Category Visionaries

Sean McCarthy, Co-Founder & CEO of BackOps AI: $8 Million Raised to Automate Supply Chain Operations with AI

BackOps AI is transforming supply chain operations by automating the human-intensive processes that plague logistics companies daily. With $8 million in funding, the company has developed AI-powered solutions that autonomously resolve supply chain issues like damaged shipments, delivery problems, and vendor inquiries. In this episode of Category Visionaries, we sat down with Sean McCarthy, Co-Founder and CEO of BackOps AI, to explore how his experience at Amazon led to building an AI platform that handles 80% of supply chain problems without human intervention.
Topics Discussed:
BackOps AI's mission to remove human capital from supply chain issue resolution
The evolution from Amazon shipping experience to founding an AI automation company
Building and launching the Relay product for autonomous problem resolution
Targeting 3PLs and industrial companies with high-volume, repetitive supply chain issues
The changing sentiment around AI adoption in supply chain operations
Strategic vision to become the central system of record for supply chain operations
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Target problems that scale with volume: Sean discovered that whether customers were nine-figure Amazon sellers or shipping 50 packages daily, they all faced identical supply chain problems. This universality across different company sizes and tech stacks validated the market opportunity. B2B founders should look for problems that persist regardless of customer sophistication or existing technology investments, as these represent fundamental market gaps rather than feature requests.
Build prototypes that fail 50% of the time and still get customers: BackOps secured their first paying customer within 30-45 days despite having prototypes that "50% of the time just didn't work." Sean credits this to showing tangible ROI potential even with imperfect technology. B2B founders should focus on demonstrating clear value proposition over perfect execution in early stages - prospects can envision the full potential if the core value is evident.
Position against human labor, not just competitors: BackOps rarely competes against other software solutions. Instead, they compete against hiring additional warehouse staff or outsourced development agencies. Sean explains customers evaluate them against "maybe they were planning on opening a new warehouse and adding two or three headcount." B2B founders should identify whether their primary competition is human labor or alternative solutions, as this fundamentally changes positioning and pricing strategies.
Leverage domain expertise for customer development: Sean's Amazon background provided immediate credibility and a network of potential customers in 3PLs and fulfillment. His firsthand warehouse experience allowed him to articulate problems with authority. B2B founders should systematically leverage their professional background not just for product insights, but as a channel for early customer development and validation.
Avoid generic AI positioning in favor of specific use cases: Sean emphasizes the challenge of selling AI products that "can kind of do anything" versus traditional software with clear functions. BackOps focuses on showcasing specific problems they've solved for similar businesses rather than generic "agentic workflow" messaging. B2B founders in AI should lead with concrete use cases and customer outcomes rather than technical capabilities or broad AI potential.
Plan the system of record roadmap from day one: While BackOps launched with Relay, Sean has a clear vision to become the central nervous system that eliminates the need for "18 different systems." He positions this as their path to avoid commoditization and create defensible value. B2B founders should design their initial product as the foundation for a broader platform that consolidates multiple point solutions in their target market.
 
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Sponsors:
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Brittany Christenson, CEO of AidKit: Over $8M Raised to Transform Government Aid Distribution Through Technology

 
AidKit is revolutionizing how emergency aid and government benefits reach people in need. Having distributed over $350 million to more than 500,000 individuals and small businesses, the company is addressing critical inefficiencies in government aid systems during a time of unprecedented policy upheaval. In this episode of Category Visionaries, CEO Brittany Christenson shares how AidKit is building technology that delivers aid with dignity while navigating a rapidly changing political landscape that includes the dismantling of USAID, proposed cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, and plans to shift disaster relief responsibilities from FEMA to state and local governments.
Topics Discussed:
AidKit's origin story as founders built the platform to solve their own emergency aid distribution challenges during the pandemic
The current political climate's impact on government aid programs and how it's creating both challenges and opportunities
How outdated procurement processes and billable-hour consulting models create systemic inefficiencies in government aid systems
The false trade-off between fraud prevention and accessibility in aid distribution
Using AI and big data to simultaneously improve fraud detection while making aid more accessible
Building technology that reduces administrative burden for both caseworkers and aid recipients
AidKit's partner-first approach to business development and customer relationships
The company's unique alignment between revenue objectives and social impact metrics
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Build from your own pain point and expand organically: AidKit's founders created the platform to solve their own emergency aid distribution challenges during the pandemic. When neighboring states asked to use their system, they recognized the broader market opportunity. B2B founders should pay attention when their internal solutions generate external interest—this organic demand often signals strong product-market fit and can provide a natural path to scale.
Challenge industry pricing models that misalign incentives: Brittany identified that the prevalent billable-hours consulting model in government aid creates perverse incentives that discourage efficiency and innovation. AidKit deliberately structured their pricing to reward successful outcomes rather than time spent. B2B founders should examine whether traditional industry pricing models align with customer success and consider alternative structures that better incentivize the outcomes customers actually want.
Leverage disruption as a growth catalyst: Despite the challenges posed by massive government aid cuts and policy changes, Brittany views the disruption as creating opportunities to build better infrastructure. She notes that "there is never massive disruption without opportunity." B2B founders should develop frameworks for identifying and capitalizing on market disruptions rather than just defending against them.
Use technology to eliminate false trade-offs: AidKit demonstrates how AI and modern data sources can simultaneously improve fraud prevention while making aid more accessible—previously seen as competing priorities. Brittany explains that "in 2025 with AI, those trade-offs don't exist." B2B founders should look for areas where technology can resolve longstanding industry tensions and create solutions that deliver multiple benefits previously thought to be mutually exclusive.
Align business metrics with customer success: AidKit's revenue model directly correlates with the amount of aid distributed and number of people served. This creates perfect alignment between business growth and social impact. B2B founders should structure their business models so that their success metrics directly align with customer success metrics, creating sustainable growth that benefits all stakeholders.
Focus on procurement reform for government sales: Brittany emphasizes that procurement reform is essential for getting better technology into government systems. She notes the need to make procurement "more navigable for better tech solutions" instead of relying on "custom built monolithic systems that are incredibly expensive to maintain." B2B founders selling to government should engage with procurement reform conversations and position their solutions as alternatives to traditional, expensive custom builds.
 
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Sponsors:
Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership.
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www.GlobalTalent.co
 
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Simon Jagers, Founder of Samotics: $80 Million Raised to Build the Data Fabric of Smart Factories Through Sensorless Industrial Monitoring

