Category Visionaries

Adam Tank, Co-Founder of Transcend: $35 Million Raised to Revolutionize Critical Infrastructure Design

Transcend is fundamentally changing how engineers design our world's essential infrastructure through their generative design platform. With $35 million in funding, including investment from industry giant Autodesk, Transcend is automating and optimizing the planning and conceptual design phases for infrastructure projects that typically cost tens to hundreds of millions of dollars. In this episode of Category Visionaries, we spoke with Adam Tank about how Transcend is creating an entirely new category while helping societies build more sustainable, efficient infrastructure from wastewater treatment plants to power systems.
Topics Discussed:
How Transcend's platform automates preliminary infrastructure design that traditionally requires months of manual work
The shift from a consumption-based pricing model to a flat-rate subscription that accelerated user adoption
Building a brand in a highly technical, conservative engineering market
Leveraging trade partnerships and owned media to educate potential customers
The importance of creating a category around "Generative Design for Critical Infrastructure"
How strategic investment from Autodesk removed concerns about startup viability
The challenge of selling to technical stakeholders who are resistant to change
 
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Validate before building: Adam emphasizes trying to sell your solution before building it. "A lot of entrepreneurs fall into this mindset of 'if you build it, they will come'... Selling it, marketing it, is substantially harder in most cases than building the actual product itself."
Education-first marketing for technical buyers: When selling to engineers, plan for 10x more educational content than you might expect. "If I thought we needed to spend four hours a week doing it, we're spending 40 hours a week doing it across both sales and marketing teams." Create webinars, case studies, and detailed content that helps your technical audience understand and trust your solution.
Invest in owned media channels: Don't rely solely on platforms you don't control. Transcend created a newsletter reaching 16,000 engineers worldwide that isn't directly branded as Transcend but provides immense value and establishes authority. "If you rely on SEO only, or LinkedIn only... anything can change overnight."
Leverage trade partners for amplified reach: Instead of building everything yourself, tap into established networks in your industry. "We'll spend upwards of $5,000 to tap into someone else's network... and we'll get a thousand or more registrants and we've had half or more show up to the webinar, which is almost unheard of."
Challenge assumptions with data: Events are often assumed to be critical for relationship-based B2B sales, but Transcend found that "online events, webinars, our newsletters, our social media even, are far more consistent generator of high quality leads than events are for the spend."
Rethink pricing to encourage adoption: For complex products requiring significant user education, consumption-based pricing can unintentionally discourage exploration. "We made a big change about a year and a half or so into the company to move away from that consumption based pricing into just a flat rate model... We just want them in the tool, we just want them playing around with it."
Balance founder personal brand with company visibility: Adam maintains what he calls a "70-20-10" approach—70% water industry focus, 20% Transcend, and 10% personal. "People like to buy from people. They don't buy from companies. So the extent that a company can have a face that's out front that they can get to know and trust... is super important."
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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

Justin Leigh, CEO of Workflow Labs: $3.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of E-commerce Management

