Not Another CEO Podcast

What happens when a strong vision, real traction, and early funding still aren’t enough? In this Failing Forward episode of Not Another CEO Podcast, Sasha Pasulka shares the journey behind her AI startup, Elka. 

Sasha opens up about the thrill of building, the challenge of fundraising, the reality of launching with imperfect tech, and the emotional toll of shutting down a business you deeply believe in. From her days as a software engineer to founding one of the most-read blogs of its era, Sasha reflects on learning to trust herself, ask for help, and move on with grace.

Takeaways:

• The AI Aha Moment: Sasha was re-energized to found again after ChatGPT launched publicly in late 2022. She saw an opportunity to solve marketing problems that hadn’t been addressable before due to the language limitations of software.
• Solving a Real Problem from Experience: The product idea came from Sasha’s time at Tableau, where hours of valuable customer video content went unused because it was too hard to search. Elka aimed to automate finding and surfacing those insights for sales teams.
• Alpha and Beta Lessons: The team built fast and launched a beta early to help with fundraising, but users got frustrated with AI inconsistencies. Sasha onboarded every beta customer herself, but admits they may have opened access too soon.
• The Limits of Non-Deterministic Tech: Building on an LLM proved unpredictable. Despite numerous safeguards, the AI struggled with tasks like basic math and clip durations—issues Sasha says may have improved if they had more time to wait out tech advances.
• The Fundraising Wall: While Sasha successfully raised an angel round, later fundraising stalled. She reflects on her discomfort with the performative aspects of pitching and how authenticity may have hurt her in a system designed for bold salesmanship.
• Support and Disappointment: From angel investors to past coworkers, Sasha describes the surprising people who showed up to help—and the ones who didn’t. She credits her team, co-founder, and a few critical mentors with getting them as far as they did.
• Learning, Letting Go, and Looking Ahead: Sasha closes with advice to bring on a co-founder who can fundraise and a reminder to stop being intimidated by others’ confidence. She shares how the journey helped her understand her strengths and what she’ll do differently next time.

Quote of the Show:

• "They may be in positions of power right now, but they're not necessarily smarter than you. They're not better than you… Don’t waste so much energy being intimidated by these people." - Sasha Pasulka

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spasulka/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sashaiscooking

Ways to Tune In:

• Substack: https://notanotherceo.substack.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #ElkaAI

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

03:07 The Aha Moment: Founding Elka AI

04:30 Challenges in Marketing and AI Solutions

09:42 Building the Product: Alpha and Beta Phases

18:07 The Struggles of Fundraising and Leadership

25:22 Navigating Luck and Timing in Entrepreneurship

27:38 Key Decisions and Reflections

31:56 Navigating AI Non-Determinism

33:01 Support System and Key Influences

36:38 Fundraising Challenges and Lessons

42:40 Gender Dynamics in Fundraising

48:47 Personal Journey and Reflections

56:01 Advice for Future Founders

01:00:05 Outro

How do you build a global tech company from scratch—and stay married while doing it? Nicolas and Alina Vandenberghe, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Chili Piper, join David Politis for an in-depth conversation on bootstrapping, hiring globally, handling layoffs, and building community with intention.

From convincing early customers to prepay for a non-existent product to implementing a decision-making framework that replaces most meetings, they reveal what it really takes to grow a successful, remote-first company together.

Takeaways:

• Buy-In Without a Product: By focusing on real, unsolved pain points and validating ideas through milestone-based contracts, they built confidence and traction before writing a single line of code.
• Hiring Across Borders for Talent, Not Cost: Nicolas explains how they built Chili Piper by hiring globally from day one, prioritizing talent regardless of geography. They developed a compensation framework by region and job level to ensure fairness while scaling a fully remote team.
• Building Culture Through Annual Global Gatherings: The company brings its global team together once a year for a shared in-person experience—despite the cost. The cultural exchange deepens trust and unity across a fully distributed team, making it one of the most valuable investments they make each year.
• Scaling with Asynchronous Decision Memos: To cut down on meetings, Chili Piper developed a company-wide decision memo process. Each decision includes context, options, and a designated “consensus caller.” This system supports clarity, inclusion, and transparency without constant live discussions.
• Overcoming Financial Stress in a Bootstrapped Journey: Nicolas recounts moments when they had no cash in the bank—offering equity in lieu of salaries to early employees. Those shares later became life-changing, and the experience shaped their resilient, scrappy mindset.
• Community as a Founder Superpower: Alina reflects on how building community—without tracking pipeline or ROI—has been vital to learning and joy. By showing up with genuine curiosity, she’s gained clarity on what customers really care about and how to serve them authentically.
• Leading with Empathy, Curiosity, and Drive: In describing each other’s superpowers, Alina credits Nicolas for his deep empathy and organizational clarity, while Nicolas points to Alina’s intense curiosity and willingness to experiment. Together, they’ve created a leadership model rooted in trust and transparency