Samotics is pioneering a revolutionary approach to industrial asset monitoring, delivering condition, performance, and energy efficiency insights for hard-to-reach industrial equipment without requiring sensors to be installed on the machines themselves. Founded by Simon Jagers, the company has developed Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA) technology that monitors over 10,000 machines by analyzing electrical data captured remotely, enabling companies to prevent unplanned downtime and save 10-20% energy without compromising performance. In this episode of Category Visionaries, Simon shares the fascinating journey from a failed AI-first approach to discovering breakthrough technology that's now being integrated with ABB drive systems to create the data fabric for smart factories of the future.
Topics Discussed:
The evolution from data-driven AI approach to hardware-enabled sensorless monitoring
How railway switch monitoring led to the breakthrough discovery of remote electrical signature analysis
Samotics' strategy of targeting hard-to-reach assets in extreme industrial environments
The challenge of creating the "sensorless condition monitoring" category in a vibration-dominated market
Building a service-heavy go-to-market model in an AI-first technology company
Partnership strategy with ABB to integrate ESA technology into drive systems
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Target the "either us or nothing" market segments: Simon's breakthrough came from identifying industrial assets operating in extreme conditions where traditional monitoring was impossible or impractical. ArcelorMittal's conveyor moving steel plates across a 1500°C blast furnace exemplified this perfectly - they had two choices: Samotics' unproven technology or no monitoring at all. B2B founders should actively seek market segments where incumbent solutions physically cannot compete, creating natural "blue ocean" opportunities.
Focus on unique positioning rather than universal applicability: Initially, Samotics tried to monitor every type of machine possible, believing their AI could handle any scenario. Simon learned to focus specifically on the 25% of rotating equipment that operates in extreme or hard-to-reach conditions where their remote sensing advantage was undeniable and easy to communicate. B2B founders should resist the temptation to be everything to everyone and instead dominate the specific use cases where their solution provides clear, defensible advantages.
Embrace service components even in technology-first companies: Despite starting as an AI company with inclinations to automate everything, Samotics discovered that the human service element - having mechanical and electrical experts bridge AI findings with customer needs - became one of their most appreciated product components. They now deliver hardware, AI, and dashboards as a service with regular customer calls and visits. B2B founders should test whether adding high-touch service elements enhances rather than detracts from their technology value proposition.
Build category credibility through scale and proof points: Simon emphasizes that category creation requires time, credible data, and real-world examples at scale. With over 10,000 machines monitored, Samotics can now make credible claims about accuracy and effectiveness. The category definition evolved from internal team alignment to external market education. B2B founders attempting category creation must first achieve meaningful scale and documented success before expecting market adoption of their category framework.
Use enemy-based positioning strategically in early stages: Samotics initially positioned aggressively against traditional vibration-based monitoring, using humor and edge to grab attention from early adopters who appreciated the contrarian approach. However, Simon notes this was effective primarily for reaching experienced early adopters who understood the technology's limitations but were drawn to unique solutions. B2B founders should consider enemy-based positioning as a tactical tool for early adoption rather than a long-term brand strategy.
 
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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
 
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Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire
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Rick Bentley, Founder of Cloudastructure: $57 Million Raised to Build the Future of AI Video Surveillance

Cloudastructure has raised over $57 million to transform video surveillance from a passive recording tool into an active crime prevention platform. What started as a solution born from a laptop theft in a South of Market office has evolved into an AI-powered service that protects multifamily properties across the country. In this episode of Category Visionaries, we spoke with Rick Bentley, founder of Cloudastructure, about his unconventional path to building a category-defining company—from working at the legendary General Magic to self-funding his startup by working as a contractor in Baghdad.
Topics Discussed:
How a laptop theft incident revealed the fundamental flaws in traditional video surveillance systems
The breakthrough moment when Google open-sourced TensorFlow in 2015 and its impact on computer vision
Cloudastructure's pivot from broad security applications to finding product-market fit in multifamily properties
The company's unique crowdfunding success, raising $35 million from 13,000 individual investors
Building a hybrid AI-human monitoring system with guards operating from India
The technical evolution from basic object detection to holistic, cross-camera intelligence using LLM-like systems
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Timing technology waves requires patience and resourcefulness: Rick spent over a decade keeping his cloud video vision alive before the infrastructure caught up. He recognized that Moore's Law would eventually make broadband faster than video files would grow larger, solving the technical constraints. He funded the company through consulting work, including a dangerous stint in Baghdad, demonstrating that sometimes founders need to get creative about survival during technology transition periods. B2B founders should identify self-resolving technical limitations and prepare to bridge the gap through alternative revenue streams.
Vertical expertise beats broad horizontal approaches: Cloudastructure's breakthrough came when they hired Whitney, a VP of sales with deep multifamily industry relationships. She brought not just contacts but intimate knowledge of purchasing processes, budgets, and pain points specific to property management companies. Rick noted, "She knew what their budgets were, what their approval processes were, what their pain points were." B2B founders should prioritize hiring salespeople with vertical domain expertise over generalist sales talent when targeting specific industries.
Product-market fit emerges from pain intensity, not market size: The multifamily space proved ideal not because of its size, but because of the acute pain property managers experience. Rick explained the stark difference: "The next morning you could have a dozen people in your leasing office because their cars got broken into last night" versus "an email that says these guys showed up, we did a talk down, they ran away." B2B founders should prioritize markets where their solution prevents catastrophic scenarios over those with mild inconveniences, even if the latter appears larger.
Crowdfunding can validate B2B concepts when VCs miss the opportunity: After traditional VCs dismissed Cloudastructure as too late to market, Rick raised $35 million through crowdfunding with 13,000 individual investors. This approach not only provided capital but validated market demand from a broader audience. The success came from clearly articulating the value proposition to non-technical investors who could understand the basic premise of preventing crime versus just recording it. B2B founders facing VC skepticism should consider alternative funding sources that might better appreciate their value proposition.
Build the full stack when integration creates competitive advantage: Cloudastructure didn't just provide software—they built the entire monitoring infrastructure, including training guards, developing custom interfaces, and managing the complete service delivery. Rick emphasized, "You can't just hop on Fiverr or whatever and say, I need someone to do this. You need to build the tools for them." This vertical integration created defensible value that pure software solutions couldn't match. B2B founders should consider owning more of the value chain when seamless integration significantly improves customer outcomes.
 
