83 episodes

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.)

Sit Down Startup Adam O'Donnell

    • Business
    • 5.0 • 46 Ratings

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.)

    [$100M+ raised] How to get product-market fit validation without an MVP

    [$100M+ raised] How to get product-market fit validation without an MVP

    Sit Down Startup is back with Arjun Narayan, founder of Materialize, who shares how they nearly hit product-market fit before their MVP was ready! Host Adam O'Donnell dives into Arjun's journey from India to raising $100M+ (1:40) and revolutionizing real-time data processing with Materialize (00:45). Founders will appreciate the dialogue on tech database funding and the role of investor expertise (16:16). Tune in for more!

    Shoutout to this episode's partners Capchase and FounderPass!

    Capchase - non-dilutive growth financing solution for SaaS companies. Email Ian.Garrett@capchase.com and mention this podcast to get 10% off.

    FounderPass is the perk and discount platform for startups, giving over $1million of discounts on software, tools and business services. Click here for more.

    • 28 min
    [$217M raised] Stop convincing prospects and find the ones who get it: Sentry’s Founder, David Cramer

    [$217M raised] Stop convincing prospects and find the ones who get it: Sentry’s Founder, David Cramer

    In this new episode of Sit Down Startup, Adam interviews Sentry's founder David Cramer, who shares insights from his illustrious journey that led to successfully raising $217 million. Tune in as David delves into diverse topics such as unraveling unique product monetization, cultivating unwavering belief in success (00:05:41), the power of focus and core concepts (00:08:45), and managing feedback at scale (00:18:37). The conversation touches upon customer engagement wisdom: distinguishing valuable feedback and exploring how focus and determination pave the path to tech success. David emphasizes the criticality of aligning with prospects who inherently understand and connect with your vision rather than convincing all.

    Thank you to this week's partners Ignition and Slack!

    Ignition is a GTM operating system which helps unlock revenue opportunity by aligning product, marketing, and sales teams around new market initiative launches, with a single suite for planning, execution, and measurement. Zendesk Startups members get 90% off Ignition for their first year when they enter the coupon code ZENDESK90 at checkout. http://haveignition.com

    Check out Slack for 25% off Slack Pro - Unlock features like huddles, Slack Connect, automations and unlimited apps in Slack. http://slack.com/promo/partner?remote_promo=1d1d4669

    • 30 min
    Arc’s $181M Success: Unity-Led-Growth with Founder, Don Muir

    Arc’s $181M Success: Unity-Led-Growth with Founder, Don Muir

    In this week's episode of Sit Down Startup, get to know Donald Muir, the creator and driving force behind Arc, a digital bank crafted for the tech-savvy crowd. As an experienced business leader with a keen desire for breakthroughs, Muir's interpretations of the explosion and teamwork in online banking post-SVB collapse (2:45) come from his hands-on experience of building Arc from scratch.

    Muir underlines the value of a dynamic digital bank that blends the personalized touch of a bank like First Republic with the fail-safe security and solidity of a mega-bank such as Goldman Sachs. He's a staunch advocate for cross-departmental cooperation and harmony (10:00) with an execution-focused mindset (20:42). Join host Adam O'Donnell for this latest episode.

    Thank you to this episode's partners EXEC and Sprinto!

    EXEC is an all-in-one benefits solution designed to empower the modern leader—with unparalleled travel and lifestyle benefits for individuals and organizations. Use promo code ZEN200 to save $200 off your EXEC annual membership access at joinexec.com.

    Ambitious cloud companies all over the world trust Sprinto to power their security compliance programs and sprint through security audits without breaking their stride. Startups can get up to 40% off their first year through our Sprinto Ignite program. Click here: https://sprinto.com/

    • 23 min
    Bootstrapped to $40M and then raised $125M? Slice’s Founder, Ilir Sela

    Bootstrapped to $40M and then raised $125M? Slice’s Founder, Ilir Sela

    Join us for the latest episode of Sit Down Startup! Anyone want to order a pizza? You're in luck. This week's guest Ilir Sela is the founder and CEO of Slice, a platform that "builds innovative tech to empower America’s independent pizzerias." Sounds delicious!