Quote of the Show:

• " If you go with selfish reasons… people read that. Even if you don’t say it, they can feel it." - Alina Vandenberghe

Links:

• Alina’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinav/
• Nicolas’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nvandenberghe/
• Website: https://www.chilipiper.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Substack: https://notanotherceo.substack.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #ChiliPiper

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:59 Early Challenges and First Customers

07:28 Building and Scaling the Team

12:59 Remote Work and Company Culture

17:55 Decision Making and Documentation

34:23 Alina's Superpower: Curiosity and Community Building

35:59 The Value of Community in Business

40:03 Nicholas's Superpower: Empathy and Human Insight

44:34 Challenges and Triumphs in Entrepreneurship

51:25 The Future of Chili Piper

54:25 Personal Backgrounds and Entrepreneurial Journeys

01:02:28 Balancing Family and Business

01:06:18 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

01:08:49 Outro

What does it take to lead lasting change in an organization? Alan Masarek, a multi-time CEO with a track record of company turnarounds, shares the lessons he’s learned from transforming brands like Vonage and Avaya. 

In this in-depth conversation, Alan talks about building high-performing teams, the power of clear communication, succession planning, and how to lead authentically across companies of every size.

Takeaways:

• There’s No “One Thing” — But Culture Comes Close: Alan explains that success doesn’t come from a single action but a combination of choices: pursuing winnable markets, building strong teams, and creating cultures rooted in openness, honesty, and transparency.
• Clear, Simple, & Repetitive Communication: He emphasizes the necessity of repetitive messaging to reinforce confidence and direction within an organization. Regardless of the company size, developing the habit of effective communication early is crucial for long-term success.
• Transforming Vonage Meant Facing Reality: At Vonage, Alan led a shift from residential telephony to business communications. He dismantled internal divisions, repositioned the company, and made hard but necessary cultural changes by being direct about who was driving growth and who wasn’t.
• People Follow Leaders, Not Titles: Alan emphasizes hiring smart, high-integrity people and focusing on the top two layers of the organization. He looks for utility players with CEO potential, not just narrow specialists.
• Avoiding the Trap of Over-Reporting: When he arrived at Avaya, a 77-slide weekly report deck had become the norm. Alan reduced this dramatically, advocating for consistent, actionable metrics that focus on real business health rather than satisfying a process.
• Private Equity Dynamics Can Clash with Strategy: Alan reflects on the challenges of navigating fund timelines and liquidity needs, especially in private equity-backed companies. He notes that these dynamics can often push leaders toward short-term decisions at odds with long-term business goals.
• Leadership Isn’t About Work-Life Balance — It’s About Fulfillment: Alan shares his view that if you love what you do, work-life balance becomes irrelevant. He encourages young professionals to build wide foundations early in their careers by learning as much as they can, as fast as they can.

Quote of the Show:

• " Our job as leaders is to lay that picture out clearly... 'cause all too often we ask people to achieve what they can't imagine." - Alan Masarek

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-masarek-1aa1a8a8/
• Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/amasarek
• Website: https://www.avaya.com/en/
  
  

Ways to Tune In:

• Substack: https://notanotherceo.substack.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #Avaya

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:43 Alan Massek's Leadership Philosophy

05:45 The Importance of Communication in Leadership

07:20 Transforming Avaya: A Case Study

10:23 Challenges and Strategies in Business Transformation

17:03 Vonage Transformation: From Residential to Business Communications

28:50 Hiring and Building High-Performing Teams

40:22 The Importance of CEO Succession Planning

41:46 Navigating Acquisitions: Strategies and Insights

48:49 The Role of Private Equity in Modern Business

54:09 Life After Stepping Down as CEO

56:20 Leadership and Mentorship: Keys to Success

01:06:02 Work-Life Balance and Return to Office

01:14:28 Advice for Young Professionals

01:17:26 Outro

What does it take to build a pioneering luxury lingerie brand? In this episode, Jennifer Zuccarini, Founder and CEO of Fleur du Mal, shares her journey from launching her second company in the lingerie space to creating a brand celebrated by celebrities and top fashion publications. 