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Sponsors:
Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership.
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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
 
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Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire
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Zach Scheel, CEO of Rhumbix: $46 Million Raised to Transform Construction Workforce Management

 
Rhumbix is pioneering the field workforce management category in construction, transforming how contractors capture real-time data from job sites. With $46 million in funding raised, the company has evolved from a wearables IoT startup to becoming a leading mobile-first SaaS platform serving mid-market and enterprise construction companies. In this episode of Category Visionaries, we sat down with Zach Scheel, CEO and Co-Founder of Rhumbix, to explore the company's journey from Stanford dorms to creating an entirely new software category for the construction industry's underserved field workforce.
Topics Discussed:
Rhumbix's pivot from wearables IoT technology to mobile workforce management software
The challenge of digitizing paper-based processes in a traditionally analog industry
Building founder-market fit in construction tech through authentic industry experience
Navigating the 2022 funding freeze and achieving profitability through strategic cost-cutting
Creating the "field workforce management" category and educating the market
The evolution from founder-led sales to scalable go-to-market operations
Strategic decision to move upmarket for higher ASP and better unit economics
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Let the market dictate product-market fit, not your vision: Zach emphasized that "the founder doesn't get to dictate product market fit. The market dictates product market fit." After conducting 100+ customer discovery calls, Rhumbix pivoted from their original wearables IoT concept when customers consistently said they'd pay immediately for digital time cards instead. B2B founders must listen to market signals over their initial product vision and be willing to pivot when customers clearly articulate a different, more urgent need.
Find intrinsic motivations in early customers: Rhumbix secured their first customers by identifying intrinsic motivations beyond the product itself. One customer was a tech-savvy IT director excited about digitizing workflows, while another was a fellow veteran who wanted to support Zach's veteran-founded company. B2B founders should look beyond product fit and identify personal or professional motivations that drive early adopters to take risks on unproven solutions.
Be intentional about market segment alignment: Zach's most important go-to-market decision was pivoting upmarket to focus on customers willing to spend $5K-$10K rather than trying to serve everyone. Small customers were "a drag on professional services and customer success" compared to larger ones. This strategic focus led to higher NPS scores, more evangelistic customers, and increased referrals. B2B founders must align their product development, pricing, and go-to-market strategy around a specific market segment rather than pursuing a "sell to anyone" approach.
Leverage founder-market fit for category creation: In construction, an industry skeptical of technology vendors without domain expertise, Zach's authentic background as a Navy veteran who managed construction projects was crucial for credibility. His "workers first" positioning wasn't just marketing—it influenced product decisions and resonated with industry buyers who could spot inauthentic positioning immediately. B2B founders entering traditional industries should leverage authentic domain expertise as a competitive advantage in both sales and product development.
Embrace pivots as smart business strategy, not failure: Initially viewing pivots negatively, Zach learned that "almost all successful companies have pivoted" and that experienced entrepreneurs use pivots strategically to find product-market fit. When they updated investors about moving away from hardware to pure SaaS, the response was overwhelmingly positive due to better unit economics and reduced complexity. B2B founders should reframe pivots as intelligent responses to market feedback rather than admissions of failure.
 
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Sponsors:
Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership.
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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
 
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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.
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Troy Helming, Founder & CEO of EarthGrid: $63 Million Raised to Build Underground Super Grids with Plasma Torch Technology

Troy Helming is building the future of infrastructure with EarthGrid, a company developing an underground super grid network of tunnels across North America using revolutionary plasma torch technology. As a serial entrepreneur who founded two unicorns in the renewable energy space, Troy brings decades of experience in wind and solar power to solving one of the most critical infrastructure challenges of our time. EarthGrid has raised $63 million and secured an $18 billion joint venture commitment from the Kuwait Investment Authority to build 10,000 miles of underground tunnels over the next decade.
Topics Discussed:
EarthGrid's mission to build an underground super grid network using plasma torch excavation technology
The massive infrastructure challenge of transmission line development in the United States
Troy's journey from early solar exposure 45 years ago to founding multiple renewable energy companies
The regulatory breakthrough of becoming a telecommunications utility in 46 states
Overcoming the "supply problem, not demand problem" with over 20,000 potential customers in their pipeline
The $18 billion joint venture with Kuwait Investment Authority's Enertech subsidiary
Plasma torch technology's ability to cut through hard granite and other materials conventional machines cannot handle
The vision for moving freight and eventually people through underground tunnel networks
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Choose industries with structural supply-demand imbalances: Troy has successfully built three consecutive companies where demand far exceeds supply, eliminating the need for traditional sales teams. He specifically targets infrastructure sectors where "the need is so acute and there aren't that many companies doing it, and the ones that are, the demand exceeds the supply." B2B founders should research industries with massive unmet demand and limited competition, particularly in infrastructure where the barriers to entry are high but the market need is desperate.
Solve regulatory risks early through strategic positioning: Rather than fighting regulatory battles, Troy transformed EarthGrid into a regulated telecommunications utility, gaining rights to build under public roads in 46 states representing 97% of US GDP. This strategic move eliminated the primary risk factor that kills most infrastructure projects. B2B founders should identify their biggest regulatory or compliance risks early and find creative ways to work within existing frameworks rather than against them.
Build resilience through failure conditioning: Troy's experience with rock climbing and American Ninja Warrior taught him to "overcome the fear of people looking at you when you might fail" and to "shake it off, get back up and go again." After pitching over 2,000 times with a 97% rejection rate, he learned to treat fundraising as a numbers game rather than personal rejection. B2B founders should actively seek experiences that condition them for repeated failure, whether through athletics, public speaking, or other challenging pursuits that build mental resilience.
Validate demand before building supply: EarthGrid already has "close to 20,000 potential customer contacts" and over 50 signed letters of intent before fully commercializing their technology. Troy validates market demand through extensive research and customer outreach before investing in full product development. B2B founders should spend significant time understanding their market's pain points and securing early customer commitments before building complex solutions.
Leverage personal capital for strategic advantage: Troy's ability to "wait to start your company until you have enough money in the bank" prevents short-term financial pressures from forcing poor strategic decisions. His personal investment in EarthGrid (part of the $63 million raised) demonstrates commitment to investors while providing operational flexibility. B2B founders should consider how personal financial runway affects their ability to make optimal long-term decisions rather than being forced into suboptimal short-term choices.
 
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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
 
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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.
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Max Elster, CEO & Founder of Minoa: $2.7 Million Raised to Build the Go-to-Market Value Intelligence Platform

Minoa is pioneering the value intelligence category, helping B2B companies transform how they sell by connecting product capabilities to customer outcomes. With $2.7 million in funding, the platform enables go-to-market teams to build personalized business cases at scale and move beyond feature-selling to value-based selling. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I sat down with Max Elster, CEO and Founder of Minoa, to explore his journey from product manager at CSP Co to building a platform that bridges the disconnect between product development and go-to-market execution.
Topics Discussed:
Minoa's evolution from solving internal product-to-GTM communication challenges
The emergence of value engineers as a new role in B2B organizations
Building and co-creating the "value-based selling tools" category on G2
Leveraging customer advisory boards for evangelism and network growth
The shift toward AI-powered personalization in B2B sales processes
Mid-funnel optimization strategies for reducing deal drop-off rates
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Co-create categories with platforms early: Max successfully worked with G2 to establish the "value-based selling tools" category within six months by building genuine relationships with researchers and sharing market insights consistently. He explains, "I connected with different researchers... and just shared my thoughts. I didn't have actually any idea that they could be launching this category in the near future." B2B founders should proactively engage with category-defining platforms like G2 and Gartner by sharing authentic market observations rather than pushing for category creation.
Optimize for AI-powered buyer research: Max discovered that prospects increasingly use ChatGPT and Perplexity to build vendor shortlists, and these tools reference G2 as a primary source. He notes, "If you are not there, if you're not existing in your category, it's going to be hard for ChatGPT to shortlist you." B2B founders should ensure their presence in authoritative databases and directories that AI tools commonly reference, as this represents a new channel for buyer discovery.
Build strategic advisory networks with equity + recognition: Max created a "Star Path Collective" of advisors incentivized with equity shares and bottles of wine for successful referrals. His approach is refreshingly simple: "Just say, hey, we're trying to build this market... are you interested?" This generates warm introductions and ongoing strategic guidance. B2B founders should systematically identify potential advisors who are already bought into their vision and offer meaningful but not overcomplicated incentive structures.
Focus on mid-funnel conversion, not just top-funnel generation: Max emphasizes that many companies obsess over lead generation while ignoring massive drop-offs in the middle stages. He explains, "You can solve everything around pipeline, but if you don't get your mid funnel right... you're also going to lose." B2B founders should analyze their CRM data to identify specific drop-off points and create targeted collateral and processes to address these conversion bottlenecks rather than simply generating more leads.
Leverage customers as category evangelists: Max's most successful content and growth strategies center on customer stories and insights. He advises, "The customers are the best people to tell a story about what they have achieved with your product." Rather than creating generic thought leadership, B2B founders should systematically capture and amplify customer transformation stories, which serve dual purposes of social proof and category education.
Maintain founder-led sales longer with AI augmentation: Max continues doing founder-led sales while building scalable processes, noting that AI tools enable small teams to maintain high personalization at scale. He believes this approach is more sustainable than rushing to hire sales teams. B2B founders should consider extending their founder-led sales phase by leveraging AI and automation tools rather than defaulting to rapid sales team expansion.
 
 
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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
 
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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.
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Carmen Li, CEO of Silicon Data: $5M+ Building the World's First GPU Compute Risk Management Platform