In this episode of Category Visionaries, we spoke with Justin Leigh, CEO of Workflow Labs, an e-commerce management platform that's raised $3.5 million in funding. After running a successful Amazon agency for 14 years, Justin identified a critical opportunity: replacing human-driven processes with automation at scale. Workflow Labs is automating e-commerce management tasks that brands traditionally outsource to agencies or offshore teams, allowing for better economics, faster resolution times, and predictable outcomes in managing product listings across platforms like Amazon.
Topics Discussed:
Transitioning from running a services-based agency to building a software product
The strategy of targeting partners who aggregate brands rather than selling to brands individually
How retail media networks are driving advertising dollars onto retailer platforms
The importance of having clear company objectives that everyone understands
Fundraising approaches for early-stage companies
Making the pivot from automation-focused messaging to comprehensive solution positioning
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Partner with aggregators instead of selling one-by-one: Workflow Labs recognized that selling directly to individual brands would take too long to reach scale. Justin explained, "If we need to close 3,000 brands in two years, you're not going to do that selling them one by one." Instead, they identified partners who already worked with pools of brands—like ad agencies and supply chain providers—allowing them to sign up "tens, twenties, fifties, hundreds at a time."
Align with emerging market trends: Justin identified that retail media networks (Amazon, Walmart, Target) are where advertising dollars are shifting. He positioned Workflow Labs to support this trend: "We said as that shift continues, we support the product. If you're going to advertise a product, you better make sure their title's right, bullets are right, that it's in stock." B2B founders should identify major industry shifts and align their solutions with those trends.
Create market pull through RFP requirements: Workflow Labs uses a "push-pull method" by engaging directly with brands to influence their RFP requirements. Justin noted, "We work very hard to engage with brands directly and say...when you RFP for your advertising services, you better make sure your provider is providing an automated way to keep your products accurate." This creates demand that potential partners must satisfy, making partnership conversations easier.
Pivot based on customer feedback—even when it contradicts your assumptions: Workflow Labs initially thought customers would care about labor cost reduction but discovered their messaging wasn't resonating. Justin admitted, "We thought initially so many wrong things...When you went to the market and said, 'Hey, you have a 50-person team in India and all they're doing is updating titles, we can make 80% of that labor go away,' no one cared." They pivoted to position themselves as a comprehensive solution rather than just automation.
Establish clear, quantifiable objectives: Justin implemented the "rule of three"—focusing on just three key objectives per quarter. He shared a powerful insight about founder transparency: "If you want everybody in your company to row the boat in the same direction...be super clear around what your objectives are." This includes being upfront about exit goals: "Everyone on the team knows what happens when we get to 3,000 [customers], if we can get close to there...that's when liquidity events start to be on the table."
 
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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

Sloane Barbour, CEO & Founder of engin: $4 Million Raised to Transform AI-Powered Recruiting

engin is pioneering AI-powered recruiting technology that addresses the fundamental inefficiency in the hiring process: 80% of time is wasted on interactions with candidates who will never move forward. With over $4 million in funding, engin is positioned at the intersection of recruitment marketing and automation, focusing on quality over quantity in an increasingly noisy job market. In this episode of Category Visionaries, we spoke with Sloane Barbour, who brings 15+ years of recruiting industry expertise to his role as CEO and founder. He shared insights on how engin is using AI agents to revolutionize the recruiting process for companies, staffing firms, and job seekers alike.
Topics Discussed:
The fundamental inefficiency in recruiting where 80% of time is spent on candidates who never progress
How traditional recruiting technology failed to address unstructured data like resumes and job descriptions
The impact of LLMs on recruiting technology's ability to contextualize unstructured data at scale
engin's strategic positioning shift from ATS to recruitment marketing and automation
The future of work and AI's role in transforming the labor market
 
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Position where the pain and budget intersect: Sloane repositioned engin "up the funnel" from the commoditized ATS space to recruitment marketing and automation, where companies were spending 3x more and experiencing greater pain points. He explained: "Their problem was they were not talking to good people, they were not talking to relevant people, they were not talking to people quick enough." By addressing the quality issue rather than simply building "a better mousetrap in the ATS category," engin created 3x more value.
Founder-led marketing generates qualified leads: After experiencing diminishing returns from traditional outbound email campaigns, Sloane shifted focus to founder-led content and thought leadership. "Every time I post something that takes me 10 minutes to write up, you know, but maybe almost 20 years to be able to write that thought because of my experience in the space... it very clearly resonates with people." This approach generates higher quality meetings than traditional SDR-driven outreach.
Create transparent sales processes with clear metrics: From his experience managing 60+ salespeople, Sloane emphasizes establishing transparency and accountability from day one: "The number one most important thing is transparency of expectations... You have to have visibility into their performance on a daily basis." This includes tracking calls made, emails sent, and meetings booked. Without these fundamentals, scaling a sales organization becomes impossible.
Partner networks accelerate adoption during market transitions: A key component of engin's marketing strategy is its "robust partner network" with integrations and APIs that enable co-selling. Sloane noted this has been "super helpful for just kind of navigating this AI transition in recruiting and staffing together," allowing them to leverage existing relationships and platforms.
Strategic fundraising requires thesis alignment: Sloane learned to quickly identify misalignment with potential investors rather than pursuing exceptions: "If you're talking to people more than a call where thesis is off by more than 20%, meaning you're a seed, they're series A... I almost would rather just end the call, 15 minutes, keep them in the phone book for 18 months down the line." This approach prevents wasted cycles with investors unlikely to participate.
 
