Category Visionaries

Agapitos Diakogiannis, CEO of Seafair: $6.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Maritime Recruitment

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Agapitos Diakogiannis, CEO of Seafair, a maritime recruitment platform that’s raised over $6.5million in funding, about why hiring the right staff in the maritime industry is one of the world’s most significant recruitment challenges, and how mistakes in this largely unseen network can have very real consequences for supply lines, energy, and pretty much everything else. With Seafair, Agapitos is on a mission to bring maritime recruitment into the 21st century, building a labor marketplace which helps harmonize the hiring process for companies operating across multiple jurisdictions, identify and vet key characteristics of potential employees , and give them an integrated platform for managing paperwork, wages, and everything else they need to know in this often fragmented industry.
We also spoke about the challenges of launching a potentially disruptive company in a historically conservative industry, and how striking a balance between a reputation for innovation with the reliability of an established market presence is a critical narrative challenge for Seafair, and one which they are still fine-tuning in their branding strategy. At the end of the day, it all comes down to being able to solve people’s problems, and that’s where Seafair’s true strength lies, word-of-mouth recommendations which can be difficult for mainstream marketing strategies to reach.
Topics Discussed:
How a long career in the shipping-tech industry gave Agapitos critical market insight and helped identify an ideal niche for recruitment innovation
Why the maritime industry is a particular challenge in terms of recruitment, and why the ideal staff can be difficult to identify in a global labor pool
How a fragmented regulatory, cultural and economic landscape means that integration and harmonization are key for recruitment support solutions
How putting clients first will always help ensure a sustainable business model in the long run, and how Seafair has achieved their critical velocity
Why support for seafarers is just as important as their employers when looking to build a truly sustainable business
Balancing a disruptive reputation with a pragmatic approach to problem-solving, and how a unique combination of these divergent messages help Seafair get their message across
 
Favorite book: 
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Tom “TJ” Jermoluk, CEO of Beyond Identity: $200 Million Raised to Build the Future of Multi-Factor Authentication

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with TJ Jermoluk, CEO of Beyond Identity, a passwordless authentication platform that’s raised over $200 Million in funding, about why it’s time to address the fundamental flaw in the way we’ve all been running our security. We all know that sharing passwords is a no-no, but it’s built into the alphanumeric system on which our traditional security systems have been based for decades. By combining identity management and security infrastructure, Beyond Identity are carving out a new market category, and successfully bringing investors and clients along for the ride.
We also spoke about TJ’s legacy in Silicon Valley and the companies which helped to make him a legend there, why it’s such a uniquely great place for starting a startup, and how it’s changed over the decades. Leading the way in a new market space means confronting a whole host of unique challenges, foremost among which is educating your market about exactly why what you’re offering is something they need, and how it's going to change their whole world.
Topics Discussed:
TJ’s time in Silicon Valley, and why a unique combination of innovation and investment means its still a uniquely special place to do business
Why most existing security solutions are just a ‘band aid on a gaping wound,’ and how Beyond Identity is taking a totally different approach
How seamless, password-free authentication can save a business time and money in the medium-long term
How the .com crash changed the silicon valley ecosystem, and why some of the strongest companies emerged on the other side
Why selling a unique vision to your customers might mean selling what seems impossible, and making it worth their money to support
How Beyond Identity carved out a new market category by combining identity and security as twin priorities
 
Favorite book: 
The Soul of A New Machine

Ramiro Berrelleza, CEO of Okteto: $18 Million Raised to Build the Future of Cloud Development

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Ramiro Berrelleza, CEO of Okteto, a software development microservices platform that’s raised over $18 Million in funding, about how inefficiencies in software development cycles can undermine long-term business success, and why Okteto saw this challenge as an opportunity to carve out a new market category. By providing cloud-integrated development support services for engineering teams, helping them coordinate, collaborate and innovate remotely, Okteto helps make sure that their clients don’t fall behind the competition when it comes to the rate at which they can deploy their critical software solutions.
We also spoke about why Ramiro prefers to focus on teams, and doesn’t quite buy into the myth of the charismatic leader, the challenges of creating a new market category and the benefits of leading market once you’ve done so, and why storytelling is a critical skill for any founder, even those working in a tech-orientated market space. By driving a sense of urgency.
Topics Discussed:
A lifetime in tech, how computer games led Ramiro to cloud-integrated software solutions
Leaving Mexico to pursue a career in big tech and what ‘becoming Californian’ means for a Mexican migrant
How Okteto identified DevOps inefficiency as a critical challenge for contemporary businesses
Why Ramiro believes the key to strong businesses lies in building great teams, rather than relying on an individual founder
Why storytelling has become a mission critical skill for Ramiro, and all founders seeking to create a new market category
The challenge of carving a new space in a crowded market, but why the benefits of leading an industry are ultimately a worthwhile payoff
 