Carmen Li spent decades in financial services across trading floors and data companies before spotting a massive inefficiency in the AI/compute economy. After managing global data partnerships at Bloomberg, she witnessed AI startups struggling with unpredictable compute costs that could swing their margins from healthy profits to devastating losses overnight. Drawing parallels to how airlines hedge oil prices through futures markets, Carmen realized that compute—despite being one of the fastest-growing commodities—lacked basic risk management tools. Within months of leaving Bloomberg, she built Silicon Data into the world's first GPU compute risk management platform, raising $5.7M without ever creating a pitch deck and publishing the industry's first GPU compute index on Bloomberg Terminal.
Topics Discussed:
The systemic problem of compute cost volatility destroying AI company margins
Why compute lacks the risk management tools available in every other commodity market
Building the world's first GPU compute index and benchmarking service
Raising venture capital without pitch decks through product-first demonstrations
Operating as a solo non-technical founder leading a team of engineers
The unique buyer dynamics when selling to CTOs, portfolio managers, and AI researchers simultaneously
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Price on value, not cost, and let customer conversations reshape your understanding: Carmen admits that every client conversation changes her valuation of the product's impact, typically making it bigger than initially thought. She prices based on the value delivered rather than cost structure. B2B founders should remain flexible in their value proposition and pricing as they learn more about customer impact through direct engagement.
Product demonstrations beat pitch decks for technical buyers: Carmen raised $5.7M without ever creating a pitch deck, instead letting prospects interact directly with her product and writing a simple memo. For technical products solving complex problems, demonstrating actual capabilities often proves more effective than polished presentations. B2B founders should prioritize building working products over perfecting sales materials.
Embrace being the "dumbest person in the room" for learning velocity: Carmen describes consistently being the least technical person in rooms full of CTOs, AI researchers, and GPU experts, but leverages this as a learning advantage. She asks hard questions and co-creates products on the fly based on these conversations. B2B founders should view knowledge gaps as opportunities for rapid learning rather than weaknesses to hide.
Target systemic problems that span multiple sophisticated buyer types: Silicon Data serves everyone from chip designers to hedge funds to AI companies, requiring Carmen to handle technical GPU questions, financial modeling queries, and AI workflow concerns in single meetings. This breadth creates natural expansion opportunities and defensibility. B2B founders should look for problems that affect multiple stakeholder types within their target market.
Leverage unique background intersections to spot obvious-but-overlooked opportunities: Carmen's combination of financial services expertise and data company experience let her quickly identify that compute needed the same risk management tools available in every other commodity market. The solution was "extremely intuitive" to her but invisible to others. B2B founders should examine how their unique background combinations reveal opportunities others might miss.
 
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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
 
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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.
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Sudarshan Bhatija, Co-Founder & COO of Spot AI: $93 Million Raised to Build Video AI Agents for the Physical World

Spot AI is pioneering the transformation from traditional video surveillance to intelligent video AI agents that can monitor, analyze, and respond to events in the physical world. With $93 million in funding, the company has evolved from providing simple camera management to building AI security guards and operational agents that can process hundreds of video feeds simultaneously, take autonomous actions, and augment human workers in manufacturing, retail, and security roles. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I sat down with Sudarshan Bhatija, Co-Founder and COO of Spot AI, to explore the company's journey from video surveillance to video AI agents and their vision for physical AI.
Topics Discussed:
Spot AI's evolution from video surveillance to video intelligence to video AI agents
The shift from IT-focused security tools to operations-wide business applications
How AI agents can monitor hundreds of camera feeds and take autonomous actions
The role of customer feedback in driving product development and market expansion
Marketing philosophy focused on authenticity and customer outcomes
Building high-performing marketing teams based on capability over experience
The future of physical AI and AI agents with "eyes, hands, and legs"
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Capture existing demand and redirect to your category: Spot AI initially targeted customers searching for "video surveillance" but converted them by demonstrating superior value in video intelligence and operational insights. Sudarshan explained that customers "are still married to the old category and starts looking for that, but the subset of customers that wants more" responds to messaging around deeper insights and operational outcomes. B2B founders should identify customers searching for legacy solutions who are actually underserved by existing categories and ready for innovation.
Let customer demand pull you upmarket and into new use cases: Rather than forcing expansion, Spot AI allowed existing customers to drive their evolution into higher-value AI agent applications. Sudarshan noted, "customers proactively pulling us into higher value use cases, pulling us up market, and basically the demand has already been created and we've been responding to that." B2B founders should build strong customer listening mechanisms and let proven demand from existing customers guide product development and market expansion.
Build an early organic acquisition engine around category transition: Spot AI captured significant early growth by ranking for legacy category searches while converting visitors with next-generation messaging. They "built an organic strategy on Google to be able to acquire a lot of these leads" searching for video surveillance but presented solutions for video intelligence. B2B founders in evolving categories should dominate SEO for legacy terms while using landing pages and demos to educate prospects about superior alternatives.
Hire marketing talent based on "can do" over "has done": Sudarshan emphasized that marketing success comes from "the ability to learn really fast and are deeply, you know, take strong ownership of their outcomes" rather than just experience. He found that "people who have the right bent of mind, the marketing bent of mind, but just have really high horsepower" outperform resume-based hires. B2B founders should prioritize intellectual curiosity, ownership mentality, and learning velocity when building marketing teams.
Develop authentic, customer-centric marketing that speaks human-to-human: Spot AI's marketing philosophy centers on "focusing all our efforts on high value customer outcomes" and "authenticity" rather than "manicured" corporate messaging. Sudarshan noted that even in B2B, "you're selling to a business, but you're actually selling to a person." B2B founders should embrace authentic, conversational marketing that addresses real customer problems rather than polished but generic corporate communications.
 