Jennifer opens up about key moments in her entrepreneurial path, including nurturing team culture, expanding product lines, and overcoming financial hurdles. She also discusses the importance of community-building, the challenges of retail expansion, and the creative satisfaction that drives her forward.

Takeaways:

• Staying True to the Vision: Jennifer explains that her original idea for Fleur du Mal remains core to what the brand is today. She emphasizes the importance of holding onto that original creative inspiration while evolving with new trends and consumer expectations.
• Focusing on Team Culture: Jennifer underscores the importance of investing in team culture. She admits that early on, she was more focused on building the brand, but now she emphasizes team recognition. Initiatives like 'employee of the season' and regular team outings, such as Spring Equinox parties and personalized birthday celebrations, have helped create a strong, appreciative team environment.
• Overcoming Financial Challenges: Jennifer reveals a critical moment two years into Fleur du Mal when the company almost ran out of money. She borrowed funds from investors and had to delay payroll, which resulted in losing much of her team. Despite the setback, she managed to rebuild the company, describing it as the most challenging period in her professional life.
• Passion for Product and Brand: Jennifer highlights her deep passion for product design and brand building, taking personal involvement in every aspect from approving email marketing to attending every product fitting.
• Innovative Products and Methods: She details the challenges and strategies involved in creating and marketing new products, especially within the constraints of advertising restrictions on platforms like Google and Meta.
• Retail Expansion and Community Building: Jennifer discusses the strategic expansion of Fleur du Mal’s retail footprint. By leveraging data from their strong online business, they identify ideal locations for new stores to build community and enhance customer experience. 
• Personal and Professional Growth: Reflecting on her career, Jennifer values the importance of appreciating the journey. She advises founders to find satisfaction in their daily work and to recognize that building something meaningful takes time and effort.

Quote of the Show:

• " I think the best brands really have a very strong point of view that they stick to all the time." - Jennifer Zuccarini

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferzuccarini/
• Twitter (X): https://x.com/jzuccarini
• Website: https://fleurdumal.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Substack: https://notanotherceo.substack.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #FleurduMal

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:33 Building a Strong Team Culture

05:21 Passion for Product and Brand

06:27 Challenges in Brand Building

14:54 Expanding Product Lines

18:27 Navigating Marketing Restrictions

26:22 Engaging with the Community

28:48 The Power of Authenticity in Business

29:24 Expanding Retail Strategy

29:41 Balancing Retail and Online Presence

30:41 Challenges of Retail Expansion

31:37 Future Plans and Team Building

34:20 Overcoming Financial Challenges

37:53 Lessons from Transparency and Team Loss

42:08 Entrepreneurial Spirit and Family Influence

44:48 Mentorship and Role Models

46:58 Drive and Motivation

51:17 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

54:53 Outro

How do you grow a podcast into a true platform for founders and CEOs? In this solo episode of Not Another CEO Podcast, David Politis reflects on Q1 2025 and shares a behind-the-scenes look at what's next for the show. 

From launching a Substack and partnering with Nick Freund to rethinking content distribution and recording locations, David breaks down what's working, what he’s learning, and the goals for the next quarter.

Ways to Tune In:

• Substack: https://notanotherceo.substack.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #DavidPolitis

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:42 Launch of Not Another CEO Substack

03:07 Partnership Announcement: Joining Forces with Nick Freund

05:31 Reflecting on Goals and Achievements

09:58 Looking Ahead: Goals for Q2

12:26 Outro

What happens when passion, persistence, and curiosity meet the brutal realities of startup life? In this Failing Forward edition of Not Another CEO Podcast, Nick Freund sits down with Anthony Corletti, a seasoned technical founder and former CEO of Casa, to unpack his entrepreneurial journey. 

Anthony shares hard-won lessons from building, and ultimately shutting down, his company, discusses frameworks like the "Founder’s Care-o-Meter" and the "Personal Board of Advisors," and reflects on how founding has shaped his broader life perspective.

