Category Visionaries

Sam Fonoimoana, Founder & CEO of Datajoin: $3.5 Million Raised to Help Brands Leverage Customer Behavioral Insights

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Sam Fonoimoana, CEO of Datajoin, a personalization platform that’s raised $3.5 Million in funding, about why data-driven personalization is the future of marketing, and how Datajoin is positioning itself to be a driver and deliverer of that change. By integrating Salesforce pipeline and deal data back into marketing systems like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics or Google Ads, Datajoin provides a closed-loop, 360-degree view of a company’s sales and marketing success, and insight into how they can move forward more effectively in the future.
We also speak about what it’s like to be a startup founder from the USA’s most remote state, how Sam came to a career in tech to begin with, the power of personalized marketing to save money and develop strategy for Datajoin’s clients, and why leadership is more about influence than purely your position in a company.
Topics Discussed:
Being a native Hawai’ian and what that means for Sam as he grows and raises a family while representing his culture
What years in data analytics and in finance taught Sam about the solutions needed for modern, digital-native businesses
The power of personalized marketing to deliver improved customer experience and save money on a marketing spend
How a partnership with Adobe helped Datajoin break through the industry background noise
Why Sam believes Datajoin has carved out their own unique niche in a crowded market sector
Why a real partnership with clients means more than providing standardized services, and how Datajoin works to make sure every relationship is as beneficial to all sides as possible.
 
Favorite book: 
The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential

Lukas Gentele, CEO of Loft Labs: $5 Million Raised to Build the Virtual Kubernetes Category

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Lukas Gentele, CEO of Loft Labs, a kubernetes management platform that’s raised over $5 Million in funding, about why the way we develop software on the most popular platform out there needs a revamp, and exactly how Loft Labs can promise some truly attention-grabbing ROI by streamlining everything about the kubernetes cluster environment. By spinning up and tearing down developer environments in mere minutes, instead of the hours that most of us have become used to over the years, Loft Labs are creating a unique sub-category in the saturated software development space.
We also spoke about Lukas’ career as he transitioned from the service sector to the startup economy, how cloud-native development environments enabled entirely new business models, why Loft Labs believe Kubernetes’ functionality needed to be overhauled, and how their high-speed, sensitive and highly flexible environments promise attention grabbing savings that will ultimately pay for themselves.
Topics Discussed:
Transitioning from the service sector to the tech startup economy, and what Lukas learned along the way
How Kubernetes emerged as the development environment of choice, but why it can still be clunky in practice
How Loft Labs’ Kubernetes management platform reduces spin up and tear-down down from hours to mere minutes, delivering massive savings to their clients
Why cost-saving companies like Loft Labs actually benefit from an economic downturn
Why ease of use and instant integration is one of the most crucial components of Loft Labs’ success
Why Lukas considers himself the chief enablement officer as CEO of Loft Labs, and why what excites him most is watching his team grow

Suresh Mathew, Founder and CEO of Sedai: $18 Million Raised to Automate Cloud Management for Critical Decisions

In this episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Suresh Mathew, the Founder and CEO of Sedai, an autonomous cloud management platform that's raised over $18 Million in funding, about why automated microservices can make major impacts on almost any enterprise deploying them. Suresh shares his background and how he left his job at eBay, PayPal to start Sedai in 2019, before the pandemic. Suresh also shares his belief that starting a company during the pandemic was actually a blessing in disguise, and what he learned during that challenging time. 
Suresh talks about the origin story of Sedai, why it's always better to focus on the problem statement instead of the cool solution, the success Sedai has achieved in the autonomous cloud management market category, and what the next few years might look like. 
Topics Discussed:
Suresh's career, from major industry names to the fresh new startup space
Automation across the industry, from self-driving cars to microservice management
How founding a company during the COVID pandemic turned out to be a blessing in disguise
Why Suresh believes it's always better to focus on a strong problem statement, rather than a shiny solution
The future of automation as it transforms from an industry buzzword into a new norm
 
Favorite book: 
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

Jeong-Suh Choi, CEO Bobidi: Nearly $6 Million raised to Deliver Better, More Inclusive AI Solutions for Developers

