One of the first interviews I did for the podcast was with Renen Hallak, CEO and founder of AI infrastructure company VAST Data. 

The company launched in 2019, and three years later, it was ranked No. 5 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™. Today, its customer base includes massive organizations like Disney, Verizon, the US Air Force and the US Department of Energy. It’s one of the fastest-growing companies in its sector.

You can probably tell I was a little nervous.

Most of the questions I asked covered VAST Data’s first eighteen months: his customer discovery process, how his team worked to gain traction and build credibility with clients and also, why he looked for a co-founder who could take over go-to-market strategy.

Renen also spoke frankly about his previous experiences launching startups, which weren’t as successful.

When it came to fundraising, “I did not know how to do it,” he said. “I didn't understand the game. I thought that VCs judge ideas based on the merit of the idea. In fact, I think most of the weight goes to who you are, what you've done, and who vouches for you, in terms of who they choose to invest in.”

If you’re an academic or a worker in a technical role who’s thinking about starting up, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode.

LINKS

• Renen Hallak, CEO/founder, VAST Data

EPISODE BREAKDOWN

• What VAST Data does