Takeaways:

• The Spark for Entrepreneurship: Anthony shares how working closely with rideshare drivers during his early startup days ignited his passion for solving real-world problems through tech, and how the immediacy of feedback fueled his love for early-stage building.
• What Drives a Technical Founder: For Anthony, the excitement lies in scaling impact, solving one user's problem in a way that could eventually benefit thousands. His love of learning and "always day one" mindset continues to push him forward.
• The Lightbulb Moment for Casa: A podcast analogy about how context transforms perception inspired Anthony to rethink how engineering workspaces could better integrate product and design teams, leading to the idea behind Casa.
• Introducing the Founder’s Care-o-Meter: Anthony explains the framework he created to check his conviction at different stages of building Casa. He tracked whether he still felt a "hell yes" about the mission and scored his emotional connection to the problem versus the solution every six weeks.
• Building a Personal Board of Advisors: Anthony stresses the importance of surrounding yourself with trusted confidants, from family to expert mentors, who can offer honest feedback, accountability, and different perspectives throughout the founder journey.
• Knowing When to Shut Down: Anthony candidly describes how feedback from pilot customers, competitive insights, and introspection via the Care-o-Meter helped him make the difficult but clear-eyed decision to wind down Casa.
• Founding and Life Philosophy: Anthony reflects on how founding has shaped his view of service, resilience, and embracing life's unexpected opportunities. His future focus is simple: prioritize the people you work with and the problems you solve.

Quote of the Show:

• " Experience is what you get when maybe you didn't get what you wanted… being able to share that with [future founders] is such a critical point, and it's super important." - Anthony Corletti

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonycorletti/
• Twitter (X): https://x.com/anthonycorletti
• Website: https://www.anthonycorletti.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #Casa

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

04:14 Anthony's Journey and Early Career

09:10 The Inspiration Behind Casa

14:51 The Founder's Care-o-Meter

19:49 Building a Personal Board of Advisors

25:57 Facing Initial Challenges

26:57 Pivoting and Feedback

27:31 Connecting with Industry Leaders

29:28 Emotional Journey of a Founder

31:01 Reflecting on Key Decisions

33:06 The Importance of Co-Founders

33:46 Customer-Centric Product Development

36:16 The Role of Luck in Success

38:46 Balancing Life and Founding

39:42 Founder's Philosophy and Future Plans

45:55 Where To Next?

48:24 Outro

How do you scale a company to $200 million+ in ARR while maintaining deep empathy for the customer? In this episode of Not Another CEO Podcast, David Politis sits down with Todd Olson, the Founder and CEO of Pendo, to find out. 

Todd shares the values and rituals that helped him scale Pendo into a product-led powerhouse, including his unwavering commitment to customer-centricity, his direct approach to hiring, and the operating cadence that keeps his nearly 900-person team aligned. Todd reflects on the highs, lows, and philosophies that have guided his journey.

Takeaways:

• Customer Obsession as a Foundational Value: Todd emphasizes how being “maniacally focused on the customer” has guided every stage of Pendo’s growth. From answering support tickets himself in the early days to personally monitoring feedback as CEO, he’s created a culture where customer empathy cascades through every department.
• Every Hire Must Talk to Customers: Todd shares a hiring principle he’s followed since day one: only hire people you'd trust on the phone with a customer. This standard shaped Pendo’s culture, even affecting how they screen engineers, ensuring they’re willing and able to engage directly with users.
• Personally Interviewing Hundreds: At one point, Todd personally interviewed every employee… almost 800 people. Beyond vetting talent, it was a powerful tool for maintaining cultural consistency and calibrating hiring managers across the org. He also ran 90-day check-ins with new hires to ensure expectations matched reality.
• Product Leadership Rooted in Vision: Though product leadership has evolved at Pendo, Todd has remained deeply involved in product vision and strategy. He describes how he stays hands-on with design sessions, brainstorming new features, and ensuring Pendo’s tools meet the high bar of product teams building for product teams.
• Disciplined Operating Rhythm: Todd credits much of Pendo’s success to a consistent cadence of planning and communication. Annual and quarterly planning rituals, town halls, and regular team offsites help align the company around shared goals and keep stress in check during turbulent times.
• Built in Raleigh, Built to Last: Despite early pressure to move to Silicon Valley, Todd built and scaled Pendo out of Raleigh, North Carolina. He shares how the local ecosystem shaped the company and how hiring executives from outside the region helped them compete on a national scale while staying grounded in local roots.