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Jeong-Suh Choi, CEO of Bobidi, an AI training platform that’s raised nearly $6 Million in funding, about why inclusive AI needs to be developed together, and how Bobidi’s global network is making it happen. By field-testing AI programs with the audiences they’re intended to serve, Bobidi is helping make the machine learning of tomorrow more effective, efficient, and sensitive.
We also speak about what Choi learned from years at Facebook and eBay, what it was like moving to the US in a time of economic turbulence, the outline of AI in the future and the choices we need to make about it, and Choi’s automated meal service nonprofit, Meal Forward.
Topics Discussed:
Choi’s career with some of the biggest names in tech, and what lessons he brought forward to his own startup journey
How he felt moving to the US in 2009, on the tail end of his financial crisis
The past, present and future of AI as a concept, and increasingly a reality in our daily lives
The shortcomings in cultural sensitivity still plaguing some AI systems, and how Bobidi hopes their global network of contributors can address them
How ‘bug bounties’ can help improve AI software for all of us
Choi’s automated meal service nonprofit MealForward, and how the pandemic connected Choi with the charity sector
 
Favorite book: 
Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success

Chetan Venkatesh, CEO of Macrometa: $38 Million raised to Build the Hyper Distributed Cloud for the Next Generation of Applications

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Chetan Venkatesh, CEO of Macrometa, a developer tool which has raised $38 Million in funding, about why the next generation of global connectivity is going to be so much more than just a ‘better cloud,’ and how Macrometa’s disaggregated network is able to process data faster, better, and more securely. Through the Global Data Network platform, their solution can return data based services in a fraction of a second, giving clients a critical advantage over the competition.
We also speak about Macrometa’s organic development of a category-creating solution, the current weaknesses in our global cloud development system they hope to address, why more data brings more potential but also more exposure to potential risk, and why Chetan still believes that for a tech startup, nothing still beats the Bay Area.
Topics Discussed:
Macrometa’s astonishing speed, delivering data-based services in the blink of an eye
Current weaknesses and limitations of the existing ‘cloud based’ global network
Why the pressure on data infrastructure is only set to increase as every more people go online to work, shop and socialize
Why whatever the haters say, Chetan still sees more potential in the Bay Area than any other startup space
How Macrometa organically developed their category-creating solution, and why Chetan believes most life-disrupting innovations are completely unexpected
Why Chetan is excited for Macrometa’s growth in the years to come, and hopes demand for their solution stays high
 
Favorite book: 
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance

Curtis VanWalleghem, CEO of Hydrostor: $322 Million Raised to Build the Future of Energy Storage

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Curtis VanWalleghem, CEO of Hydrostor, an energy storage tech company that’s raised $322 Million in funding, about why storage is an essential part of the stability needed to support a rapid green transformation, and how Hydrostor’s innovative ‘air, rock and water batteries’ fit in. Cheaper and more resilient than other energy storage solutions, Hydrostor have demonstrated the value of their technology at ever larger scales, and look set to establish a leading market position in a global movement to better energy.
We also speak about how hard it can be to start your own business, how Curtis kept moving forward through tough times, the challenge of bringing a long-term vision to market during uncertain times, how we need to rethink our relationship with energy, and why, ultimately, Curtis sees hope in tomorrow’s energy transformation.
Topics Discussed:
Curtis’ road to CEO of Hydrostor, and the challenges of betting everything on starting your own business
The innovative technology and the heart of Hydrostor’s energy storage solution
Why a long term vision can be a challenging prospect to bring to a marketplace focused on short term returns
Why investing in truly game-changing technologies can be a real leap of faith to envision a different world
The future of the global green energy transition, and why every solution helps
The true scale of what it means to restructure our entire energy system in just a fraction of the time it took to build
 
Favorite book: 
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment

Nicholas Rudder, Co-Founder & CEO of Sphere: $5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Corporate Learning

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Nicholas Rudder, Co-founder and CEO of Sphere, a corporate education platform that’s raised $5 Million in funding, about why a better approach to career-advancement might be just around the corner, and what it is about Sphere’s comprehensive training and review services that make them ideally suited to provide it. By charting a participant’s progress through the interactive training sessions and into the post-education workplace to monitor critical ROI, Sphere is putting power back into the hands of people to take control of their learning experience.
We also speak about Nicholas’ move to San Francisco from his home country of Australia, what it meant to find himself in the tech startup Mecca, why the corporate education space has been so stagnant for so long, and why Sphere’s unique offering helps provide skills and guidance long after the classes come to an end.
 
