LinkedIn promised networking. What we got instead were cold DMs, spam, and fake connections
In this episode of Funds & Founders, I sit down with Krishna Dosapati, Founder & CEO of Clockout—the fastest-growing networking platform for Gen Z.
Clockout crossed 350,000+ downloads, hit #19 on the App Store, and is on track to reach $1M ARR in under 10 months, all by rethinking what real networking should look like.

We break down:
- Why LinkedIn doesn't work for Gen Z
- Why cold DMs fail at building real relationships
- What authentic networking actually means
- How Clockout blends communities, events, and AI-driven intros
- The founder's journey from side project to venture-backed startup
- What product-market fit really looks like (and why most founders get it wrong)
- The biggest mistakes founders make chasing growth and virality
This is a conversation about building relationships, not connections—and why the future of networking looks very different from LinkedIn.
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🔗 Connect with Krishna Dosapati
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishna-dosapati-39319986/
Clockout: https://clockoutapp.com/
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About the Host
I'm Abhinav Sinha, host of Funds & Founders—a podcast for Austin entrepreneurs navigating early-stage startups. I explore the highs, lows, and breakthrough moments of local founders through candid conversations, and sit down with VCs to uncover how they evaluate early-stage companies.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhinavbsinha/
Newsletter: https://newsletter.fundsandfounder.com/
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⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Trailer
01:10 – Intro
02:36 – What Is Networking?
03:37 – Better Networking Than Cold DMs
06:55 – Building Non-Transactional Relationships
09:40 – Founder Journey Begins
13:40 – Team vs Contractors
18:32 – Going Live & Raising the First Round
21:24 – Why Raise $1.3M If You're Profitable?
22:39 – Solo Founder Team Structure
24:33 – Early Startup Challenges
35:44 – Why iOS First?
36:49 – Approval-Only App Strategy
39:01 – Onboarding Friction vs Activation
40:40 – Referral vs Approval User Engagement
55:10 – Biggest Mistake in Going Viral
56:57 – Biggest Lie About Product-Market Fit
1:02:57 – Outro
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#GenZ #Networking #Startup #Entrepreneurship #ProductMarketFit #AppGrowth #FounderJourney #AustinStartups #FundsAndFounders #ConsumerApp.