Favorite book: 
The Design Of Everyday Things

Rodney Reisdorf, CEO of Verivend: $3 Million Raised Transform Private Capital Transactions

Rodney Reisdorf, CEO of Verivend, a payments platform operating exclusively in the private capital space, about why this most finance-orientated sector has been left behind by the fintech revolution, and how Verivend is set to disrupt the way transactions take place. By providing a seamless, streamlined platform for moving venture capital and private equity money around, emulating the success of personal payment platforms in transforming how most of us interact with our finances on a daily basis.
We also spoke about the challenges of being a founder and how you can’t always trust the theory, why Verivend asked its funders to invest directly through the platform they were supporting, and why Rodney’s biggest biggest decision might have been pivoting away from his original idea to pursue a more problem-based approach to growing a business. Creating a brand new business category around their private capital-focused platform, Rodney also explains why a comparative description might be the best way to communicate an idea with new potential customers.
Topics Discussed:
Why being a business founder means confronting the limitations of theory and the messy challenges of real life
How Verivend was able to onboard investors as early adopters of their payments platform, to the benefit of both parties
Why flexibility and willingness to adapt are vital for founders looking to build something sustainable
The history of the ‘wire’ transfer, and why so little has changed in this centuries-old financial service
Why a ‘this of that’ description can be useful for businesses driving disruptive change, giving customers a reference to understand who you are
How keeping laser-focused on customer problems will guarantee that they keep coming back for more, and that your business will continue on a solid growth trajectory
 
Favorite book: 
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

Josh Shaul, CEO of Allure Security: $6 Million Raised to Help Businesses Win the Battle Against Online Scammers

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Josh Shaul, CEO of Allure Security, about his lifelong obsession with cybersecurity, taking technology apart, and fighting the oldest scam on the internet, identity fraud. With a proactive approach to brand protection, Allure Security scours the internet for identity fraudsters impersonating established brands, working with browsers and other industry partners to shut them down or overloading them with unusable data, rendering their business model essentially unviable. From building relationships with major social media players to protecting individual accounts from scammers, more sophisticated brand protection is a cornerstone of contemporary business, and while total immunity is all but impossible, Allure Security can promise a dramatic reduction in its impact.
 
Topics Discussed:
How cybersecurity was a natural progression for Josh Shaul since he was a child in the 90s
How cybersecurity has evolved and grown more sophisticated over time, but why identity scams are still a major threat
Why cybersecurity is an ongoing ‘chess match’ against scammers, and how to target their profits as a major pain point
Brand Protection as a key category in the cybersecurity space, and why it deserves more recognition
Why punitive action against scammers may not always be advisable, safe jurisdictions and retaliatory attacks
The false promise of total protection, and why giving clients realistic expectations is a better relationship strategy
Favorite book: 
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Jorge Penalva, CEO of Lang AI: $40 Million+ Raised to Build the Customer Experience Operations Category

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 Jorge Penalva, Co-Founder & CEO of Lang AI, a language understanding platform that's raised $40 Million+ in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Customer Experience Transformation: Lang AI focuses on helping CX organizations manage and analyze massive amounts of customer data to transform CX from a cost center to a revenue driver.
AI for Business People: Lang AI aims to democratize AI by making it accessible and operational for business users, not just engineers.
Category Building Challenges: Jorge admires founders like Manny Medina of Outreach for their ability to build new categories and create strong teams around their vision.
Data-Driven Insights: Lang AI helps companies like Ramp, Freshly, and Stitch Fix to process and operationalize customer data in real-time, providing actionable insights and improving customer success.
Market Positioning: Lang AI positions itself as a data platform for unstructured data, aligning closely with the growing role of CX operations in organizations.
Scaling and Traction: With significant traction in fintech and e-commerce sectors, Lang AI has developed strong partnerships with platforms like Zendesk and Salesforce, driving their growth.

Parry Bedi, CEO of Tingono: $7 Million Raised to Help Companies Boost Net Revenue Retention

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Parry Bedi, CEO of Tingono, a revenue retention platform that's raised almost $7 Million in funding, about why most companies miss out on the real value of their data, and how stitching together inputs to form a cohesive whole can provide critical decision-making insights for a modern business. Terming this approach ‘Machine-Learning driven revenue growth,’ Tingono has carved a space for itself in the SaaS ecosystem, working closely with clients to develop genuinely value-adding software solutions.
We also spoke about why Parry has such a pattern for entrepreneurship, how working with data is now much more important than just producing it, building ‘design partner’ relationships with potential customers, and why constructing the ideal team can be both the biggest challenge in business, and also one of its most rewarding aspects in the long run.
Topics Discussed:
Why Parry’s passion for entrepreneurship leads him to keep founding new enterprises
How a history of working with great people positions Parry ideally for launching an innovative startup
The challenge most businesses face when dealing with customer data, and how Tingono can help them out
The role of machine learning in getting a good view of customers
Why Tingono’s goal is not only producing a great product, but also really adding value to their customers’ businesses
Why integrating ‘design partnerships’ into your development process can help pre-empt critical challenges later on
Why being surrounded by the right team can be a rewarding experience in business
 
Favorite book: 
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't

Paul Kim, CEO of Notifi: $12 Million raised to Build the Future of Web3 Communication Infrastructure

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Paul Kim, CEO of Notifi, a Web3 communication infrastructure platform that's raised over $12 Million in funding. 
Topics Discussed:
From multinational enterprise to energetic startups, how experience working with the big boys gave Paul valuable lessons for his own company
Why customer obsession is still absolutely critical, even in a technology-focused market
How Notifi field tested software solutions with hacker communities first, before engaging with major market players
Why web3 mass adoption is inevitable, and what businesses need to do to get involved
The current missing link in the web3 system, and how Notifi plans to plug the gap
Why Paul elected to sacrifice short-term adoption from crypto-purists to focus on the major market space of mass adoption

Jordan Gal, CEO of Rally: $6 Million Raised to Build the Future of eCommerce Checkout

 
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 Jordan Gal, CEO & Co-Founder of Rally, a checkout payment platform that's raised $6 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
Innovative Checkout Solutions: Rally offers an alternative checkout solution for e-commerce merchants, challenging the standard platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce.
Experience with Competitors: Jordan discusses the impact of competitors like Fast and Bolt on the market and Rally’s strategy to navigate this noisy space.
Post-Purchase Offers: A key feature of Rally is post-purchase offers, enabling merchants to increase revenue without risking the initial sale.
Transition from Bootstrapping to VC: Jordan shares insights on his journey from bootstrapping his previous company to raising venture capital for Rally.
New Market Categories: Rally aims to redefine e-commerce checkout with a focus on headless commerce, offering greater flexibility and customization.
Future Vision: Jordan envisions Rally integrating crypto tokens to provide true ownership to merchants and shoppers, fostering a more engaged network.
 

Chris Strahl, CEO of Knapsack: $7 Million Raised to Build the Future of Design Systems

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Chris Strahl, CEO of Knapsack, a design systems platform that has raised more than 7 million in funding, about his addiction to the more agile side of the business world, and why smaller companies are the way he likes to operate. With Knapsack, he's determined to reset the relationship between business and design, providing an integrated platform for collaboration and coordination which ensures the highest level of efficiency and consistency in the digital design process. The design systems platform category is all about providing the framework to support a whole range of design solutions, whether they come from engineers, designers, or the mind of a visionary CEO, and see them transform into high-quality content.
 
Chris also spoke about the current state of the venture capital market and being a 'wartime CEO, ' the challenges non-digital native companies have in facing an increasing consumer demand for online experiences, and why building a new market category is such an exhilarating but challenging experience. Whether or not Knapsack will emulate the success of design platforms like Canva remains to be seen, but Chris can see a path ahead in that direction, and he's determined to make it. 
 Topics Discussed:
The mundane challenges of modern design, and why most designers end up making the same product several times over
Why collaboration between engineers and designers is a key challenge for building a more efficient design process
The current state of the startup marketplace, and why a good ROI pitch is essential to make any headway with potential investors
How Knapsack is defining a new market category, why it matters and what makes it such a challenging experience
Why Chris isn't done with conversations about defining 'design systems platform' yet, and how the future of the category is still flexible
The shortfalls of some leading design platforms, and why Chris believes Knapsack can do it better
 
Favorite book: 
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers