Category Visionaries

Luke Hansen, CEO and Founder of CompanyCam: $38 Million Raised to Build the Future of Visual Communication for Contractors

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Luke Hansen, CEO & Founder of CompanyCam, a visual communication platform for contractors that has raised $38 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Embracing Uniqueness: Luke's mustache is more than a quirky feature; it’s a branding strategy. He believes that being memorable is often more important than being slightly better, as it helps occupy a unique space in customers' minds.
Visual Communication for Contractors: CompanyCam simplifies the organization of job site photos by automatically sorting them using GPS, providing an Instagram-style feed that improves communication and project management for contractors.
Market Understanding: Initially self-funded through a family roofing business, Luke discusses the challenges of convincing investors about the significance of visual tools for contractors and the importance of having a real solution to a real problem.
Product-Driven Growth: Luke emphasizes the importance of having the best product that solves a real problem. This focus on quality has driven significant referral-based growth and user adoption.
Balancing Life and Business: Building a tech company in Nebraska offers unique advantages, such as lower costs and a balanced lifestyle, while also presenting challenges like limited access to SaaS industry expertise.
Future Vision: Luke envisions CompanyCam mediating the homeowner-contractor relationship, leveraging AI to enhance how contractors interact with their data, transforming it into actionable insights and efficient project management.
 
//
 
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

Shariq Siddiqui, Co-founder and CEO of Veeve: Over $10 Million Raised to Power the Future of Shopper Engagement

In today’s episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Shariq Siddiqui, Co-founder and CEO of Veeve, a shopper engagement platform that's raised over $10 Million in funding.
Topics discussed:
Shariq’s humble background in Pakistan, getting a full scholarship to study in the US, and creating his first app so he could stay in the US
The valuable skill Shariq learned during his time as a server in an NYC restaurant
Why Satya Nadella is a CEO Shariq admires
What pushed Shariq to create a smart shopping cart, and the details of how the cart works to make life easier for both shopper and shop-owner 
Creating an ecosystem for his product and getting big companies to give it a chance

Barbra Gago, CEO and Founder of Pando: $7 Million Raised to Build the Future of Career Advancement

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Barbra Gago, CEO and Founder of Pando, an employee career progression platform that's raised $7 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Barbra’s background in B2B tech entrepreneurship, and getting into the space at a very early stage
The challenges of transitioning from a marketing leadership role to assuming full control of a company as a lone founder
Pando’s value proposition, and why it's time for a transition towards a new kind of career-progression system
How Pando created a new category and successfully positioned themselves in an emerging marketplace
The importance of market research and customer feedback in successfully finding space for a new category

Funding the Future: Dan Rosen, Founder and GP at Commerce Ventures

In today's episode of Category Visionaries we speak with Dan Rosen, Founder and GP at Commerce Ventures, an early-stage venture firm. 
Topics Discussed:
Dan’s background in venture capital and market changes in the sector since the 2000s
Successful startups Dan has invested in and his criteria for choosing which companies to put money into
Current venture capital activity in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area
The three most important traits that successful startup founders have in common
Innovations, market challenges and outlook for the venture capital landscape

Alex Zekoff, CEO and Co-Founder of Thoughtful AI: $21 Million Raised to Power the Future of Healthcare Automation

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Alex Zekoff, CEO and Co-Founder of Thoughtful AI, an AI-powered healthcare automation platform that's raised $21 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Alex’s background, including his time working in Mitsubishi in Japan and deploying software robots
Why Alex shifted from consulting to founding a startup, and the reasons why Alex’s father is the founder he most admires
What “a meaningful and fulfilling life” means for Alex, and the importance his wife has in his self-development journey
How Thoughtful uses the power of AI to help mid-market healthcare providers get paid faster
The impact and value of executive coaching
 
Favorite book:
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

Mike Long, CEO and Founder of Kosli: $3.5 Million Raised to Deliver Secure Software Changes at Scale and Deploy to Production with Speed

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Mike Long, CEO and Founder of Kosli, a devops tool that has raised $3.5 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Mike’s background in tech, including his time making robots for the oil and gas industry
 A CEO Mike admires, and why Mike’s favorite book is a hard read – but worth it
Why regulated devops companies have difficulty keeping the records needed for legal accountability, and how Kosli helps them do that easily
Kosli’s branding strategy, and why good salesmanship means offering solutions to real problems people have
Building communities, lessons from fundraising, and what advice Mike would give to his younger self
 