Topics Discussed:
The current state of the Australian startup economy, and why Nicholas sees great potential in its future
Why Nicholas felt his formal business education was missing something critical, and how this led him to the idea for Sphere
Why the upskilling economy is in need of innovation, and why Sphere is the right player to provide it
Sphere’s unique system to chart education ROI from beginning to end, giving people more power over the skills which might shape their future
Why interactive education sessions are the ideal environment for most learners, and how Sphere makes it happen
The PLG strategy which Sphere has used to gain a foothold in the market, and why a good customer experience can be its own dividend

Alexa Berube, Co-Founder of Reposite: $13.5 Million Raised to Redefine the Way You Plan Group Travel and Events

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Alexa Berube, Co-founder of Reposite, a travel tech startup that’s raised $13.5 Million in funding, about why a seamless workplace/marketplace solution for group booking of events is long overdue. The days of long email chains and arduous phone calls are a thing of the past with Reposite’s comprehensive approach to connecting clients with the vendors and operators who make their events happen.
We also speak about how Alexa never planned to find herself in sales, how starting off in the events space gave her the inspiration for Reposite, why the group bookings realm of events planning is still way behind the times, and how Reposite established a sales flywheel that keeps their marketing mostly inbound.
  Topics Discussed:
Alexa’s career trajectory, and how it led her to take the plunge into founding her own startup
The personal experience Alexa had coordinating and how it gave rise to the idea of Reposite
Why, when compared to the consumer market, B2B events management is still far behind in terms of technology
What it was like launching a travel-adjacent startup in the middle of a global pandemic
How Reposite have managed to secure an enviable sales flywheel which keeps their outbound marketing budget minimal
Why Alexa believes that Reposite has no real competition in their market space
 
Favorite book: 
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

Lighting the Paper Belt On Fire: a Discussion on the Failure of Traditional Institutions with 1517 Fund’s Michael Patrick Gibson

On today’s episode of Category Visionaries podcast, we speak with Michael Patrick Gibson, co-founder and General Partner of 1517 Fund. In the interview, we cover a wide range of topics, including the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the failure of paper-based institutions, and the future of science and technology in solving society's biggest challenges.
Key topics discussed:
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank 
The current state of banking policy and potential moral hazards created by government bailouts
The failure of paper-based institutions, including the "paper belt" on the East Coast, and the need for experts to authenticate and validate their value
Peter Thiel's management style and the importance of hiring people who can defend strange ideas in a room full of disagreement
The outstanding problems that science and technology can solve, such as energy creation and water scarcity
1517 Fund's investment philosophy, which prioritizes technical know-how and entrepreneurial skills over traditional degrees
The importance of emotional intelligence and commitment as motivators for success, over fame and fortune
Plans to develop talent through summer programs and apprenticeships, getting teenagers exposed to frontier technology
How to pitch ideas to 1517 Fund if you fit their thesis of not having a college degree
Additional Resources: 
https://twitter.com/William_Blake 
Paper Belt on Fire: How Renegade Investors Sparked a Revolt Against the University 

Josh Snowhorn, CEO of Quantum Loophole: $200 Million Raised to Build the Backbone Infrastructure of a World Built on Data

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Josh Snowhorn, CEO of Quantum Loophole, a data center developer that’s raised over $200 Million in funding, about why laying the groundwork for building the critical data infrastructure driving our data economy puts them in a category without competition, and with great potential for growth into the future. Making sure the land, power, water, and other accouterments for building a data center are all in place ahead of time, Quantum Loophole gets things up and running at a scale and speed unrivaled in the industry. 
We also speak about Josh’s 24 years in the technology sector, moving between a string of early tech companies and eventually landing in the data center development space, how a lucky choice to start remotely helped Quantum Loophole be better prepared for the coming covid pandemic, the transformation of the tech sector by learning-through-doing, and what it’s like to be in a market category without any competition.
 
Topics Discussed:
Josh’s quarter century in the tech sector, what he’s learned and how trial by fire became his established strategy
How founding a remote firm pre-pandemic helped prepare Quantum Loophole for a turbulent future
Why the data center groundwork model finds such traction with their clients, and how Josh and his team developed the expertise to make it work
What big data companies need to get their infrastructure up and running, and how a streamlined process means real added value
What it’s like for Quantum Loophole to exist in a marketplace with no competition
Why Josh and his team want nothing to do with the coin mining industry, and why they prefer to stick to industries without such dramatic price fluctuations