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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

Daniel Saks, CEO & Co-Founder of Landbase: $12.5 Million Raised to Power the Future of GTM Automation

Landbase is pioneering a new approach to go-to-market automation, using agentic AI to help businesses generate leads that convert. With $12.5 million in seed funding, Landbase is automating the mundane aspects of sales and marketing while leveraging machine intelligence to recommend high-converting campaign strategies. 
In this episode of Category Visionaries, I spoke with Daniel Saks, CEO and Co-Founder of Landbase, about his journey from building the unicorn AppDirect to his latest venture. Daniel shared his vision for creating software that works for you, not the other way around, and how AI-powered tools can help reclaim your day by turning months-long campaign processes into minutes.
Topics Discussed:
Landbase's mission to solve the challenge of generating leads that convert
Using agentic AI to create go-to-market campaigns with high conversion potential
The transition from months to minutes for launching marketing campaigns
Daniel's journey building AppDirect into a unicorn and his decision to start Landbase
The shifting landscape of B2B technology from on-prem to SaaS to AI
Finding motivation beyond material success and focusing on mission-driven work
Landbase's three core OKRs: faster, cheaper, better
How AI can harness data to enhance human performance, not replace humans
Building "GTM1 Omni," Landbase's domain-specific model for go-to-market insights
The concept of "digital trust" and its importance in modern marketing efforts
 
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
AI should augment humans, not replace them: Daniel emphasizes that AI's role is to "automate the mundane so humans can do more human things." The most effective AI implementation preserves human agency while enhancing performance through machine intelligence.
Focus on micro-ICPs for higher conversion: Landbase's data shows that targeting micro-ICPs (Ideal Customer Profiles) or niche audiences with specific problems can yield dramatically higher engagement rates—sometimes up to 90% email open rates compared to 1% for broader approaches.
Opportunity in underdigitized industries: Traditional businesses like tool and die manufacturing, landscaping, or mining represent untapped markets for digital solutions. Being the first to create content for these niches can give you a significant advantage.
Digital trust is the new currency: Building trust through your digital presence is critical. This includes having relevant case studies (video performs better than text), third-party ratings and reviews, credible authorities discussing your brand, and strong domain authority through proper backlinks.
The Y Combinator playbook is outdated: Daniel argues that the traditional lean startup methodology of building a point solution around a defined customer market doesn't work in today's AI landscape. Creating a sustainable moat requires thinking differently and taking greater risks.
 
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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

Matt Einig, CEO & Founder of Rencore: $15 Million Raised to Build a Comprehensive Cloud Governance Platform

Rencore is a leader in Microsoft 365 governance, helping organizations manage the security, costs, and lifecycle of their cloud resources. With $15 million in funding, Rencore has evolved from a bootstrapped consulting business to a venture-backed software company serving nearly 500 enterprise customers worldwide. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I spoke with Matt Einig, CEO and Founder of Rencore, about his 12-year journey from building a niche code analysis tool to creating a comprehensive cloud governance platform that addresses the growing challenges of cloud sprawl, security, and cost management in the Microsoft ecosystem and beyond.
Topics Discussed:
Rencore's unconventional path from consulting tool to enterprise SaaS product
The transition from bootstrapped business to venture-backed startup after 7+ years
How customer interviews shaped Rencore's pivot to cloud governance
The pandemic's role as a massive accelerator for cloud adoption and Rencore's growth
Building a technology-agnostic platform that can quickly adapt to market changes
The balance between bootstrap mentality and venture growth mindset
Establishing thought leadership in the Microsoft ecosystem through content creation and community engagement
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Leverage existing customer relationships when pivoting: Matt's team interviewed over 300 existing customers to identify their next opportunity, using their established base to discover new market needs. Matt explained, "We used this connection that we have, this customer base, and figured out a new problem." B2B founders should view their current customer base as a valuable research pool when considering new directions.
Build credibility before you need it: Matt spent years building visibility in the Microsoft ecosystem, speaking at 30-40 events annually and earning Microsoft MVP status for 10 consecutive years. This established credibility made marketing their new product much easier. B2B founders should invest in ecosystem credibility early, as it becomes a powerful asset when launching new products.
Content consistency trumps perfection: Matt's approach to thought leadership wasn't about occasional brilliant pieces but consistent, valuable content creation over years. "If you really want to do it, you have to put a lot of effort in... and it's eventually only all about consistency," he shared. B2B founders should commit to regular, thoughtful content rather than sporadic attempts at viral marketing.
Design for future expansion: Rather than building a solution specific to Microsoft 365 governance, Rencore created a technology-agnostic platform that could easily integrate new data sources. "That choice to build something generic instead of something very specific proved to be an extremely good decision," Matt reflected. B2B founders should design core architecture with future expansion in mind, even when starting with a focused use case.
Maintain operational discipline through funding transitions: Despite raising venture capital, Matt maintained the operational discipline developed during bootstrapping. "We didn't change our attitude that much... we tried to stay realistic," he explained. This approach helped them weather economic downturns. B2B founders should preserve the operational rigor of bootstrapping even after securing venture funding.
 
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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

Derek Szeto, Co-Founder of Walnut Insurance: $7 Million Raised to Lead the Embedded Insurance Revolution

Walnut Insurance is pioneering embedded insurance solutions, making it easier for platforms and businesses to offer relevant insurance products at the right moment in the customer journey. With over $7 million in funding, Walnut has partnered with major brands like Neo Financial, Tim Hortons, and Atco to create seamless insurance experiences. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I spoke with Derek Szeto, Co-Founder of Walnut Insurance, about the company's journey from its inception within RBC to becoming a leading embedded insurance enabler, working behind the scenes to power insurance solutions that appear naturally within customer experiences.
Topics Discussed:
The three buckets of embedded insurance: fully embedded into products, data-driven implementations, and contextual offerings
How embedded insurance benefits all parties: customers get needed coverage, platforms enhance stickiness and revenue, and insurers receive better risk profiles
Walnut's origin story discovering insurance as an "unrecognized subscription" in consumer spending
Finding the right customer touchpoints for offering insurance products
Establishing Walnut as a technology-first enabler for partners wanting to offer insurance
The challenge of market education in an emerging category
The shift from life insurance to property and casualty products for better conversion rates
Creating one-click insurance journeys that drive strong conversion rates
 
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Start by recognizing untapped market patterns: Derek identified insurance as an "unrecognized subscription" in consumer spending data—a significant expense that didn't get the attention of typical subscriptions like Netflix or Spotify. B2B founders should look for similar overlooked patterns in consumer behavior that indicate market opportunities.
Focus on required rather than optional products: Walnut found significantly higher conversion when focusing on insurance products that are required in customer journeys (like tenant insurance when signing a lease) rather than optional ones. Derek explains, "Life insurance in its very end is a much harder product to embed because life insurance is always optional." B2B founders should prioritize solutions that address mandatory needs over discretionary ones.
Use data signals to drive contextual offerings: The strongest conversion happens when insurance is offered at moments of high relevance. Derek shares, "Thinking about geolocation and travel insurance—an airport is a very good signal, or better yet if you can get them while they're using the Wi-Fi on the plane, that's an even better signal that they might be traveling." B2B founders should identify and leverage precise contextual signals that indicate heightened receptivity to their solution.
Run fundraising like a sophisticated sales process: Derek learned that fundraising requires the same rigor as enterprise sales. "It became much more of a CRM-driven process, more pre-work. So trying to identify the most likely investors... Are they going to be interested in that category? Are they going to be interested in that geography? Are they writing checks of the size that are relevant to their fund?" B2B founders should approach fundraising with the same systematic process and qualification criteria used in sales.
Industry conferences drive disproportionate results: For B2B companies in established industries like finance and insurance, conferences remain highly effective for business development. "We've had a lot of success with conferences like the Money 2020s of the world where folks are all together in one place and we can meet with a lot of different clients, whether that's net new or to meet with existing partners." B2B founders should prioritize high-concentration industry events, especially in traditional sectors.
 
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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

Mark Zurada, Co-Founder of PinPoint Analytics: $4 Million Raised to Transform Public Works Bidding with AI

PinPoint Analytics is revolutionizing the public works construction industry with AI-powered bid intelligence. With over $4 million in funding, PinPoint is building what co-founder Mark Zurada describes as "the Zillow for public works." In this episode of Category Visionaries, I sat down with Mark to learn how PinPoint is bringing data-driven decision making to an industry where the "lowest price bid wins" mentality has traditionally forced contractors into a risky race to the bottom.
Topics Discussed:
The unique challenges of public works construction bidding, where lowest price wins but pricing information is non-standardized
How PinPoint collects and digitizes data from every public works project in the country over the past five years
The company's journey from 2.5 years of intense R&D to launching their first generally available product
PinPoint's ingenious marketing strategy that leverages real-time bid data to target prospects at exactly the right moment
The critical importance of finding specialized investors who understand the niche market
Why few tech founders have ventured into the construction space, and how PinPoint's technical expertise gives them an edge
 
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Target the stakeholders with the highest pain point: PinPoint serves three customer segments (municipalities, engineering firms, and general contractors) but focuses primarily on GCs because they have the most financial risk and greatest need for the solution. As Mark explained, "GCs are our primary target, and they're basically the most at risk. They need this the most."
When creating a new category, seek specialized investors: For companies building in niche markets, corporate venture capital from established industry players can be invaluable. Mark shared, "We really had to find a specialized VC... we ultimately landed a CVC, basically a huge construction conglomerate that felt the pain point. They're like, 'Oh my God, you guys can solve this. We've been trying to solve it forever.'"
Build proprietary data moats: What attracts investors to PinPoint isn't just AI but their unique data assets. "VCs are really gravitating towards us because of the data moat that we have and the IP moat... We are an AI company solving a real-world problem with a great moat around us."
Use your data to drive hyper-targeted sales outreach: PinPoint transforms the bid summaries they collect into actionable sales intelligence. "We know exactly who's bidding almost in real time... We're very focused on hitting our customers at the right time with the right message, with rich analysis on what they did, opening the doors to how our product could have helped them."
Approach complex technical challenges with the right expertise: Sometimes the reason a market remains underserved is that the technical barriers are substantial. "We're really like tech guys building construction software... We know how to do data and analytics and AI extremely well... We just knew how to approach it and surmount some of those early technical problems that would have been super hard if you were coming at it from the other side."
 
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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

Roy Daniel, CEO & Co-Founder of Definity: $4.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Data Pipeline Observability

Definity is pioneering a new approach to data pipeline observability and optimization specifically designed for the Lakehouse and Spark ecosystem. With $4.5 million in funding, this startup aims to transform how enterprises manage their data pipelines by providing real-time observability from within the pipelines themselves. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, I spoke with Roy Daniel, CEO and Co-Founder of Definity, about the company's journey from addressing his team's own data reliability challenges to creating a solution for enterprise teams managing mission-critical data pipelines at scale.
 