 
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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
 
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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 

Andre Fernandez, CEO of Invert: $26 Million Raised to Build the Future of Nature-Base Carbon Credits

Climate change isn't just an environmental issue—it's a market opportunity waiting to be captured. Invert, a carbon reduction and removal company, has raised $26 million to transform how companies think about nature-based investments. Starting from a villa in Antigua during COVID lockdowns, co-founder and CEO Andre Fernandez has built a business that's helping companies put nature on their balance sheets as an accretive investment. In this episode, Andre shares the tactical decisions that took Invert from a cottage conversation between friends to a cash-flow positive business serving some of the largest buyers in the carbon credit space.
Topics Discussed:
Transitioning from mining focus to broader industry verticals based on market readiness
Building customer-centric product development in a complex, non-fungible market
Navigating the shift from Carbon Markets 1.0 to premium Carbon Markets 2.0
Balancing direct B2B sales with broker/trader distribution channels
Leveraging network effects and domain expertise for customer acquisition
Managing long sales cycles in annual purchasing environments
Educating buyers in a market where 75% lack dedicated due diligence teams
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
Start with network advantages, then expand strategically: Andre's team began in mining because they had a strong network of mining engineers from Queen's University, one of only two Canadian schools with mining engineering programs. However, they quickly discovered mining was 2-4 years behind other industries in decarbonization readiness. The lesson: leverage your network for initial traction, but don't let it constrain your market expansion. Use early success to identify industries that need your solution today, not in 2-4 years.
Build customers into your business from day one: Invert's most important GTM decision was starting with customer input before building anything. Andre emphasized: "We don't build things that we want. We build our customers into our business. Whenever we're developing something new, we ask them for feedback. Sometimes we lock up the contract before we've actually developed the project or the product." This approach reduces market risk and ensures product-market fit from the outset.
Navigate complex markets with education-first marketing: In markets where 75% of companies lack dedicated teams for due diligence, marketing must serve dual functions: education and simplification. Andre noted that carbon credits aren't fungible—buyers care about jurisdiction, social impact, biodiversity protection, and other project-specific attributes. Founders in complex B2B markets should design marketing to educate while simultaneously streamlining the buying process for overwhelmed buyers.
Pivot distribution strategy based on market liquidity: Initially focused purely on direct B2B relationships, Invert learned that in markets with lower liquidity, partnering with brokers and traders accelerates growth. Andre explained: "Carbon credits is a 12-month at least buying cycle because it's annual, so it takes a lot of time. If you have a network of people who already have those relationships in place and they have buyers who are ready to buy, they can introduce you as a credible counterparty." When your sales cycles are long, leverage existing relationships rather than building everything from scratch.
Differentiate through execution, not just messaging: As the carbon credit market matured, Andre observed that "everybody's talking about quality or high integrity. No longer is high integrity or quality just the differentiator." Invert's competitive advantage shifted to actual execution—developing projects, investing balance sheet capital, achieving cash flow positivity, and demonstrating results with large buyers. In maturing markets, operational excellence becomes the key differentiator when messaging parity emerges.
 
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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
 
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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