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In this episode of Our Future Podcast, hosts Simran Sandhu and Michael Sikands interview special guest Stan Garber, the co-founder of ScoutRFP (Acquired by Workday) and Levelpath. Stan shares insights into his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting his past successes like selling ScoutRFP for $540M and building a stealthy but huge restaurant tech business, as well as his current AI + procurement venture, LevelPath. Stan emphasizes the importance of long-term partnerships in business, referencing his enduring collaboration with his high school friend and co-founder, Alex. Join the conversation to learn from Stan's experiences and gain valuable advice for aspiring young entrepreneurs.
01:23 Early ventures.
04:54] Scaling a Successful SaaS Company.
08:15] Painless RFPs.
10:15] Evolution of business scalability.
15:06] Building a sustainable company.
19:29] Scaling a successful business.
21:40] Maximizing existing customer value.
25:29] Fragmented supplier record data.
27:36] Delightful procurement vision.
31:12] Building expertise in different industries.
36:57] Building successful software companies.
39:47] MVPs and fully baked products.
43:22] Building a successful enterprise company.
45:23] Young entrepreneurs and inspiration.
#podcast #startups #entrepreneurship
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In #51, Michael and Simmy aggregate exciting business case studies in the world of consumer hardware. The boys analyze hot new products hitting the market like robotic shoes, VR desktops, and bio-hacking wearables. They also peel back the hardware-as-a-service business model that's made it easier to succeed with physical products and the marketing advantage hardware startups have on software. Tune in for a banger this week!
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In #50, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@simmy) dive into the booming cybersecurity market, highlighting recent incidents and opportunities. They discuss the CrowdStrike internal error that impacted major companies and the potential $23 billion acquisition of Wiz by Google. The hosts emphasize the financial potential in cybersecurity, noting the industry's growth from $182 billion in 2023 to an expected $314 billion by 2028. They explore various business ideas, including incident response services, consumer-focused cyber products, and identity verification solutions like Footprint. The episode also touches on the rapid growth of companies like Drada and Vanta, and the potential for ClEAR to have an "Nvidia moment" in the future. The hosts conclude by encouraging listeners to consider opportunities in cybersecurity, a field they believe is as lucrative as AI.
05:30 - CrowdStrike Incident and Market Impact
10:00 - Rise in Cyber Attacks and Ransomware
15:00 - Potential in Cybersecurity Services and Insurance
20:00 - Ashley Madison Hack Documentary
25:00 - Identity Verification and Biometric Security
30:00 - Footprint: Apple Pay for Identity
35:00 - Wiz Acquisition by Google
40:00 - Clear's Potential in Identity Verification
45:00 - Consumer-Based Cybersecurity Products
#Cybersecurity #TechTrends #StartupStories
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In this episode of Our Future Podcast, Michael and Simmy dive into the journeys of young entrepreneurs like Arib Khan and Dhruv Bindra discussing their unique distribution strategies that enable them to be bootstrapped. We explore the importance of founder-led marketing, the value of investing in distribution, and the evolving landscape of startup success. We also touch on the need for modern content strategies in startup accelerators like Y Combinator. Tune in for insights on building and scaling businesses.
00:00 - Introduction and Podcast Anniversary
00:29 - Convo with Denise Hazime and ProdoScore
02:21 - Private Equity and SaaS Companies
08:28 - Dhruv Bindra and Styl App
16:02 - Arib Khan and Crayo's Success
22:15 - Y Combinator and Startup Strategies
25:48 - Importance of Distribution and Marketing
32:45 - Challenges in Hiring for Marketing Roles
34:28 - Closing Remarks and Podcast Wrap-Up
#business #startups #podcast
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In #48, Michael Sikand and Simran Sandhu discuss mid-twenties founders Edward Tian and Alex Cui, the co-founders of AI detection startup GPTZERO which has raised $13.5M and is already profitable. They explore the dynamics of shows like Shark Tank and the success of startups that didn't secure deals. The conversation shifts to the importance of distribution in the success of AI tools. They also touch on the potential of AI in education, citing examples like RapStudy and StudyBuddy. The episode concludes with a debate on the merits of building cashflow businesses versus pursuing big, impactful ventures, emphasizing the diverse paths to success in entrepreneurship.
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After nearly 50 episodes, in #47 Michael Sikand and Simran Sandhu share their own entrepreneurial journey, from starting their media company Our Future to getting acquired by Morning Brew. They discuss the lessons they've learned, the strategies they employed, and challenges faced along the way.
0:00 Intro & Cold Open
2:07 Michael and Simmy's first idea: Jet Coffee
03:16 Being scrappy and lessons learned in scaling the business
5:13 Importance of starting a podcast and building a network
6:07 Strategy of leveraging podcasts for networking and opportunities
8:01 Discussion on the accessibility of media as a starting point for entrepreneurs
9:17 Importance of building relationships with potential co-founders
10:09 Emphasis on having a clear goal and being open to pivoting
12:37 Importance of being delusional and confident in pitching oneself
17:48 Transition to discussing the acquisition by Morning Brew
23:55 Importance of being cautious with potential acquirers and their agendas
26:02 Advice on handling acquisition discussions and maintaining focus on business growth
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Inn #46, Michael Sikand and Simran Sandhu delve into the stories of two young founders, Blake Resnick and Mohak Nahta. Blake Resnick, a 23-year-old entrepreneur, has built a police drone startup called Brinc. He's raised $80M from investors like Sam Altman and Peter Thiel and the company is now valued at over $300M. Next up is Mohak, the founder of Atlys, who has created a platform to expedite the visa application process, allowing users to complete the process in minutes by simply taking a selfie, scanning their passport, and answering a few questions. He's raised over $16M from investors like a16z.
00:00 - Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:11 - Episode Preview: Young Founders and Their Ventures
00:35 - Michael's Sales Pitch Anecdote
01:06 - Daily Office Rentals Business Idea
02:05 - Blake Resnick's $300M Police Drone Startup
05:31 - Public Perception and Privacy Concerns
08:01 - Surveillance Technology and Public Backlash
10:49 - Challenges in Selling to Public Service Departments
17:28 - Second Story: Atlys - Expediting Travel Visas
24:47 - Pay for Passport Programs and Government Revenue Strategies
#business #podcast #startups
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In #45, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@simmy) discuss the founders of Folk and ConvertWire. First up is Simo Lemhandez, a late-twenties entrepreneur from France, who is building Folk, a next-gen CRM designed to manage all types of relationships—sales, recruiting, partnerships, and investors. With a sleek, Notion-like UI, Folk has raised millions from top investment firms like Accel and has even won product of the year on Product Hunt. Next is Jack Sory, a 28-year-old entrepreneur who runs ConvertWire, a lead generation business for real estate. Jack's business model focuses on providing high-quality leads through a team of cold callers based in the Philippines. By emphasizing quality over quantity, Jack has built a subscription-based service that generates between half a million and a million dollars annually.
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In #44, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss the founders of Diddo and Fina. Founded by NYU grads, Diddo has raised $2.8M to let you shop for products featured in your favorite TV shows and movies. Using AI, Diddo identifies the clothing worn on screen and allows viewers to purchase exact items or lookalike products. Next up is Clay Ratterman, the co-founder of Fina, which is best described as Notion for personal finance. The platform is bootstrapped and has already amassed 10,000 users, filling a void in the market for a highly customizable personal finance application.
0:00: Intro
1:00: Story of Diddo
19:10 Story of Fina
#startups #podcast #entrepreneurship
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In #43, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss the founders of Halla and DeepScribe. Founded by mid-twenties entrepreneurs Henry Michaelson, Spencer Price, and Gabriel Nipote, Halla is the only human preference engine built for groceries. In other words, the trio raised $10M to build a white-labelled recommendation algorithm that powers the e-commerce storefronts of some of the world's largest grocery chains. A few months ago, Halla was acquired by Wynshop for an undisclosed amount. Next up is DeepScribe, an AI-powered clinical documentation platform started by Akilesh Bapu and Matthew Ko which has saved doctors millions of minutes taking notes when treating patients. The company has raised over $35M from investors like Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang and Figma CEO Dylan Field.