Favorite book:
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Rishi Nayyar, CEO and Co-Founder of PocketHealth: $22.5 Million Raised to Power the Future of Medical Image Sharing

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Rishi Nayyar, CEO and Co-Founder of PocketHealth, a medical image-sharing platform that’s raised $22.5 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Rishi’s background in investment banking, and what it’s like being partners with his brother in PocketHealth
Why Rishi admires Mark Zuckerberg as a founder
How Rishi’s brother hurting his ankle set both brothers on the path to creating PocketHealth
What is the advantage of being an industry outsider
Lessons Rishi learned from fundraising, and why he thinks startup founders should focus on the little wins instead of looking far ahead
Favorite book: 
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Harpreet Singh, Co-Founder and CEO of Launchable: Over $12 Million Raised to Build the Future of Software Testing

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from the tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Harpreet Singh, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Launchable, a software testing platform that has raised over $12 Million in funding. Launchable is at the forefront of revolutionizing software testing by significantly reducing testing times through predictive test selection, leveraging machine learning to enhance development efficiency.
 
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Harpreet's Transition from Big Companies to Startups: After spending a decade at Sun Microsystems, Harpreet discovered his preference for the dynamic startup environment, leading to roles at CloudBees and Atlassian before launching his venture, highlighting the journey from an engineer to an entrepreneur.
Admiration for People-focused Leadership: Harpreet respects founders who prioritize building a great culture and listening to their team. He aims to replicate these values at Launchable, demonstrating the impact of leadership style on company culture and growth.
The Co-CEO Model's Success: Drawing inspiration from Atlassian, Harpreet and his co-founder adopted the Co-CEO model, finding it beneficial for making balanced decisions and dividing responsibilities based on strengths, which has contributed significantly to Launchable's strategic development.
Innovative Solution to a Common Problem: Launchable addresses the inefficiency in software testing by introducing predictive test selection. This solution, which reduces testing times by up to 80%, showcases the company's commitment to enhancing the software development lifecycle.
Strategic Early Customer Engagement: Securing BMW as an early customer through a product advisor program was pivotal. It not only validated Launchable's market fit but also demonstrated the potential for startups to engage with large enterprises effectively.
Vision for the Future and Category Creation: Harpreet shares his vision for Launchable's future, focusing on expanding the scope of their solution to encompass broader issues in the bug and issue triaging space. This ambition illustrates the company's goal to define a new subcategory within software testing, emphasizing test failure intelligence and management.

David Etue, CEO of Nisos: $33 Million Raised to Build the Future of Managed Intelligence

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from the tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with David Etue, CEO of Nisos, a managed intelligence platform that has raised $33 Million in funding. Nisos operates at the intersection of cybersecurity and intelligence services, focusing on providing actionable insights to corporate security, cybersecurity, and trust and safety teams.
 
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Nisos's Unique Positioning: As a managed intelligence company, Nisos distinguishes itself by converting data into actionable intelligence, addressing the gap in a market saturated with data but lacking in actionable insights.
The Importance of Focus: Reflecting on Nisos's journey, David emphasizes the critical nature of focus in startup success, advocating for a more concentrated approach to product and market strategy from the outset.
Vision for the Future: David outlines ambitious plans for Nisos, including scaling the company, expanding internationally, forging strategic partnerships, and potentially exploring acquisitions to broaden their service offerings.

Dane Baker, CEO and Co-Founder of EcoCart: $17.5 Million Raised to Power the Future of Sustainable Commerce

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Dane Baker, CEO and Co-Founder of EcoCart, a sustainable commerce platform that's raised $17.5 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Dane’s background as a founder of companies that try to make the world a better place in some way
The reasons why Dane admires Sir Richard Branson
Why it’s complicated for businesses to operate sustainably, and how EcoCart is simplifying those processes and helping brands tell their sustainability stories to their clients
Category creation as educating potential partners on important issues
Mindset building, and what Dane has learned from ultra running
 
Favorite book: 
Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity