Episodes

  • #362 – How Sharat Potharaju built a 50,000-customer business by saying "no" to endless opportunities

    #362 – How Sharat Potharaju built a 50,000-customer business by saying "no" to endless opportunities
    May 21 2025
    This podcast interview focuses on the entrepreneurial journey to discovering powerful strategic frameworks through trial and error. My guest is Sharat Potharaju, CEO of Unicode. Sharat is a serial entrepreneur with 15 years of experience. He navigated through a decade of ventures that didn't scale before founding Uniqode in 2019. His company has since grown to serve over 50,000 businesses worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies, by creating innovative technology that connects physical and digital worlds through mobile experiences. What makes Sharat's story remarkable is his methodical approach to business building, where he combines weekly deep strategic thinking with rapid experimentation frameworks, always maintaining that impact—both for employees and customers—is what drives his entrepreneurial energy. And this inspired me, and hence I invited Sharat to my podcast. We explore how an entrepreneur's decade of failures can become the foundation for remarkable success. Sharat challenges conventional wisdom by dedicating specific time each week for deep thinking about long-term strategy while handling day-to-day operations. He reveals why being selective about advice is crucial for maintaining entrepreneurial confidence, and how balancing luck with persistence creates the conditions for breakthrough success. His approach makes products dead-simple for users while sticking to strict testing methods to know what works. Here is a quote that captures one of Sharat's most striking business lessons: "It's important to love your product, but it's even more important to be obsessed about the problem that you're trying to solve. Because if you're not obsessed about the problem, eventually you'll just fall in love with your product and lose your focus on vision." By listening to this podcast you will learn: Why entrepreneurial success typically takes a decade, not overnight, and how to mentally prepare for this reality How to implement a "Wednesday deep thinking" practice that balances long-term vision with short-term execution The secret to filtering advice from well-meaning investors, mentors, and colleagues without losing your entrepreneurial confidence How to create frameworks for experimentation that prevent chaos while maximizing learning For more information about the guest from this week: Guest: Sharat Potharaju Website: uniqode.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • #361 - Imran Syed, CEO of Hatchproof on building companies through deep problem understanding, not solutions

    #361 - Imran Syed, CEO of Hatchproof on building companies through deep problem understanding, not solutions
    May 14 2025
    This podcast interview focuses on the entrepreneurial journey of finding purpose and transformation through failure. My guest is Imran Syed, CEO of Hatchproof. After leading a high eight-figure exit at Instapage as COO, Imran witnessed how misalignment among leadership destroyed tens of millions in enterprise value during a failed product launch. Instead of moving on, this failure became his obsession. He spent six months deeply researching why people stay at or leave organizations before founding Hatchproof, creating a company built around the belief that work should have purpose, meaning, and fulfillment. And this inspired me, and hence I invited Imran to my podcast. We explore the counterintuitive approach of obsessing over problems rather than solutions, and why most entrepreneurs get this backward. Imran challenges conventional wisdom about scaling teams, explaining why the future belongs to smaller, tightly-aligned organizations rather than sprawling enterprises. His approach turns traditional metrics upside down, focusing on revenue per employee over headcount growth, and demonstrates how creating clear value frameworks enables sustainable business decisions. Here is a quote that captures one of Imran's most striking business lessons: "You have to have an obsession with the problem, not the solution. A lot of entrepreneurs are very anchored on their solution, and they struggle when the market tells them something different. If you obsess with the problem, you'll find the solution—it may not be the first one, but you'll eventually get to it." By listening to this podcast you will learn: How to distinguish between an "itch" and a "burning desire" when evaluating startup ideas Why investing six months in problem research before building anything created Imran's foundation for success How creating a simple four-value framework dramatically improves decision-making and prevents feature bloat Why revenue per employee is becoming the critical metric for AI-era companies, replacing the traditional focus on headcount growth For more information about the guest from this week: Imran Syed Website: hatchproof.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • #360 - Zach Wasserman, Co-founder of Fleet on community-driven business growth

    #360 - Zach Wasserman, Co-founder of Fleet on community-driven business growth
    May 7 2025
    This podcast interview focuses on the entrepreneurial journey of turning transparency into business advantage. My guest is Zach Wasserman, Cofounder and Tech Evangelist of Fleet. With over a decade of experience in open source software development, Zach helped create the widely-adopted OSquery project at Facebook in 2014, which has since become an industry standard for device visibility and is now governed by the Linux Foundation. After transitioning through a role at Kolide (later acquired by 1Password), Zach became the maintainer of a project that would eventually evolve into Fleet. Throughout his entrepreneurial journey, Zach discovered that what truly energizes him is "building software that's making someone's life better" - specifically IT administrators and security professionals who manage company devices. This human-centered approach led him to transform a personal passion project into a rapidly growing company that's challenging traditional business models in enterprise software This inspired me to invite Zach to my podcast. We explore how being open source gives Fleet a strategic edge. His approach rejects the common belief that enterprise sales requires complexity and secrecy. We discuss how community building leads to faster adoption and better results than traditional sales tactics. The formula is simple: be transparent, earn trust, and close deals faster. Here's one of his quotes: "The best way to lose a deal is to our own open source product, because those people remain prime prospective customers that we really need to continue to understand and figure out how we are going to build enough new value in that premium product for them to want to pay for it." By listening to this podcast, you will learn: How building on existing open source foundations can give startups immediate credibility with enterprise customers Why passionate early adopters can close deals remarkably easily compared to traditional prospects The entrepreneurial wisdom of identifying and connecting with actual budget holders while still maintaining engineer enthusiasm How customer-driven unexpected use cases can dramatically expand your market vision and product roadmap For more information about the guest from this week: Guest: Zach Wasserman Website: fleet.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    53 mins
  • #359 - Jan Bruce, CEO of meQuilibrium on when to ignore the capital temptation