0:00 Intro
01:14 Story of Halla
18:04 Story of DeepScribe
#podcast #entrepreneurship #startups
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In #42, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss the founders of Swimply and Distribute. Founded by 25-year-old Bunim Laskin, Swimply has raised $50M to be the "Airbnb for Pools". So far the platform has served over 1M bookings across three countries and is now expanding into other categories like pickleball courts. Next up is Andy Mewborn, who built and sold a Linkedin SaaS tool called Taplio within 9 months of launching and has now raised millions for Distribute, a software platform best described as Canva for GTM teams. Andy has raised millions to shrink the GTM tech stack and mash multiple different products into one killer platform.
00:00 Intro
0:42 Story of Swimply
16:14 Story of Distribute
#podcast #entrepreneurship #startups
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In #41, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss the founders of LANDED and Krepling. Founded by Vivian Wang, Landed is a recruitment platform helping fast food and retail establishments hire top-notch hourly workers faster and cheaper. So far, the platform has raised over $7M and counts 700K+ users as well as clients like Taco Bell and Chick-Fil-A. Next up is Krepling, which was started by two brothers in their early 20's, Liam (23) and Travis Gerada (20). The duo is behind no-code e-commerce software which solves for the increasing engineering complexities sellers face past the $5M revenue mark. So far they've raised $3.3M and were doing $1.7M ARR in August 2023.
0:00 Intro
0:40 Story of LANDED
19:20 Story of Krepling
#podcast #entrepreneurship #startups
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In #40, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss the founders of Zette and Vizcom. Founded by 28-year-old Yehong Zhu, Zette is best described as "Netflix for News". By installing the Zette chrome extension and paying a monthly subscription, users can bypass the article paywall on over 100+ publisher sites including Forbes. So far, Yehong has raised $2.7M+ for the company, including a recent 7-figure crowdfunding round. Next up is Vizcom, which was started by 28-year-old co-founders Jordan Taylor and Kaelan Richards. Best described as Figma for industrial designers, Vizcom is an AI-powered software that helps industrial designers at companies like Ford and New Balance use a mixture of drawing and generative AI to make the process of creating innovative mock-ups and product designs more efficient. The company recently raised a $20M Series A which included investors like Index Ventures and Figma co-founder Dylan Field.
0:00 Intro
01:27 Story of Zette
19:07 Story of Vizcom
Follow the show on IG: @ourfuturepod
Message Michael on Twitter: @michaelsikand
Message Simmy on Twitter: @_simmy_
Our Future Podcast is a production of Morning Brew.
#business #startups #podcasts
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In #39, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss the founders of Atmos and Reframe. Backed by Sam Altman, YC, and Khosla Ventures with a recent $12.5M Series A, Atmos's young co-founders (led by 25-year-old CEO Nick Donahue) are helping Americans build a custom home from scratch without spending millions. The next company discussed was started by Vedant Pradeep, the 27-year-old co-founder behind Reframe, an app valued at over $300M. 91% of Reframe's 3M users reduced their alcohol intake within their first 3 months of subscribing.
0:00 Intro
02:18 Story of Atmos
19:28 Story of Reframe
Follow the show on IG: @ourfuturepod
Message Michael on Twitter: @michaelsikand
Message Simmy on Twitter: @_simmy_
Our Future Podcast is a production of Morning Brew.
#business #startups #podcasts
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In #37, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss the founders of Sweetspot and Bluedot. YC-backed Sweetspot is bringing AI to the complex and outdated world of government contract discovery and bidding. Last year, the U.S. allocated over $765B to government contracts and Sweetspot is helping businesses earn more work from Uncle Sam. Next up is Bluedot, an EV charging app and fintech company backed with $7M from investors like Ford and Porsche that offers EV owners a flat rate at charging stations if they pay through Bluedot's debit card. Other features include discounts and rewards to restaurants and shops located near the charging station.
Follow the show on IG: @ourfuturepod
Message Michael on Twitter: @michaelsikand
Message Simmy on Twitter: @_simmy_
Our Future Podcast is a production of Morning Brew.
#business #startups #podcasts
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In #37, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss Spencer Scott (@AKASpencerScott). Getting his start working his way up sales at a telecom company, Spencer quit the corporate grind to become a 7-figure, non-technical bootstrapped SaaS founder, building sales software platform Loup and scaling screen-sharing tool Median after purchasing it on MicroAcquire. More recently, Spencer has made waves as the founder of Lone Star Trash, a waste management service he started after witnessing private equity ruin the service quality of his Dallas neighborhood’s trash collection operator. Applying the same scrappy tactics that helped him grow his software startups, Spencer bought a trash truck and bootstrapped a profitable waste management operation from day one.