Topics Discussed:
Definity's full-stack data observability solution designed specifically for the Lakehouse and Spark ecosystem
How the product works inside data pipelines to provide real-time visibility on data quality, pipeline health, and performance
The founding story rooted in the team's experience with data pipeline reliability challenges
The gap in the market between application performance monitoring and data quality solutions
Definity's "inside-out" approach versus traditional "outside-in" data monitoring
How the company approaches marketing to enterprise customers while enabling engineers to experience the product
Fundraising during the challenging market conditions of late 2023
 
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Build solutions for problems you've experienced firsthand: Roy and his co-founders created Definity to solve challenges they faced in their own careers. "We started by building the solution we always wanted to have," Roy explains. This authentic connection to the problem space enabled them to develop a product that resonates with users facing similar challenges.
Position at the intersection of established categories: Definity identified that data engineering was about a decade behind software engineering in terms of observability tools. By taking elements from existing categories (data quality and application performance monitoring) but applying them with a completely new approach, they created a distinctive value proposition that stands out in a crowded market.
Focus on high-value use cases and segments first: Rather than taking a broad approach, Definity targets "the tip of the sphere" - enterprise teams working with high-scale, mission-critical data pipelines. Roy notes, "We cater to teams that work at very high scale in terms of their data operation... feeding into ML models, feature stores, regulatory reporting, customer reporting."
Deliver tangible value to cut through market noise: In a space filled with buzzwords, Definity focuses on demonstrating practical value. "To rise above it, you really need to deliver a unique approach," says Roy. The company launched a free assessment tool that helps teams evaluate the health and cost of their platforms, providing immediate value while showcasing their differentiated approach.
Find investors who deeply understand your problem space: Roy emphasized that securing funding during the challenging 2023 market required connecting with investors who understood "the pain points of the customer with second and third degree and not just at the surface level." The right investors could appreciate the nuanced innovation they were bringing to market.
 
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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
 
 
 

Brian Manning, CEO & Co-Founder of Xona Space: $40 Million Raised to Build the Next Generation of GPS Technology

Xona Space is revolutionizing global positioning technology with a new generation of GPS designed for today's devices and applications. With over $40 million in funding, Xona is developing a constellation of small satellites in low Earth orbit to provide higher precision, stronger signals, and enhanced security compared to traditional GPS systems. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I spoke with Brian Manning, CEO and Co-Founder of Xona Space, to learn how the company is addressing the limitations of current navigation technology and enabling the next wave of autonomous systems to operate safely in challenging environments.
Topics Discussed:
The evolution of navigation technology from celestial navigation to modern GPS
How traditional GPS architecture hasn't fundamentally changed in over 50 years
Xona's approach to building a complementary system with small satellites in low Earth orbit
The three key challenges Xona addresses: precision, power, and protection
Why autonomous vehicles and precision agriculture need more reliable positioning
The company's recent Air Force contract and their focus on both commercial and government applications
Their upcoming launch of the first production-class satellite in June
 
