Category Visionaries

Funding the Future: Kyle Harisson, General Partner at Contrary

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Kyle Harisson, General Partner at Contrary, an innovation-centered VC firm backing founders from seed to scale.
Topics Discussed:
Kyle’s career journey, from an entrepreneur in the creator marketplace economy to transitioning into the venture capital space
How Contrary identifies the inspirational founders of tomorrow, and what they look for in emerging innovation
Supplementing traditional approaches to venture capital with multidisciplinary research to really understand each company’s journey
How contrary articulates their values, and why marketing and brand identity are more important to VC firms than ever before
Kyle’s advice for founders confronting a challenging VC environment, and why funders need to stop being ‘afraid of their own shadow’
 
Favorite book: 
Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger, Expanded Third Edition

Rob Sadow, CEO and Co-Founder of Scoop: $8 Million Raised to Power the Future of Hybrid Work

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 Rob Sadow, CEO & Co-Founder at Scoop, a hybrid team coordination solution that has raised $8 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Transition from Consulting to Founding: Rob discussed the stark differences between working at a large company like Bain and starting Scoop, highlighting the lack of infrastructure and the need to build everything from scratch as a founder.
Angel Investing Approach: Rob shared his philosophy on angel investing, emphasizing the importance of supporting founders he trusts and focuses more on the people behind the businesses than the industries themselves.
Navigating Professional and Personal Boundaries: Working with his brother, Rob detailed how they manage professional challenges without letting them affect their personal relationship, including clear role delineation and decision-making processes.
Impact of COVID-19: Rob described the pivot from a carpooling solution to hybrid team coordination during the pandemic, sharing insights on the challenges and strategic decisions made during this critical period.
Category Creation and Influence: Rob explained Scoop's role in the emerging category of hybrid team coordination, detailing their interactions with analysts and how they helped shape market perceptions.
Content and Flex Index Strategy: Rob elaborated on the success of the Flex Index, a comprehensive repository of office requirements, and its role in driving media coverage and establishing Scoop's authority in the hybrid work space.
 
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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

David Siegel, CEO of Glide: Over $20 Million Raised to Power the Future of No-Code Application Development

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with David Siegel, CEO of Glide, an AI-powered no-code app development platform that’s raised over $20 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
David’s background, growing up fascinated with computers, and eventually pursuing a career in computer science
What it was like working at the early days of Microsoft, when the global tech behemoth felt more like a startup
Why Glide's focus is on providing developer tools and services, not just functioning as another ‘no-code app builder.’
How ease of access and speedy setup are the secrets of glide success, and what it means to go from spreadsheet to app in mere minutes
Choosing to work in one of the tech economy’s most challenging spaces, and why David is proud of the progress made
 
Favorite book: 
The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World

Sarah Nagy, CEO of Seek AI: $7.5 Million Raised to Modernize Business Analytics with Generative AI-Powered Database Queries

In today's episode of Category Visionaries we speak with Sarah Nagy, CEO of Seek AI, a company that has raised $7.5 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Sarah’s manifold interests as a kid, her talent for math and her studies in Economics, Astrophysics and Finance
How Seek AI is working on increasing companies’ ROI on their data stacks
What Sarah learned from fundraising
Making brand messaging clearer for users and prospects, and how Chat GPT impacted that
Market positioning and prospects for Seek AI
 
Favorite book: 
The Art of War

Ishita Arora, CEO and Founder Dayslice: $6 Million Raised to Help Services Businesses Build Modern Digital Storefronts

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Ishita Arora, CEO and Founder Dayslice, a no-code storefront for services businesses that's raised $6 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Ishita’s education background in mathematics, but why she opted to join Dropbox instead of pursuing a PhD
The benefits of Bay Area networking, but why you don’t have to be in silicon valley to build powerful connections
Why service-centered businesses have specific needs in scheduling, marketing, and customer management insights
The real-world pain points that prompted Ishita to launch DaySlice, from firms working with google sheets right up to 2020
Comparing yourself with competitors, and how DaySlice’s bold statement strategy helps them build consumer confidence
 
Favorite book: 
Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge

Peter Briffett, CEO and Co-Founder of Wagestream: $370 Million Raised to Provide Financial Wellbeing for Every Frontline Employee

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Peter Briffett, CEO and Co-Founder of Wagestream, a financial well-being platform that's raised $370 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Peter’s background in business, joining the early days of the dot-com era and scaling multiple high growth companies
The importance of persistence and self-belief in pushing through the inevitable challenges that come with entrepreneurship
Why Wagestream opted to partner with enterprise-scale businesses to provide financial services integrated within existing management systems
Wagestream’s 3 main missions, and why they matter for the next generation of workers
How Wagestream’s services help solve the issue of costly payday loans and overdraft fees while providing better financial independence
 
Favorite book: 
Crossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers (Collins Business Essentials)

Yevgeny Pats, CEO and Founder of CloudQuery: $18.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Data Integration

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Yevgeny Pats, CEO and Founder of CloudQuery, which has raised $18.5 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Yevgeny’s background in cybersecurity intelligence and his misguided debut as an startup founder 
What kind of person inspires Yevgenny as an entrepreneur and the real but limited inspiration he had from books 
How the idea for CloudQuery originated and developed and how Yevgeny got his first paying customer
What you must do to make your startup rise above the noise of competition 
Limitations that Yevgeny sees in giving advice to others, and what advice he would give to himself
Favorite book: 
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

Gaurav Oberoi, CEO and Co-Founder of Lexion: $35 Million Raised to Build the Future of Contract Management

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Gaurav Oberoi, CEO and Co-Founder of Lexion, a company that has raised $35 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Gaurav’s background in computer sciences and engineering
Why contract management is usually a chaotic area
The main tools Lexion provides to simplify contract management
How Gaurav first had the idea of helping people who are bogged-down with contracts
The reasons behind Lexion’s success, and Gaurav’s vision for the near future
Favorite book:
Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (3rd Edition) (Voices That Matter)

Sammy Singh, CEO and Co-Founder of WurkNow: $15 Million Raised to Power the Future of Staffing

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Sammy Singh, CEO and Co-Founder of WurkNow, a digital staffing platform that's raised $15 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Sammy’s ethnic, geographical and educational background 
How WurkNow gives power to hourly workers, helps staffing agencies recruit, match and place individuals, and makes it easier for those agencies to follow compliance
Sammy’s experiences being an angel investor
What Blockchain has to do with Sammy’s work
Why Sammy prefers to learn from everyone rather than have one major inspirational figure
Favorite book:
The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime

Paul Monasterio, CEO and Co-Founder of Kalepa: $16 Million Raised to Power the Future of Insurance Underwriting

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Paul Monasterio, CEO and Co-Founder of Kalepa, an insurance underwriting platform that's raised $16 Million in funding.
Topics Discussed:
Paul’s background growing up in Venezuela, coming to the US for college, being a nuclear physicist and working in big data analytics
How Kalepa's AI-powered Copilot software enables underwriters to focus their time on the highest ROI opportunities and to quickly evaluate and optimally select risk
Why one of this Paul’s two favorite books is a Norwegian novel
The size of the commercial insurance industry in the world and what percentage of that is using Copilot
Why Paul recommends getting a co-founder when founding a startup
 
Favorite book: 
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies