the company scales.
    • 38 min
  • David Wald, President and Co-Founder of Aclaimant: $30 Million Raised to Build the Future of Active Risk Management

    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 David Wald, President and Co-Founder of Aclaimant, an active risk management platform that has raised over $30 Million in funding. 

    Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

    • Leadership Transition: David shares the strategic move of welcoming Kathy Burns as Aclaimant's new CEO, marking a significant leadership transition aimed at leveraging her vast experience to drive future growth.
  • The Co-Founder's New Role: Reflecting on his transition from CEO to President, David discusses the importance of aligning talents and roles within the company to maximize success, emphasizing the value of ego management in leadership decisions.
  • Founding Story: Aclaimant's origin tale is a blend of serendipity and strategic vision, sparked by a casual proposition that evolved into a serious venture addressing critical needs in the risk management industry.
  • Evolving Go-To-Market Strategy: From targeting specific industries to adopting a data-driven approach, Aclaimant's GTM strategy has matured, focusing on efficiency and targeted outreach to connect with its ideal customer profiles.
  • The Essence of Thought Leadership: David outlines his view on thought leadership as a tool for educating and empowering customers, rather than a platform for self-promotion, highlighting its importance in Aclaimant's marketing philosophy.
  • Vision for the Future: Looking ahead, David is enthusiastic about Aclaimant's potential to democratize risk management solutions, aiming to make their platform the preferred choice for middle-market companies seeking to improve their risk management practices.
    • 21 min
  • Jason Corso, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Voxel 51: $15.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Developer Tools for Machine Learning

    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 Jason Corso, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Voxel 51, an AI software company that has raised $15.5 Million in funding. 

    Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

    • Academic Foundations in AI and Transition to Entrepreneurship: Jason's journey from academia to founding Voxel 51, driven by a desire to have a broader impact beyond academic papers, showcases the transition from theoretical research to practical, impactful entrepreneurship.
  • Initial Experiments and Pivots: Voxel 51 began with consulting and pilot projects, including with the Baltimore City Police Department, but quickly learned the market wasn't ready for their initial offering. This led to a significant pivot towards developing developer tools for video understanding.
  • Embracing Open Source as a GTM Strategy: Jason and his team decided to leverage open source as their go-to-market strategy, which was crucial for engaging with the community, validating their product, and building a base for future commercial relationships.
  • Learning and Adapting from Market Feedback: The transition from CEO to Chief Science Officer for Jason was part of Voxel 51's evolution. It underscored the importance of aligning founders' strengths with company needs, emphasizing growth in scientific and technical leadership.
  • Category Creation and Market Education: Voxel 51's journey involves educating the market about the value of developer tools in the AI space, particularly for video data, and establishing a new category around data set management and workflow management systems.
  • The Importance of Community and Authentic Engagement: Jason highlights the significance of engaging with the user community authentically, providing value through open source software, and using community feedback to refine and expand their offerings.
    • 30 min
  • Jared Siegal, CEO and Founder of Aditude: $15 Million Raised to Build the Future of Publisher Monetization

    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 Jared Siegal, CEO and Founder of Aditude, a monetization operating system for publishers that has raised $15 Million in funding. 

    Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

    • Jared's Unconventional Path to Tech: Originally aiming to become an architect, influenced by George Costanza from Seinfeld, Jared pivoted to business school, which led to a serendipitous meeting with the founders of Answers.com, setting his tech and ad industry journey in motion.
  • The Birth of Attitude: Faced with a grueling five-and-a-half-hour daily commute, Jared made a spur-of-the-moment decision to quit his job, without a clear plan for the future. This bold move marked the beginning of Aditude, initially as a consultancy, before evolving into the tech company it is today.
  • Transition from Consultancy to Tech Company: The turning point came when a VC firm's offer made Jared realize the potential to pivot Aditude into a SaaS model, leading him to hire his CTO and transition to offering tech-based solutions.
  • Publisher-Centric Approach: Aditude's success is deeply rooted in its close relationships with publishers, treating them not just as clients but as part of the family, a philosophy that has been crucial to the company's growth and client loyalty.
  • GTM and Marketing Strategies: Initially relying on word-of-mouth for growth, Aditude has recently expanded its marketing efforts, including hosting unique, engaging events for publishers, to build relationships and drive business.
  • Future Vision for Aditude: Looking ahead, Jared outlines ambitious plans for Aditude, from aggressive growth and potential acquisitions to becoming the largest ad tech company globally, all while maintaining a founder-friendly, relationship-first approach to business.
    • 29 min
  • Fraser Patterson, CEO and Founder of Skillit: $13 Million Raised to Tackle the Skilled Labor Crisis in Construction

    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 Fraser Patterson, CEO and Co-Founder of Skillit, a construction staffing platform that has raised over $13 Million in funding. 

    Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

    • Origin Story of Skillit: Frustrated by the challenges of hiring and retaining skilled workers, Fraser leveraged his unique background in construction and academia to launch Skillit, aiming to solve the skilled labor crisis through a tech-enabled platform.
  • The Aha Moment: Realizing the potential of using knowledge as a leading indicator of skill, Skillit was born out of the necessity to digitize and streamline the hiring process in the construction industry, offering digital craft assessments to accurately assess a worker's skill set.
  • Innovative Features: Skillit stands out by providing data-rich, 360-degree worker profiles, far surpassing the capabilities of traditional job boards and enabling employers to find, filter, and connect with skilled workers with unprecedented ease.
  • Digital Skill Assessments: Skillit's approach to digital skill assessments for physical trades by using knowledge-based questions to accurately gauge a worker's expertise is a game-changer in the construction hiring process.
  • Business Model and Growth: Offering a subscription and usage-based model, Skillit caters to the needs of employers with varying hiring requirements. The platform has seen significant growth, with customer growth of 540% year-over-year and skilled worker growth of 1000% in the same period.
  • Vision for the Future: Fraser envisions Skillit not only as a solution to the current skilled labor shortage but also as a platform that could potentially transform skilled labor into one of the greatest assets on earth by training and upskilling talent to meet the world's housing, infrastructure, and clean energy goals.
    • 23 min

About BUILDERS

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to BUILDERS — the show about how founders get new technology adopted.