    #359 - Jan Bruce, CEO of meQuilibrium on when to ignore the capital temptation
    Apr 30 2025
    This podcast interview focuses on what it takes to build a successful software company by following your convictions even when easier paths tempt you. My guest is Jan Bruce, CEO of meQuilibrium (MeQ). In 2011, after years in the media industry during its technological disruption, Jan witnessed firsthand how stress and resistance to change were devastating careers and organizations. Despite having no background in technology or clinical work, she made the bold decision to create a software solution when she barely understood what a software application was. For the first five years, she and her team worked for almost nothing, deliberately avoiding the tempting direct-to-consumer route that was attracting massive funding for competitors, instead patiently building a B2B model that would prove more sustainable long-term. And this inspired me, and hence I invited Jan to my podcast. We explore the counterintuitive leadership decisions that led to her company's success while competitors faltered. Her approach challenges conventional wisdom in three critical areas: avoiding the "capital trap" of raising too much money too early, resisting the temptation to pursue direct-to-consumer strategies despite industry hype, and having the patience to discover your true value proposition through customer insights rather than preconceived notions. Jan's leadership journey reveals that sometimes the most profitable path is the one where you say "no" to what everyone else is saying "yes" to. Here is a quote that captures one of Jan's most striking business lessons: "There was a time when there were a lot of we had potential competitors entering in the direct to consumer space, and they were raising a lot of money, which, as you know, from a tech perspective, capital can deliver speed to build. And so there's always that temptation to, well, should we do it to get the money? But we didn't do it, and it was the right thing to do." By listening to this podcast you will learn: How to achieve "funding freedom" by bootstrapping until investors need you more than you need them Why saying "no" to popular market trends can create a sustainable competitive advantage How to discover your true value proposition by listening to customers rather than industry hype The leadership mindset required to build a profitable software company when you have no technology background For more information about the guest from this week: Guest: Jan Bruce Website: meQuilibrium.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    48 mins
  • #358 - Samuel Logan, CEO of Evidencity on when slowing down accelerates growth

    #358 - Samuel Logan, CEO of Evidencity on when slowing down accelerates growth
    Apr 23 2025
    This podcast interview focuses on the entrepreneurial wisdom gained through building a data-driven business from scratch. My guest is Samuel Logan, Founder and CEO of Evidencity. After bootstrapping Evidencity as his fourth venture, Samuel Logan has spent a decade building a company with a profound mission: creating transparency to eliminate modern slavery in global supply chains. His journey began by addressing a critical gap in the market—helping multinational corporations access reliable data about their suppliers in regions where information wasn't available online. What started as a network of people physically retrieving documents in over 80 countries evolved into a sophisticated data platform that now helps uncover hidden networks facilitating forced labor. Samuel's commitment to transparency goes beyond simple compliance, focusing on the 30% of companies truly willing to "lift up the rocks and see what's underneath" their supply chains. And this inspired me, and hence I invited Samuel to my podcast. We explore the counterintuitive decisions that transform good companies into remarkable ones. His approach challenges the "move fast and break things" mentality that dominates the startup world. Samuel reveals why the hardest business choices often aren't about what to do, but about what to stop doing—especially when everyone around you expects the opposite. We discuss why sometimes you need to step back and work "under the hood" of your business rather than racing forward, and how what seems like an obvious path in the market can often be a "mirage." Throughout our conversation, Samuel shares the moments where slowing down actually accelerated his success and why rebuilding foundations allowed him to capitalize on opportunities his competitors couldn't see. Here is a quote that captures one of Samuel's most striking business lessons: "If we had not made the decision around the data schema that we made, we would today not be in the position that we're in to leverage the AI technology that's in the market. Frankly, we need to leverage that to keep up with the pace at which things are moving right now." By listening to this podcast you will learn: How to recognize when your business needs to take two steps back to ultimately move ten steps forward Why your first hires post-funding should focus on leverage points rather than immediate revenue generation How implementing "user manuals" for leadership creates vulnerability and clarity that transforms team dynamics How to structure pipeline confidence-weighting systems that prevent optimism bias in your forecasting For more information about the guest from this week: Samuel Logan Website: Evidencity.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • #357 - Rich Kahn, Founder and CEO of Anura on transforming a reluctant side project into a viable business

    #357 - Rich Kahn, Founder and CEO of Anura on transforming a reluctant side project into a viable business
    Apr 16 2025
    This podcast interview focuses on entrepreneurial decision-making and product development. My guest is Rich Kahn, CEO of Anura. Rich has been building tech companies since 1993. In 2003, while running an ad network with his wife, clients began complaining about traffic quality issues. When he discovered no commercial fraud detection solutions existed, he reluctantly built one himself. Years later during an M&A process, potential acquirers showed minimal interest in his primary business but significant interest in this internal tool he'd developed. The rest is history. And this inspired me, and hence I invited Rich to my podcast. We explore the practical realities of identifying your most valuable product, even when it's not what you initially set out to build. Rich shares how he tested his solution against market leaders before spinning it off as a standalone company, and why focusing on measurable results rather than flashy features has been crucial to his success. Here is a quote that captures one of Rich’s most practical business decisions: “We added a guarantee to Anura for two key reasons: First, our accuracy is not a gimmick. It’s the real deal. Second, because no one else in the industry is willing to address false positives – real people misidentified as fraud. It’s usually the number one issue that clients have with a fraud solution. We are so confident in our solution; we have no problem guaranteeing it.” By listening to this podcast you will learn: How to recognize when your side project has more market value than your core business Why solving measurable problems creates stronger differentiation than marketing hype When to build technology in-house versus partnering with others The practical challenges of scaling a technical business in a constantly evolving landscape For more information about the guest from this week: Rich Kahn Website: anura.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • #356 - Geordy Murphy, Fobesoft on building resilience through market downturns

    #356 - Geordy Murphy, Fobesoft on building resilience through market downturns
    Apr 2 2025
    This podcast interview focuses on building remarkable software that creates sustainable competitive advantage. My guest is Geordy Murphy, CEO of Fobesoft. After three decades as a successful restaurateur who owned one of San Francisco's top four restaurants, Geordy sold his business and relocated to Florida. Despite having no software background, he identified a critical gap in the market while cycling one morning in 2014. Inspired by Steve Jobs' philosophy that "if you can identify a problem and solve that problem, you have opportunity," Geordy founded Fobesoft with a vision to change how restaurants manage finance. What started as a self-funded venture with manual data entry evolved through persistence, strategic pivoting during COVID, and finding the right technology partnerships. And this inspired me, and hence I invited Geordy to my podcast. We explore the counterintuitive approach he took to scaling a vertical SaaS business when everything seemed to collapse. While many companies cut back during COVID, Geordy doubled down on technology investments after securing angel funding. His journey reveals how industry expertise combined with technological innovation created a solution that convinces the moment people see it. His methods challenge conventional wisdom about rapid customer acquisition and demonstrate how focused simplicity beats feature complexity, especially in specialized verticals. Here is a quote that captures one of Geordy's most striking business lessons: "Years ago, I read an article that when there's a downturn, so many companies start cutting, cutting, cutting. But the ones that survive and come out when the economy comes back up are those that didn't cut. They spend a little more, look for another opportunity - and that puts you ahead of all the competition." By listening to this podcast you will learn: How deep vertical expertise can compensate for lack of software industry experience when building a SaaS company Why doubling down on product quality during market downturns positions you for accelerated growth afterwards How to create a systematic "customer journey" that increases retention after experiencing rapid growth challenges Why understanding your ideal customer profile prevents wasting resources on prospects that can't benefit from your solution For more information about the guest from this week: Geordy Murphy Website: fobesoft.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • #355 - Maximus Greenwald, Warmly on Mastering the Pivot Journey

    #355 - Maximus Greenwald, Warmly on Mastering the Pivot Journey
    Mar 26 2025
    This podcast interview focuses on the entrepreneurial journey of persistence and adaptation. My guest is Maximus Greenwald, CEO of Warmly. After working at Google, Max and his co-founders quit their jobs to start a company with what he calls "the world's worst idea" - Tinder for co-founders. What makes his journey fascinating is how he navigated through six pivots over three years, each time confronting the challenges of product-market fit, customer alignment, and sustainable growth. Throughout this process, Max grappled with the central question many founders face: when to explore new ideas and when to commit fully to execution. And this inspired me, and hence I invited Max to my podcast. We explore the challenges of finding focus in startup chaos, the tension between vision and execution, and the counterintuitive reality that momentum often precedes perfection. Max's leadership principles cut through typical startup fluff with refreshing directness, challenging conventional wisdom about when to sell, how to pivot, and what metrics truly matter for early-stage companies. Here is one of his quotes “In any company revenue is oxygen, and you need oxygen to live and to succeed. And so as we were starting to make money and make money fast, [..] we saw a excitement in the company and a devotion to work harder that we had never seen in our earlier six pivots. That's one of the most critical things: having momentum gets everyone excited to keep pushing along.” By listening to this podcast you will learn: The hidden pitfalls of pursuing product-market fit over generating actual revenue Why standard metrics often mislead early-stage founders away from what truly matters The real challenge of knowing when to stay the course versus when to pivot Why some customers might be holding back your company's growth potential For more information about the guest from this week: Maximus Greenwald Website: warmly.ai Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 mins