Quote of the Show:

• "Nearly every product is like, strongly opinionated, meaning when you use it, you feel like it has a point of view that it’s trying to impart." - Todd Olson

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddaolson
• Twitter (X): https://x.com/tolson
• Company Website: https://www.pendo.io/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #Pendo

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:23 The Importance of Customer Obsession

02:34 Early Days and Customer Engagement

04:57 Hiring for Customer Focus

08:39 Personal Stories and Career Reflections

11:27 Interviewing Every Employee

18:24 Product Evolution and Ideal Customer Profile

26:19 Operating Rhythm and Business Cadence

34:53 Adapting and Planning for Long-Term Success

37:17 Biggest Challenges Faced at Pendo

43:56 Future Vision for Pendo

47:00 Early Career and Entrepreneurial Spark

53:49 Building a Business in Raleigh

56:59 Balancing Family and Business

01:02:55 Outro

What happens when you combine relentless focus with long-term trust and bootstrapped grit? In this episode of Not Another CEO Podcast, David Politis chats with Sean Griffey, the co-founder and former CEO of Industry Dive, a digital media company that went from humble beginnings to a $500M+ acquisition.

Sean dives into how simplicity became his core operating principle, the creative strategies behind building a strong team, and why bootstrapping gave him the ultimate freedom. He also opens up about co-founder dynamics, the emotional challenges of scaling leadership, and finding clarity after stepping down.

Takeaways:

• Start with Simplicity, Scale with Clarity: Sean shares how simplicity became a guiding principle across operations, sales, and product. By constantly asking “How can we make this easier?”, Industry Dive streamlined execution and scaled effectively across 30 different markets.
• The Coffee Challenge That Built Culture: To foster cross-team collaboration, new hires were given a $50 coffee stipend and a list of quirky and strategic questions to ask people outside their department. This initiative not only built early camaraderie but also helped break down silos before they could form.
• Bootstrapping with Intent (and $400K): While Industry Dive raised a small angel round, Sean considered the business bootstrapped and didn’t pay himself for 18 months. He talks about resisting early VC offers in favor of building profitably and why media businesses need time, not acceleration.
• Strategic Exit Through Private Equity: Sean shares how the PE partnership offered strategic guidance, operating support, and true alignment on growth goals.
• The Leadership Challenges No One Talks About: Sean reflects on the difficulty of maintaining culture and connection at scale, especially through the pandemic. He emphasizes the importance of transparency, weekly all-hands, and honest company-wide Q&As—even when the questions were tough.
• Letting Go and What Comes Next: After stepping down as CEO, Sean is still adjusting. He shares how he's staying engaged and how he’s giving himself space to figure out what’s next with no pressure.

Quote of the Show:

• “There’s an incredible amount of time to be successful… you can enjoy it along the way too.” - Sean Griffey

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seangriffey/
• Twitter (X): http://twitter.com/seangriffey
• Company Website: https://www.industrydive.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #IndustryDive

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:27 Key Strategies for Success at Industry Dive

02:31 The Coffee Challenge: Building Cross-Departmental Relationships

07:15 Maintaining Simplicity in Business Operations

10:19 Co-Founder Dynamics and Roles

16:34 Bootstrapping and Fundraising Journey

26:09 Private Equity Partnership Experience

29:00 Private Equity's Role in Scaling

30:57 Navigating the Pandemic with Private Equity

33:03 Alignment and Exit Strategy with Private Equity

37:51 Challenges and Team Alignment

47:42 CEO's Reflections and Future Plans

51:03 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

58:29 Outro

What happens when a cybersecurity expert pioneers a new approach to phishing defense? Join us as we delve into the journey of Rohyt Belani, Co-Founder and Former CEO of PhishMe, who turned a simple idea into a $400 million exit to BlackRock. 

Rohyt discusses his unique business strategies, the importance of an employee-first culture, navigating massive challenges, and raising capital efficiently. Watch now to gain invaluable entrepreneurial insights from one of the leading minds in cybersecurity.

Takeaways:

