Sit Down Startup

Adam O'Donnell
  • 5.0 (8)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • MONTHLY
Sit Down Startup

Here’s how to startup. Even when the world goes topsy-turvy. From one home office to another, Zendesk leaders chat with founders, CEOs, and makers on their startup journey. There’s rule-flipping, new dogma and recycling failure into growth. Plus, why customer experience is at the heart of success, as told by people who know unpredictability inside out. (That seems pretty helpful right now.)

  1. 13 NOV

    [$30M Raised] Transforming Legal Tech: Spellbook Co-Founder & CEO Scott Stevenson on Achieving Product-Market Fit

    Welcome back to Sit Down Startup! In this week's episode, host Adam O'Donnell sits down with Scott Stevenson, co-founder and CEO of Spellbook, the first generative AI copilot for lawyers, to discuss his remarkable journey in the legal tech space. Uncover the invaluable insights Scott gained about resilience, the struggles of achieving product-market fit, and the transformative power of large language models in revolutionizing legal document management. Learn how Spellbook, which has raised over $30 million, found its breakthrough after years of iteration and perseverance. (00:01:12) Overcoming Legal Fees: The Inspiration Behind Spellbook (00:06:30) The Loneliness of the Founder: Facing Investor Pressure (00:12:28) The Aha Moment: Discovering the Power of LLMs (00:19:40) The Importance of a Clear Marketing Message Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk for six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

    24 min

  2. 30 OCT

    [Transforming Crypto Access] Co-Founder/CEO Driss Benamour on Building Exponential.fi and Overcoming Crypto Winter

    In this episode, Adam O'Donnell sits down with Driss Benamour, co-founder and CEO of Exponential.fi, to explore the journey of building a decentralized finance platform amidst the challenges of the crypto winter. Driss shares his insights on achieving product-market fit by focusing on user needs and simplifying access to DeFi investments. He discusses the importance of maintaining conviction during tough times and the pivotal moment that led to the creation of their innovative risk assessment tool, "Rate My Wallet." Tune in to learn how Exponential.fi is transforming the investment landscape for crypto holders. 00:00 - Introduction to Exponential.fi and its mission to simplify DeFi access01:17 - Driss shares a low moment during the crypto winter and how they pivoted05:57 - The development and impact of the "Rate My Wallet" feature15:25 - Insights on achieving product-market fit and the importance of user feedback Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

    25 min

  3. 10 OCT

    [Navigating the AI Landscape] Co-Founder and CEO Jensen Harris on Textio's Journey and the Future of AI in Management

    In the latest episode of Sit Down Startup, Adam O'Donnell sits down with Jensen Harris, co-founder and CEO of Textio, to explore his remarkable journey in the world of AI-driven management solutions. Jensen shares how Textio has evolved over the past decade, transforming the way managers deliver feedback and recruit talent in an increasingly competitive landscape. Discover the challenges Jensen faced during the early days of Textio, including navigating the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, and learn how he and his team pivoted to adapt to a rapidly changing market. Jensen emphasizes the power of storytelling in marketing and how utilizing data-driven insights helped Textio connect with major enterprise clients. Tune in for an enlightening conversation about resilience, innovation, and the continuous quest for product-market fit in the tech industry. (00:00:19) AI Solutions for Feedback and Team Management (00:10:05) Enhancing Recruitment and Team Management Through AI (00:19:18) Data Storytelling for Customer Engagement Strategy (00:23:08) Personalized Enterprise Sales Approach with Data-Analytics Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

    26 min

  4. 25 SEPT

    [~$100M Raised] Transforming Talent Assessment: Co-founder and CEO Tigran Sloyan on Building CodeSignal

    Welcome to the latest episode of Sit Down Startup! Today, host Adam O'Donnell sits down with Tigran Sloyan, an MIT alumnus and the co-founder and CEO of CodeSignal, to discuss his remarkable journey to the forefront of innovation. Uncover the invaluable insights Tigran gained about resilience, adaptability, and the necessity of continuous product evolution. Learn how CodeSignal, which has raised almost $100M, achieved product-market fit by shifting focus to advanced talent assessment tools.  Here's the takeaway: navigating the path to product-market fit is a dynamic process that demands a clear long-term vision and the agility to pivot in response to market needs.  Stream this episode of our Zendesk for Startups podcast for an inspiring dialogue on the future of talent discovery and the power of embracing change in entrepreneurship. (00:12:53) Balancing Supply and Demand in Talent Marketplaces (00:14:04) Transitioning to Software for Sustainable Growth (00:16:29) Navigating Founder's Identity Amid Company Pivots (00:18:41) Iterative Evolution to Achieve Product-Market Fit Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk for six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