    Ilir dives into...
    Fax-machine-MVP - meet the customer where they areWhy he bootstrapped to $40M GMV vs. raising soonerWhat he looked for in a VC partnerAnd more!
    Shoutout to our partners DocSend and The Launch Box!

    DocSend: DocSend allows you to securely share your pitch deck and streamline fundraising - with DocSend, you maintain control over sensitive fundraising documents, know which investors are engaging with your decks and get real-time, actionable feedback with document analytics.
    Founders can get up to 90% off DocSend for a year by filling out the form here: https://try.docsend.com/zendesk

    The Launch Box: The Launch Box is a boutique marketing services firm that is on a mission to help more founders succeed by embedding established marketing principles into their company DNA from day 1. Take our FREE STARTUP QUIZ to assess the market fit of your new business and get actionable advice on what you can do next to accelerate your path to market and optimize your chances at success. https://thelaunchboxus.com/startup-quiz

    • 26 min
    [$150M raised] OpenStore’s Co-Founder, Jeremy Wood: Building the Right Engine: Overcoming Doubts

    [$150M raised] OpenStore’s Co-Founder, Jeremy Wood: Building the Right Engine: Overcoming Doubts

    Jeremy Wood's solution, OpenStore, offers these founders the option to sell their businesses or have OpenStore operate and run the stores on their behalf. This innovative approach has not only provided a lifeline for many e-commerce founders but has also positioned OpenStore as a major player in the e-commerce market. Join Adam O'Donnell and Jeremy Wood as they delve deeper into this topic on the next episode of Sit Down Startup.

    Lark is a next-generation team productivity suite that boosts organisations' efficiency, creativity, and engagement.
    Get 6 months of free access to Lark Pro by joining Lark for Startups program: https://www.larksuite.com/paid/startup

    Raion.io is creating the worlds best user experience for founders to engage with investors. Access exclusive discounts and credits from the company's, "including Zendesk" supporting your startup...and connect with Americas leading investors at Raion.io. Learn more at https://raion.io/

    • 23 min
    [$200M+ Raised] Self-Doubt & Worry to Thriving Through Startup Challenges; Electric.ai's Founder, Ryan Denehy

    [$200M+ Raised] Self-Doubt & Worry to Thriving Through Startup Challenges; Electric.ai's Founder, Ryan Denehy

    Ryan Denehy discussed the importance of overcoming self-doubt in the early stages of a startup. He shares his own experiences, practical advice, and data-driven insights that can help founders navigate the competitive business landscape.

    Thank you to this week's partners Aktie Now and WorknetGPT!

    Aktie Now has a special offer for startups joining the Zendesk for Startups program: Zendesk Express implementation - Have your Zendesk up and running, fully configured to your processes, including training to your team, with 40% discount, so you make sure you are making the most of your Zendesk! Click here to access discount.

    WorknetGPT powers support teams in Zendesk with bi-directional integration to Slack. Automate your work using WorknetGPT - get suggested responses, automatic tagging, sentiment analysis and ticket routing. Click here for more.

    • 22 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
46 Ratings

46 Ratings

Dan1777999877 ,

Love this show!

No matter the subject, you’re guaranteed to gain something from every episode - can’t recommend Sit Down Startup enough. 🙌

nawDoode ,

Smart tactics very accessible

Adam and his guests are so strategic and transparent ! They share growth practices that work and are insightful for anyone growing a business. This podcast is so juicy I listen with a napkin and a notepad ready to ask for seconds!

Donald1503 ,

Amazing content for early stage founders

I’m in process of launching my startups and this show is helping me a ton. It’s amazing to hear from these leaders on how they are investing in customer experience.

Top Podcasts In Business

Boston Consulting Group BCG
WaitWhat
Ramsey Network
Money News Network
DOAC
Dan Fleyshman

You Might Also Like