• Bootstrapping to Success: Rohyt discusses how he and his co-founder bootstrapped the company to $2.5 million in ARR before accepting any external funding. They leveraged their prior industry experience and personal networks to secure their first enterprise customers.
• Implementing Employee-Friendly Policies: The adoption of policies such as half-day Fridays significantly boosted morale and productivity among staff. Rohyt emphasizes the importance of putting employees first and how this principle was pivotal in creating a positive company culture. 
• Transitioning From Services to Product: Rohyt talks about the challenges and learning curve associated with moving from a consulting company to a scalable product business. He highlights the necessity of balancing growth with capital efficiency and the mindset shift required to achieve this.
• Acquiring Enterprise Customers: The PhishMe team focused on a hands-on approach to customer acquisition, including attending numerous industry events and leveraging their expertise in cybersecurity to build trust. Expansion into new markets was approached cautiously and strategically, ensuring that initial customer wins provided a foundation for further growth.
• Investigated by the U.S. government: Rohyt recounts the hardships faced during a CFIUS investigation into a Russian investor associated with their private equity backer. Despite an onslaught of negative publicity and customer attrition, the PhishMe team managed to steer the company through this crisis while maintaining their integrity and focus on growth.
• Fundraising and Investor Relations: Initially, raising capital was a grueling process involving over 100 investor meetings to secure their first funding. However, as PhishMe demonstrated significant growth, subsequent funding rounds saw increased interest, culminating in multiple competing term sheets and better negotiation leverage.
• Balancing Innovation and Customer Needs: The importance of listening to customer feedback and anticipating future needs led to the development of complementary products, which significantly boosted the company's market standing and revenue. This approach ensured that PhishMe stayed relevant and valuable to its customers.

Quote of the Show:

• “ There's probably a hundred good ideas for any given product, and you have to be able to whittle it down to say, what are the three things we're doing over the next three to six months?” - Rohyt Belani

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohytbelani/
• Twitter (X): https://x.com/rohytbelani
• Company Website: https://cofense.com/
  
  

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #PhishMe

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:17 What You'd Do Again as CEO

04:20 Challenges and Insights on Work Culture

07:16 Early Customer Acquisition

16:06 Fundraising Journey

23:26 Product Evolution and Expansion

30:15 Navigating Customer Feedback and Innovation

32:40 Defining and Evolving the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

33:45 Transitioning from Consulting to Product Company

36:09 Challenges and Strategies in Scaling a Product Company

41:40 Overcoming a Major Crisis: The CFIUS Investigation

47:01 Life After Stepping Down: Advising and Mentoring

48:55 Reflections on Entrepreneurship and Mentorship

57:31 Outro

How can AI revolutionize the way we build and test software? In this episode of Not Another CEO Podcast, David Politis sits down with Itamar Friedman, Co-Founder and CEO of Qodo, to explore the impact of AI-driven software development. 

Itamar shares insights on how AI can enhance code integrity, optimize developer workflows, and shape the future of software engineering. From his entrepreneurial journey to the latest advancements in AI, Itamar dives deep into the challenges and opportunities of bringing AI into software development.

Takeaways:

• From Research to Entrepreneurship: Itamar shares his journey from studying AI to co-founding Qodo, discussing how his background in machine learning and software engineering led to his mission of improving code quality.
• AI-Powered Code Integrity: AI isn’t just about generating code—it’s about ensuring its accuracy and efficiency. Itamar explains how Qodo is redefining software testing by automating code validation and catching potential issues early in development.
• Challenges of Building AI for Developers: Unlike other AI applications, coding tools must be highly reliable. Itamar breaks down the unique hurdles of building AI that developers can trust and seamlessly integrate into their workflows.
• The Role of AI in Software Testing: Traditional software testing methods are time-consuming and often inefficient. Itamar discusses how AI-driven test generation is changing the landscape, making development faster and more reliable.
• Scaling an AI Startup: Bringing an AI-powered tool to market requires balancing innovation with practicality. Itamar shares his experience of scaling Qodo, attracting early adopters, and iterating based on developer feedback.
• Ethical Considerations in AI Development: With AI playing a bigger role in critical processes, ethical concerns are inevitable. Itamar reflects on responsible AI development, the risks of automation, and how companies can build AI that benefits users.
• The Future of AI in Development Workflows: Looking ahead, Itamar shares his predictions for how AI will continue to transform software engineering, from fully automated debugging to more intelligent coding assistants.

Quote of the Show:

• “I'm not saying that technical people should give up on that. Actually that's our superpower.” - Itamar Friedman

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itamarf 
• Twitter (X): https://x.com/itamar_mar
• Company Website: https://www.qodo.ai 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #Qodo

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:36 What You’d Do Again As CEO

06:02 Transitioning to CEO

14:27 The Role of AI in Software Development

21:28 Challenges and Insights as a First-Time CEO

32:21 Finding the First Customers

36:57 Strong Content and Alpha Code

38:22 Product-Led Growth and Sales Strategy

42:08 Fundraising Journey and Investor Alignment

51:57 Challenges and Vision for AI in Coding

54:59 Balancing Entrepreneurship and Personal Life

01:04:31 Advice to Younger Self

01:07:49 Outro