    26 min

  5. 12 SEPT

    [Revolutionizing Climate Tech] Sealed’s co-founder and CEO Lauren Salz on Raising ~$100 Million and Finding Product-Market Fit

    In the latest episode of Sit Down Startup, Adam O'Donnell chats with Lauren Salz, co-founder and CEO of Sealed, about her unexpected journey from aspiring musician to leading a revolutionary home energy startup. Discover the invaluable lessons Lauren learned about resilience, adaptability, and the importance of continuous product evolution, and hear how Sealed found its product-market fit by transitioning from in-person sales to a streamlined phone-based sales process. The lesson? Sometimes you need to pivot from even successful ventures to better align with market demands. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on the future of home energy and embracing change in entrepreneurship. (00:10:25) Resilience and Adaptability in Entrepreneurship (00:14:53) Continuous evolution for product-market fit success (00:19:23) Embracing Change for Business Growth Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

    22 min

  6. 28 AUG

    [$300M Raised] Mapping the Human Immune System for Drug Discovery: Noam Solomon on Building Immunai

    In this latest episode of Sit Down Startup, Adam O'Donnell chats with Noam Solomon, CEO of Immunai, about his incredible journey from academia to building a groundbreaking biotech startup. Hear Noam's fascinating backstory growing up in Israel and his move to the U.S. for a postdoc at MIT and Harvard, and how that paved the way for the creation of Immunai. Learn about the challenges of navigating product-market fit in the deep science space and the responsibility that comes with managing significant funding. Noam also shares insights on the crucial balance between building innovative technology and staying closely connected with customer needs. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on the future of drug discovery and the importance of humility in research and entrepreneurship. 00:01:49: Noam’s Academic Journey and Move to the U.S.00:08:16: The Weight of Managing Large-Scale Funding00:16:46: Balancing Innovation and Customer Feedback00:19:26: Advice for Founders and Navigating Challenges Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

    24 min

  7. 14 AUG

    [90% of Co-Founder's Time Spent Speaking to Customers] How Inspectify has Navigated Startup Success

    Welcome to the latest episode of Sit Down Startup! This week Adam O'Donnell hosts Inspectify co-founder and CEO Josh Jensen who leverages his diverse background in engineering and real estate to revolutionize property inspections for single-family homes. Josh brings a unique perspective to the tech space, emphasizing the importance of capturing comprehensive home data to support decision-making. His journey, marked by early-stage company experiences and real estate investment, shaped his belief in the necessity of efficiency and transparency, especially in startup operations. Despite setbacks, Josh remains committed to iterating based on customer feedback and actively engaging in sales to ensure Inspectify meets market needs effectively. (00:03:34) Navigating Layoffs: Lessons for Founders (00:07:19) Iterative Evolution of Target Customer Fitting (00:14:01) Direct Founder Sales Engagement for Startup Success (00:18:24) Operational Success through Transparency in Startups Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

    20 min

  8. 31 JUL

    [$0 to $20M ARR in 1 year] Creating a Path to Financial Empowerment with Brigit's co-founder and CEO Zuben Mathews

    Host Adam O'Donnell is back with this week's episode of Sit Down Startup with guest Zuben Mathews, co-founder and CEO of the financial health app Brigit. Mathews draws from his own experiences of financial hardship and his background in economics to address the critical issue of product-market fit in financial technology. He also emphasizes the importance of listening closely to the core pain points of customers, such as financial stress from living paycheck to paycheck, lack of credit score, and insufficient savings. Learn more about how Mathews advocates for swiftly transitioning from extensive research to real-world testing, as real-world feedback offers invaluable insights that can refine and perfect the product. Moreover, the founder stresses the need for truly understanding market needs and gaining customer trust, seeing these as essential components for achieving product-market fit and creating impactful financial solutions that can alleviate financial stress. Stream the full episode now. (00:08:15) Employee Job Security Amid Covid Crisis (00:12:45) Data-Driven Overdraft Solution Development Journey (00:16:24) User Engagement through Market Research for Growth (00:20:41) Targeted Online Advertising for Financial Stress Relief Apply to the Zendesk for Startups program. Qualifying startups can use Zendesk six months for free. Click to learn more: https://www.zendesk.com/lp/startup-partner/?ref=gen&partner_account=0016R00003GUn7OQAT

    25 min
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5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Here’s how to startup. Even when the world goes topsy-turvy. From one home office to another, Zendesk leaders chat with founders, CEOs, and makers on their startup journey. There’s rule-flipping, new dogma and recycling failure into growth. Plus, why customer experience is at the heart of success, as told by people who know unpredictability inside out. (That seems pretty helpful right now.)

Information

  • Creator
    Adam O'Donnell
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2024
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Zendesk 868329
  • Show Website
    Sit Down Startup

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