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Validate real-world problems with customer immersion: Brian emphasized getting out from behind your desk to talk directly with customers in their environments. "You can't start a company behind a computer screen... Get out and talk to the customers. It is so enlightening and there's so many things that you will learn that you just never thought of." Understanding how farmers, construction workers, and others actually use positioning technology in the field revealed needs that spreadsheets and assumptions couldn't capture.
Focus on specific markets when demand exceeds capacity: Rather than pursuing all potential use cases, Xona strategically narrowed their focus. "There are just so many use cases and so many potential applications that our pipeline of interest and demand is kind of so huge that we can't actually pursue all of it." By identifying core markets with early adoption potential, they've maintained a laser focus that maximizes their limited resources.
Make new technology compatible with existing infrastructure: Xona deliberately designed their system to work with existing GPS receivers. "We've designed our system to be compatible with most GPS receivers, even without making any hardware changes." This approach significantly reduces adoption barriers, as customers can access improved capabilities through software updates rather than hardware replacements.
Build incrementally toward a massive vision: When tackling something as ambitious as "building a new GPS," Xona broke it down into manageable steps. "We're going to do it one step at a time... You solve one problem and you solve the next. And if you solve enough of them, you're successful." This incremental approach helped them secure ongoing funding by demonstrating clear progress at each stage.
Articulate the broader impact beyond luxury applications: Rather than positioning their technology as enabling premium conveniences, Xona frames their vision around democratizing access to transformative capabilities. "I'm much more interested in how you get the autonomous ambulance to go drive through the snowstorm when a human can't... How do you take the benefits of precision agriculture... and bring those benefits into developing countries?" This approach appeals to both mission-driven investors and practical customers seeking broader global impact.
 
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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
 
 

Nathan Beckord, CEO of Foundersuite: $13 Million Raised to Build the Go-To Platform for Startup Fundraising

Foundersuite has established itself as the leading platform for startups raising capital, with $13 million in funding and a comprehensive suite of tools designed to streamline the fundraising process. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I sat down with Nathan Beckord, CEO of Foundersuite, to explore how his extensive background in investment banking and startup advisory evolved into building a specialized platform that's revolutionizing how founders approach fundraising. Nathan shares his journey from consultant to entrepreneur, and how Foundersuite has grown from a simple CRM into a robust platform serving startups from seed stage through Series B and beyond.
 
Topics Discussed:
The evolution from an investment banking career to founding a startup focused on fundraising tools
How Foundersuite narrowed its focus from a broad suite of founder tools to specialized fundraising solutions
The strategic decision to target the seed through Series B segment as their primary market
Building a sustainable marketing strategy through events, podcasting, and innovative guerrilla tactics
The launch of Funding Stack, a new platform designed for VCs and fundraising consultants
How AI is being integrated throughout the fundraising process to enhance efficiency and outcomes
 
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Start with your unique expertise: Nathan built Foundersuite based on his decade of fundraising experience, turning his specialized knowledge into product features. He explained, "I'm a one trick pony. The only thing I've done ever since college is raise capital for startups." B2B founders should leverage their deep industry expertise when defining their product category and value proposition.
Be willing to kill good products for great focus: Despite positive user feedback on several products in their initial suite, Foundersuite made the difficult decision to eliminate tools that weren't core to their primary value proposition. Nathan recalls, "It was hard to kill something that people did love... but they weren't really paying as much for that." B2B founders should continuously evaluate their product portfolio against market traction and be willing to make tough decisions for greater focus.
Define your "Goldilocks" customer segment: Foundersuite identified their ideal customer segment as seed through Series B companies—not too early (pre-seed) and not too mature (Series C+). Nathan explains, "Too early, you don't have any money, you can't pay us, you're not really fundable. Too late, you have a lot of other resources to help you raise capital." B2B founders should similarly identify where their product delivers maximum value and focus acquisition efforts accordingly.
Use content marketing as a learning opportunity: Foundersuite's "How I Raised It" podcast not only serves as a marketing channel but also provides valuable market intelligence. Nathan shared, "I thought I knew everything about raising capital. And here I am just drinking from a fire hose... I'm learning more than my first six months of doing a podcast than I have in the last five years of actually doing the work." B2B founders should view content marketing as both a growth channel and a customer research tool.
Implement annual marketing experiments: Foundersuite commits to trying one new marketing approach each year. Nathan explains, "One of the things I try and do every year... let's try a new, different marketing experiment." For 2025, they're implementing monthly webinars. B2B founders should similarly build experimentation into their marketing roadmap while maintaining their core channels.
 
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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