Sit Down Startup

Pedro Sorren is the founder of Atman, an early-stage venture capital firm. The firm has seeded category-defining companies, like Coinbase, Instacart, GitLab, and Webflow. In this episode, Pedro shares a virtual espresso with Zendesk’s Pedro Muller. Listen to the pair chat about: 

• Why the venture capital industry needs innovation
• Entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley versus Latin America 
• The mighty force of “inevitable” founders who don’t give up

Finimize is working on making finance a breeze. The London-based startup gives people information and tools that empower them to make smarter decisions about finance. In this episode, Founder and CEO, Max Rofagha, is in conversation with Zendesk’s Tara McCann. Learn about: 

• Putting in the grind to reach critical mass
• The power of driving community and brand equity 
• How to align your business model with your consumers

Alexis Ohanian is best known as the co-founder of Reddit. But his impact goes far beyond the iconic website. He was an early stage investor in Coinbase, a partner at Y combinator, and is now the founder of new investment fund, Seven Seven Six. In this special episode, Alexis grabs virtual coffee with Kristen Durham, VP of Startups at Zendesk. He shares all things entrepreneurial, including:

How companies born in the age of social media stand out

His lightbulb moment at Waffle House

In 2019, legal cannabis business sales hit an all-time high of $12 billion. In this episode, get insights on being the first in a fresh industry. Hear Justin Hall, Founder and CTO of Bud.com, in conversation with Zendesk’s Pedro Muller, as he clears the smoke on building a cannabis startup. Find out:

• The blazing journey of bud.com, starting with a domain purchase in1994
• How to enable customer support teams to educate users
• Growing a business in a highly legislated industry

Unstack is a no-code marketing platform for startups. It aims to replace systems like WordPress with all the tools that teams need to win in the digital economy. Learn about Unstack’s journey direct from Founder and CEO, Grant Deken, as he chats with Zendesk’s Tara McCann on:

• Identifying the problem and building the ultimate solution
• The power of building community to improve loyalty
• Advice on creating a strong feedback loop with early customers

Defy is an early-stage focused venture fund based in Silicon Valley. In this episode, Madison McIlwain, a Partner at Defy, catches up with Pedro Muller, GM of Startups at Zendesk. The pair discuss Madison’s journey from growing up chatting entrepreneurship at family meals, to transitioning out of the corporate world. Learn about: 

• The role of Venture Capital on the startup ecosystem 
• How innovative investors are making it easy for founders to grow their business
• Advice for getting backed by a venture capital firm

Vindi is a leader in payment solutions in Brazil. The startup was one of the first SaaS businesses in Brazil, and was recently acquired when it hit $33 million in valuation. Co-Founder and CEO, Rodrigo Dantas, is in conversation with Maira Gracini, Senior Director of Marketing LATAM at Zendesk. You’ll get insights on:

• Challenges unique to growing a startup in Latin America
• How to hire and train talent to build a world-class team
• Getting an edge on Silicon Valley and competing with big names, like Stripe and Paypal

Mary Louise Cosmetics is a natural and organic skincare brand. Founded in 2017, CEO, Akilah Releford, was inspired by many of the homemade beauty remedies used by her grandmothers. So, she started the company in her university dorm room. In this episode, hear Akilah in conversation with Marissa Tree, Zendesk’s Senior Director of Public Relations. Learn:

• Why a good business idea is always worth following through on
• The power of frugal bootstrap founders to investors and VCs 
• How to avoid comparing yourself to other founders

Dispatch Goods is a zero-waste alternative for restaurant delivery. The startup provides reusable to-go containers for restaurants, so customers always have a sustainable option. Join CEO, Lindsey Hoell, in conversation with Zendesk’s Corporate Social Responsibility Director, Todd Lineart. Get insights on: 

• Taking action to support business to be more sustainable 
• Making it simple for people to choose eco-friendly restaurants
• Unique challenges as a female founder
• The value of customer feedback to shape the vision of the business

Everyone knows the value of understanding your product market fit. But getting there is never straightforward. For this live episode, we’re delighted to share a recording of a Zendesk webinar, in partnership with Pendo. Listen for insights and practical advice from two product experts: Mike Gozzo, VP of Product at Zendesk, and Eric Boduch, Co-founder at Pendo. You’ll learn: 

• How to define product market fit is and measure it effectively
• The right time to prove your fit—should you ever stop?
• How to get feedback to guide your efforts, and metrics to prove your fit to investors
• Why product market fit must be a company-wide initiative