Front Lines

🛠️ Building Developer Tools: GTM Lessons from Flox We spoke with Ron Efroni, CEO of Flox, about scaling a developer tools company from open source to enterprise. Here are the key go-to-market lessons from their journey: → Start small despite capabilities. Released minimal features for GA despite having more ready. As Ron notes: "Just give them one button first" rather than "a control panel with 60 buttons." → Create immediate hands-on value. Built sandbox experiences like one-click Stable Diffusion deployments. Let developers experience value before asking for integration commitment. → Target specific technical niches. Focused on communities where they could provide "150% support" rather than trying to serve everyone. Built deep value for specific personas. → Enhance don't compete with open source. "Build on top of it and not to the side of it." Invested in community while creating commercial value layer. → Match developer voice. Made messaging technical and specific rather than flashy. Ensured developers "heard their voice" in communications. → Meet users in their workflow. Created examples that fit directly into existing development processes rather than requiring complete changes. These insights from Flox show how to successfully bring complex technology to market. Listen to the full conversation with Ron Efroni on Category Visionaries to learn more about building developer tools. Full episode: https://lnkd.in/eTgRa7Pm

🏗️ Breaking into Construction Tech: GTM Lessons from SubBase We spoke with Eric Helitzer, LEED AP, CEO of SubBase, about building a construction materials management platform. Here are the key go-to-market lessons from their journey: → Charge early to find real customers. "Once we started to turn on payment, that's when we knew who was our real true ICP." Free pilots created false positives that didn't reveal actual customer needs. → Enhance don't disrupt. Rather than forcing radical change, they "wedge into their workflow and layer on the pieces." Enhanced existing email/Excel processes instead of replacing them entirely. → Lead with education not sales. "People in construction don't just want to be sold software. They want to be educated." Built trust through teaching rather than selling, focused on in-person demos over virtual pitches. → Target market catalysts. Used post-COVID material price volatility as entry point. Found customers more receptive when facing unprecedented challenges in pricing and supply chain. → Meet customers in their workflow. Integrated with existing accounting systems. Recognized that "profitable businesses have been running for years without your technology" and designed solution to enhance rather than replace. → Diversify distribution channels. Built four distinct channels - user referrals, targeted outbound, educational content, and industry events. Each required different approach but contributed to overall growth. These insights from Subbase show how to successfully introduce technology into traditional industries. Listen to the full conversation with Eric Helitzer on Category Visionaries to learn more about building in construction tech. Full episode: https://lnkd.in/enbNZS2t #ConstructionTech #StartupLessons #GTM #B2B

In 2014, Ignacio H. Medrano was a practicing neurologist explaining machine learning to skeptical colleagues in his hospital's cafeteria. Today, Savana has raised $44M to transform healthcare intelligence through AI. But their path wasn't straightforward: Their first product completely failed. Why? They built a tool showing doctors what treatments other doctors were using most frequently. The assumption: wisdom of crowds would improve medical decisions. The reality: "The fact that the majority is doing something doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Evidence-based medicine is the opposite of majority rule." They killed the product. With no natural buyer for their technology in hospitals, they faced a critical decision: → Wait for the market to mature → Give up → Find another buyer They chose option 3: pivoting to pharmaceutical companies who needed deeper insights into patient outcomes. This kept them alive for 5 years while waiting for hospitals to catch up. Then COVID hit. Europe's struggles with data intelligence during the pandemic created a watershed moment: → New regulations emerged supporting data sharing → Hospital budgets opened up → Cultural resistance decreased Today, Savana's technology: → Transforms unstructured medical records into research-grade databases → Powers predictive algorithms for disease identification → Operates across multiple countries Key lesson: Sometimes you have to keep your core technology but completely change who you sell it to. Listen to our conversation with Ignacio to learn how they navigated: → The transition from doctor to founder → European healthcare regulations → Finding alternative revenue streams → Building in heavily regulated markets Listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/ei_gTeKy #CategoryVisionaries #B2B #HealthTech

Scaling Space Tech: Lessons from ATLAS Space Operations' $37M Journey We recently spoke with Brad Bode, CTO of ATLAS Space Operations, Inc., about building a ground software platform that's transforming how we communicate with satellites. Here are the key go-to-market lessons from their journey: → Government contracts need a 2-year runway minimum. Quick wins don't exist - plan your cash accordingly. → Start with small government contracts ($1-2M) to build credibility before targeting larger opportunities. → Forget traditional B2B marketing for government sales. It's all about in-person relationships and industry presence. → Let your category evolve naturally. ATLAS redefined their category as they better understood their value proposition. → Build dual revenue streams. Their 50-50 commercial/government split provided stability during long sales cycles. → Make complexity invisible. Focus on outcomes (data speed and volume) rather than infrastructure. These insights from ATLAS Space Operations demonstrate how deep tech companies can successfully navigate both government and commercial markets. Listen to the full conversation with Brad Bode on Category Visionaries to learn more about building in the space industry. https://lnkd.in/eMaEEbkS #GTM #B2B #SpaceTech #Startups #VentueCapital

🔐 Building Enterprise Identity Security: GTM Lessons from Opal We spoke with Umaimah Khan, CEO of Opal Security, about scaling an identity security platform. Here are the key go-to-market lessons from their journey: → Choose enterprise-first strategy. Skipped PLG to focus on selective enterprise customers. "It allowed us to be choosy and really build a mature product by partnering with folks who had very real enterprise problems." → Lead with measurable value. Cut through technical complexity by demonstrating concrete outcomes. Focused on achieving minimum viable access rather than features. → Treat GTM like engineering. Applied systems thinking to go-to-market: "It's not that dissimilar from systems engineering - working off assumptions, thinking about scalability and robustness." → Make complexity approachable. Created enterprise software with high UI/UX standards. "People demand a higher bar for UI/UX, even in enterprise." → Start with paid pilots. Skipped free design partnerships for qualified paying customers. Built with early users while maintaining value warranted payment. → Educate don't sell. Cut through market noise by explaining "why we do something the way we do it." Used thought leadership over technical jargon. These insights from Opal show how to bring complex technology to enterprise. Listen to the full conversation with Umaimah Khan on Category Visionaries to learn more about building identity security. Full episode: https://lnkd.in/eTTJBWg8

🚀 Building Space Tech: GTM Lessons from CisLunar We spoke with Gary Calnan, CFA, CEO of CisLunar Industries, about scaling a space tech company. Here are the key go-to-market lessons from their journey: → Build multiple revenue paths. Created parallel streams with government contracts and commercial power converters. When metal processing was years from viability, developed power tech for near-term revenue. → Start with government innovation. Tapped SBIR programs for non-dilutive funding: "Any technology you're developing, there's probably an SBIR you can tap into." Built credibility through successful deliveries. → Take strategic engineering work. Generated cash flow through aligned contract engineering during fundraising downturn. Maintained growth while waiting for market timing. → Reject stealth mode. Built partnerships by sharing vision early: "We had to go out and tell the story and try to find partners we could work with" to win contracts. → Stay flexible on applications. Avoided betting on one "killer app." Discovered power processing opportunity by remaining open to different use cases. → Structure for long cycles. Built model knowing space tech takes longer than typical VC timelines. Found aligned investors while developing near-term revenue streams. These insights from CisLunar show how to build deep tech companies with extended development cycles. Listen to the full conversation with Gary Calnan on Category Visionaries to learn more about scaling in space tech. https://lnkd.in/eUaT7Egj

🎯 Building a Recruiting Marketplace: GTM Lessons from Paraform We spoke with John Kim, CEO of Paraform, about scaling a recruiting marketplace from zero to 200+ companies. Here are the key go-to-market lessons from their journey: → Focus on prospecting quality. Used human prospectors over automation tools. "It's quite expensive to spend one seat on a bad prospect." Built systematic outreach process prioritizing quality over volume. → Time messaging perfectly. Found timing matters more than clever copy. Created targeted volume approach to increase "surface area" for hitting prospects with active needs. → Test models before scaling. Started with engineer referrals before pivoting to professional recruiter network for better consistency. Used early experiments to find sustainable approach. → Create powerful proof points. Filled 8-month vacant engineering role in 2 months for early customer. Used concrete wins to demonstrate marketplace value. → Build distribution mix. Combined targeted outbound, organic social highlighting customer wins, and referrals. Created content focused on how fast-growing companies make critical hires. → Expand through validation. Started with early-stage companies before moving to enterprise Series D+. Proved model in initial market before tackling larger segments. These insights from Paraform show how to build and scale marketplace businesses. Listen to the full conversation with John Kim on Category Visionaries to learn more about the future of recruiting. https://lnkd.in/e2cmSvht

Enterprise middleware is a $30B+ market dominated by low-code platforms and internal solutions. But Darko Vukovic saw a gap: companies were rejecting both options. Here's how PolyAPI is building a new category with $5M in funding: When Darko left Google after 12 years in enterprise integration, he noticed something interesting: Companies kept rebuilding the same middleware internally because existing platforms were too limiting. Instead of following the low-code trend, PolyAPI took a controversial approach: → Let developers use native languages (TypeScript, Python, Java) → Skip the custom IDE and runtime limitations → Target companies already building in-house The early days were telling: → 19 VCs passed → But Mulesoft's founder instantly invested → Because he understood the industry pain point Their GTM strategy was unconventional: → Published detailed product demos immediately → Focused on 1:1 conversations for 6 months → Built credibility through extensive documentation → Let the market define their category Today, they have: → 10 enterprise customers in production → A clear path to 25-30 more → 24+ months of runway Most interesting insight: The best enterprise products often emerge from rejecting industry trends, not following them. Hear the full story of how PolyAPI is redefining enterprise middleware here: https://lnkd.in/egDpTVeP #Enterprisetech #B2B #ProductStrategy

🔒 Building a New Category in Cloud Security: GTM Lessons from Tamnoon We spoke with Marina S., CEO of Tamnoon, about scaling a managed cloud security platform. Here are the key go-to-market lessons from their journey: → Start with service before product. Rather than building in isolation, they delivered value to design partners before having a product. As Marina notes: "We were providing service even before we had any product built." → Stand out visually in a crowded space. Rejected cybersecurity's standard dark themes and fear messaging for distinctive green colors and positive language. Made conscious choice to show human faces to emphasize their managed service approach. → Create category crossroads. Instead of fitting into existing boxes, positioned between MDR and CNAPP categories to create new value proposition focused on remediation and prevention. → Define clear fundraising periods. "You can be either raising or not raising." Maintained focus on customers rather than constant investor conversations when not actively fundraising. → Build for human scale. Rather than pure automation, designed platform to scale human expertise. Created system that enhanced rather than eliminated expert judgment in complex security decisions. → Validate through dialogue. Spent months in "endless calls to validate and define the product roadmap" before scaling. Used every early customer interaction to refine direction. These insights from Tamnoon show how to stand out and create new value in crowded markets. Listen to the full conversation with Marina Segal on Category Visionaries to learn more about building in cloud security. https://lnkd.in/efyNmbTt

🔋 Building the Future of Battery Intelligence: GTM Lessons from ACCURE We spoke with Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies, CEO of ACCURE Battery Intelligence, about scaling deep tech from Europe to global markets. Here are the key go-to-market lessons from their journey: → Focus beats revenue temptation. Despite opportunities across multiple verticals, they stayed laser-focused on grid batteries. As Kai notes: "Focus on something really small...make the difficult decision to say no, even if someone's willing to give you money." → Make ROI crystal clear. ACCURE targeted customers who "are making money with batteries every day" where even small improvements drove immediate revenue impact. Structured 3-6 month trials to prove concrete value. → Build sales systems before you need them. Started transitioning from founder sales early despite initial performance dips. "If you only start to transfer your responsibilities when you hit the limit...it'll be too late." → Simplify sophisticated technology. Worked intensively with investors to transform PhD-level analytics into clear value propositions without losing technical credibility. → Time market entry with real pain. Entered when companies transitioned from pilots to depending on battery performance for business success. → Structure international expansion. Found US investors who provided network access and key hires before full market entry. Achieved 25% US revenue within first year. These insights from ACCURE demonstrate how deep tech startups can successfully bridge innovation and commercialization. Listen to the full conversation with Kai-Philipp Kairies on Category Visionaries to learn more about building a global battery intelligence company. Full episode here: https://lnkd.in/ec9RXJY5