Follow the show on IG: @ourfuturepod
Message Michael on Twitter: @michaelsikand
Message Simmy on Twitter: @_simmy_
Our Future Podcast is a production of Morning Brew.
#business #startups #podcast
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In #36, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss Whop and EasyA. Started by 25-year-olds Jack Sharkey, Steven Schwartz, and Cameron Zoub - Whop is "Etsy for Digital Products" - and has raised $17M from investors like Peter Thiel and James Harden. The platform has facilitated $300M of transactions for software tools, community memberships, and courses developed by an army of young hustlers pushing internet products. Next up is EasyA, a mobile app built by brothers Phil and Dom Kwok who are in their mid-twenties, that is best described as "Duolingo for Web3". The app has over 750K users who use it to learn how to build applications on various blockchain platforms like Solana and Polkadot. The startup's unique B2B2C model and hackathon strategy generates millions a year in revenue.
0:00 Intro
1:00 Story Of Whop
19:47 Story of EasyA
Follow the show on IG: @ourfuturepod
Message Michael on Twitter: @michaelsikand
Message Simmy on Twitter: @_simmy_
Our Future Podcast is a production of Morning Brew.
#business #startups #podcast
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In #35, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss Myko AI and Lula. Started by Trevor Lee and Zheng Li, Myko has raised $2.7M from investors like Khosla Ventures to create conversational AI for sales teams. Myko syncs across all the software in a revenue organization and can surface key metrics and insights via text prompts with the ability to then execute actions based off those data points. Next up is Lula, an insurtech startup founded by two 27-year-old twins, Matthew and Michael Vega-Sanz. They built a car sharing startup for college campuses before pivoting to build "stripe for insurance," with their first market being rental car companies and trucking fleets. The co-founders claim they're on the path to $100M in revenue in the next year and recently raised a $35.5M Series B.
0:00 Intro
1:00 Story of Myko AI
22:30 Story of Lula
28:50 Michael and Simmy Brainstorm An Insurance Business
Follow the show on IG: @ourfuturepod
Message Michael on Twitter: @michaelsikand
Message Simmy on Twitter: @_simmy_
Our Future Podcast is a production of Morning Brew.
#business #startups #podcast
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In #34, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss Slope Pay and Rogo. Slope has raised a whopping $187M in funding led by Sam Altman to digitize B2B payments with a focus on bringing buy-now-pay-later mechanics to invoicing and was started by late twenties co-founders Alice Deng and Lawrence Lin Murata. Next up is Rogo, a fintech software setting its sights on beating Bloomberg with a platform best described as “ChatGPT for Finance”. Led by 25-year-old CEO Gabriel Stengel, the company has raised $7M from investors like Kevin Ryan’s AlleyCorp and has signed numerous deals with PE firms, hedge funds, and banks.
0:00 Intro
1:17 Story of Slope Pay
14:30 Story of Rogo
Follow the show on IG: @ourfuturepod
Message Michael on Twitter: @michaelsikand
Message Simmy on Twitter: @_simmy_
Our Future Podcast is a production of Morning Brew.
#business #startups #podcast
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In #33, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss
Antimetal and Rainmaker. Antimetal was started by now 25-year-old HS dropout Matthew Prakhurst, who has seemingly sold everything under the sun in his career. Now he’s built a huge tech company saving 1000+ startups millions on their cloud hosting costs via AWS. Next up is deep-tech startup Rainmaker, led by 23-year-old Berkeley dropout Augustus Doricko. Rainmaker uses a fleet of drones that dispense chemicals into the atmosphere which artificially trigger rainfall. Jeff Bezos is a noted fan of the technology.
0:00 Intro
01:35 Story of Antimetal
21:09 Story of Rainmaker
Follow the show on IG: @ourfuturepod
Message Michael on Twitter: @michaelsikand
Message Simmy on Twitter: @_simmy_
Our Future Podcast is a production of Morning Brew.
#business #startups #podcast
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