Connectbase is transforming how service providers buy and sell connectivity in what founder Ben Edmond calls "the connected world" - a massive $1.6 trillion industry that powers our entire digital infrastructure. With $70 million in funding, Connectbase serves 427+ service providers including 82% of the global Gartner Magic Quadrant, creating the ecosystem fabric that connects data centers, towers, fiber networks, and the thousands of providers that deliver connectivity services. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, we sat down with Ben Edmond, CEO and Founder of Connectbase, to learn about the company's journey from solving Excel spreadsheet chaos to building the digital backbone for an entire industry. Topics Discussed: Connectbase's rapid path from MVP to $1M ARR in 14 months without initial funding The three-layer architecture of the "connected world" industry ecosystem Building "location truth" as a core positioning strategy to unify fragmented data Evolving from "friends of Ben" sales approach to scalable go-to-market systems The strategic shift from product-focused selling to brand-driven market education Critical lessons from selling to wrong customers and wasting time on bright shiny objects Creating "categories of one" versus competing in crowded red ocean markets The 17 times rule for effective communication and message penetration in complex industries GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Ship fast when you deeply understand the customer problem: Ben launched Connectbase's first product just six months after starting the company, reaching $1M ARR 14 months later without initial funding. This speed was possible because he had lived the industry pain for years at companies like MCI. "I understood the problem very well," Ben explains. B2B founders with deep domain expertise should leverage that knowledge to move quickly from problem to solution rather than over-engineering initial products or getting trapped in endless customer discovery cycles. Resist the bright shiny object customer trap at all costs: Ben's biggest mistake was selling to consultants, real estate companies, and other customers outside his core ICP who seemed interested but weren't sustainable. "Selling to the wrong customers would probably be the number one thing," he reflects. "It's pretty easy for lots of people to deliver one time value and then move on, but it's not very valuable really focusing on customers that are going to get durable long term value and you're aligned to accelerating, supporting and uniquely positioned to help." B2B founders should resist revenue from customers outside their ideal customer profile, even when cash flow is tight, and focus exclusively on customers where they can deliver repeatable, long-term value. Time brand investment strategically around behavior change requirements: Around year three, Ben realized Connectbase needed to shift from direct sales to brand building because they were "fundamentally changing behavior and behavior is hard to change." The insight: when your solution requires market education and behavior modification, brand investment becomes more valuable than incremental sales tactics. B2B founders should time this transition carefully - after achieving product-market fit with core customers but before growth stalls due to market education barriers. Apply the "17 times rule" for message penetration in complex markets: Ben developed what he calls the "17 times rule" for market education: "If I don't say the same thing 17 times, you know, very confident that the words are not going to be completely understood and actioned on. But if I do, I'm going to get my point across and be relevant in positioning." This applies to both internal teams and external market positioning. B2B founders in complex industries should systematically track how many times key positioning concepts have been reinforced across all channels and customer touchpoints. Create categories of one by focusing on unique ecosystem positioning: Instead of competing in the crowded $35 billion telecom software space, Ben positioned Connectbase as the only "ecosystem fabric with location truth" for service providers. "I like categories of one instead of categories of many," he explains. B2B founders should identify unique positioning that combines multiple capabilities or approaches in ways competitors cannot easily replicate, rather than trying to be incrementally better at existing category definitions. Build revenue-focused marketing DNA from the foundation: Ben insists on hiring marketers who view themselves as part of the revenue engine, not just lead generators. "Vanity metrics, don't pay anyone's payroll. So you know, really focus on people that have a belief that marketing is part of the revenue engine and an important critical part and driving, you know, the marketing mix to get to close one customers and upsells and long term relationships." B2B founders should establish revenue accountability for all marketing hires and avoid the trap of optimizing for engagement metrics that don't drive business outcomes. Treat fundraising as partnership selection, not capital acquisition: Ben approaches investor selection "almost like getting married" - focusing on partners who understand the industry and can provide strategic value beyond capital. "Find the partners that actually understand your space that you operate in, be choosy, and partners that are going to, you know, help you move forward. Because business is hard... you want people in the corner with a belief and a set of skills and capabilities that are going to elevate you, challenge you, and make you better." B2B founders should prioritize investor expertise and long-term support over valuations, especially when building in specialized or complex industries. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM
