Scaleup Valley Podcast

Sound Bites "All boats rise in a rising tide." "You always want to go out on top." "I worked that plan every day for 12 years." "PE wants you levered up and hungry." "Good things happen to good people." "Business is a team sport." "Show up early and often, stay late." "Don't let what you want get in the way." Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Mark Drever and Accelerate Solutions 02:23 Mark's Journey: From Bootstrapping to Major Growth 07:15 Transitioning from Independent Business to Private Equity 12:26 Navigating Employee Growth and Leadership Changes 17:55 Timing the Exit: Building an Asset-Based Business 24:02 Understanding Business Dynamics: Asset vs. Lifestyle 27:24 Navigating the Sale: Strategic vs. Private Equity 30:55 The Importance of Business Structure and Clean Operations 33:14 Choosing the Right Partners: Lessons Learned 35:17 Reinvesting for Growth: The Role of Private Equity 38:34 The Future of Work: Remote vs. In-Person Collaboration 42:43 Advice to My Younger Self: Balancing Career and Life

n this episode of the Scale Up Valley podcast, Aytekin Tank, founder and CEO of JotForm, shares his incredible journey of building a successful bootstrapped company from the ground up. Over 18 years, JotForm has grown from a solo venture to a team of 700 employees, all while adhering to two fundamental rules that prioritize sustainable growth. Aytekin discusses the complexities of scaling a business, the importance of cross-functional teams, and how to maintain a focus on priorities amidst rapid growth. He emphasizes the significance of leadership development and the balance between reinvesting in the business and managing expenses. In this conversation, Aytekin Tank shares his insights on leadership, team management, and the evolution of JotForm. He emphasizes the importance of empowering teams with independence while maintaining oversight through regular reviews. Aytekin discusses his journey of delegation and automation to focus on product development, transitioning from a CEO to a founder mindset, and identifying key opportunities and bottlenecks for growth. He highlights the shift from customer acquisition to retention and the challenges of building a successful sales team, ultimately sharing valuable lessons learned about prioritization and focus. Takeaways Aytekin Tank bootstrapped JotForm to 700 employees over 18 years. He emphasizes the importance of having one year of salaries in reserve before hiring. Slow growth allows for better management and learning. Maintaining a 25% gross margin is crucial for sustainability. The complexity of managing a larger team increases as the company grows. Cross-functional teams enhance creativity and productivity. Independence within teams fosters innovation and decision-making. Leadership development is essential for scaling successfully. Prioritizing tasks is key to avoiding bureaucracy and inefficiency. Aytekin is currently focused on developing an AI product for JotForm. Empowering teams with independence fosters creativity and innovation. Regular reviews help align team efforts with company priorities. Delegation and automation are crucial for focusing on product development. Transitioning from a CEO to a founder mindset can reignite passion for work. Identifying the biggest opportunities and bottlenecks is essential for growth. The shift from customer acquisition to retention is vital for scaling. Building a successful sales team requires patience and the right hires. Learning from past mistakes is key to improving leadership skills. Prioritization is critical in addressing the most impactful challenges. Finding the crux of problems leads to more effective solutions. titles Two Rules for Bootstrapping Success Maintaining Focus Amidst Rapid Growth Empowering Teams for Success The Art of Delegation in Leadership Sound Bites "From zero to 700 employees in 18 years." "I hate taking risks." "Slow growth is good." "Give the teams independence, give teams the creativity." "I automated many things about the way I processed emails." "I felt like I was this glorified administrator."

Julie Barbier-Leblan, CEO of Merit, shares her journey as an entrepreneur and the growth of her company. She started her entrepreneurship journey in the Middle East as a finance lawyer and later founded Merit, a global engagement technology company. Merit helps enterprise clients engage internally with their employees and externally with customers using a suite of SaaS solutions and rewards. Julie discusses the challenges and opportunities of scaling a business in the MENA region and the importance of building a strong network and partnerships. She also shares her decision to raise VC funding and the benefits of having local and regional investors. Key Takeaways: Julie Barbier-Leblan started her entrepreneurship journey in the Middle East as a finance lawyer and later founded Merit, a global engagement technology company. Merit helps enterprise clients engage internally with their employees and externally with customers using a suite of SaaS solutions and rewards. Building a strong network and partnerships is crucial for scaling a business in the MENA region. Julie decided to raise VC funding to support the growth and scalability of Merit, and she believes in having local and regional investors to educate the ecosystem. The Saudi 2030 vision and the shift towards a digital economy in the region present exciting opportunities for tech entrepreneurs. Transitioning from a founder to a leader requires adjusting and adapting to new roles and responsibilities. Choosing the right co-founder is crucial for scaling a company, but it's important to be cautious and ensure alignment of values and complementary skills. As a female founder, Julie faced resistance and bias, but she learned to stand up for herself and set boundaries. Self-awareness, embracing the journey, and not listening to those who tell you to slow down are key to success as an entrepreneur.

On this Episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Steven Freidkin, CEO of Ntiva Summary Steven Freidkin, CEO of Ntiva, shares his journey of scaling the company from 100 to 800 employees and $18 million to $170 million in revenue. The company's purpose is to grow each other, and they focus on automation, organic sales and marketing, and strategic acquisitions. Fragin discusses the challenges he faced at different revenue plateaus and the decision to seek private equity investment. He emphasizes the importance of finding the right partner who aligns with the company's purpose and values. Ntiva has experienced significant growth and success through their strategic investments and partnerships. Steven Freidkin shares his experience of partnering with private equity firms to scale his business and create meaningful jobs and opportunities. He emphasizes the importance of finding the right partner and aligning goals and expectations. He also discusses the importance of self-awareness as a CEO and the need to work oneself out of a job to support the growth of other leaders in the organization. He shares his mistakes and lessons learned, including the importance of using debt intelligently and making cultural fit a priority in acquisitions. He encourages founders and CEOs to know their intentions, communicate openly with investors, and focus on creating a positive impact in the world. Takeaways Scaling a company requires strategic investments in automation, sales and marketing, and acquisitions. Finding the right partner in private equity is crucial for growth and success. Revenue plateaus can be overcome by making major adjustments and focusing on the company's purpose. Having a clear purpose and values helps drive the company's growth and energizes the team. Ntiva's journey from $18 million to $170 million in revenue showcases the power of strategic investments and partnerships. Finding the right partner is crucial when partnering with private equity firms to scale a business. Self-awareness is important for CEOs to work themselves out of their job and support the growth of other leaders in the organization. Using debt intelligently and considering cultural fit in acquisitions can prevent costly mistakes. Clear communication and alignment of goals with investors is essential for long-term success. Focus on creating a positive impact and leaving a legacy in the world. Titles Finding the Right Partner in Private Equity Scaling a Company: From 100 to 800 Employees Aligning Goals and Communicating with Investors Creating a Positive Impact and Leaving a Legacy Sound Bites "I was getting paid to do the thing that I actually love to do." "We exist to grow each other, technology is simply the accelerator of that growth." "If something doesn't change, you need to sell this business." "There was a tremendous amount of alignment." "I'm always trying to work myself out of my job." "We exist to grow each other." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 06:26 Forming Antiva and Early Growth 10:24 Strategic Investments: Automation, Sales and Marketing, Acquisitions 12:19 Seeking Private Equity Investment 16:41 Choosing the Right Partner in Private Equity 19:27 Growth with Private Equity and Second Capital Sponsor 23:05 Partnering with Private Equity 26:30 Working Yourself Out of a Job 29:38 Lessons Learned: Debt and Cultural Fit 34:58 Aligning Goals and Communicating with Investors 46:57 Creating a Positive Impact and Leaving a Legacy

Chris Walker, the chairman of Refined Labs and CEO of Assetto, discusses his background in B2B companies and his new venture, Pesetto. He emphasizes the need for a new strategy in B2B marketing that focuses on profitability and efficiency. Chris also shares his vision for building an ecosystem of complementary B2B go-to-market technology and managed services. He talks about his transition from CEO to chairman and offers advice for others facing a similar stage in their careers. Key Takeaways "We need to figure out a new strategy for marketing that doesn't involve high volume lead generation." "There is a shift happening in the market where companies need to build a profitable, efficient growth and go-to-market engine." "The goal is to build a portfolio of complimentary specialized companies that handle different things from go-to-market operations, go-to-market strategy, analytics, advertising, content creation, website design, AI automated outbound." "We discuss the importance of having marketing, sales, customer success, and product aligned on the same page." "Content is one of the most effective channels to produce pipeline and generate conversations that might turn into opportunities, proposals, and deals." "A hybrid talent model inside a B2B company is the appropriate way to run most functions." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:02 Chris's Career in B2B Companies 02:01 The Need for a New Strategy in B2B Marketing 04:38 Building a Data Structure for Informed Decision-Making 06:11 Creating an Ecosystem of Complementary B2B Go-to-Market Solutions 07:24 Transitioning from CEO to Chairman: Finding the Right Path 10:02 Understanding Your Leadership Strengths and Preferences

On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Matthew J Desch, CEO of Iridium. Matt Desch, the CEO of Iridium, shares his journey of scaling the company from $15 million EBITDA to over $450 million EBITDA. He discusses the challenges and pivotal moments that shaped the growth of Iridium, including securing funding, building partnerships, and launching new products. Sound Bites "No one wins the Super Bowl or the World Cup or the Olympics without just a little bit of luck." "The more I practice, the luckier I get." "Find something you can do better than anyone else and specialize on that." "Doing something very unique, very differentiated" "Play a game you can win" "Team needs to be evolving as the company scales" Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background of Iridium 05:12 Taking Over as CEO and the Challenges Faced 08:12 Company Growth and Expansion 11:55 Subscription Revenue and IoT 16:25 Key Moments of Truth in Scaling Iridium 26:12 Importance of Team and Company Culture 28:21 Differentiation and Innovation 31:02 Building a Strong Team and Culture 37:07 Transitioning to a Listed Company 43:21 Managing Stress and Work-Life Balance

On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Ian Myers, CEO of Oceans. Key Takeaways: Finding Global Talent. Empowering employees all over the world. Lessons Learned building a global organization Why should a new Scaleup start hiring abroad.

On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Robin Daniels, CBO and Product Officer of Zensai. Key Takeaways: Personal Branding & Category Building. Building a movement with strong personal brands. How to break through the noise? Building the brand of Executive Team members How to bridge company branding, personal brands and category building to make your GTM

On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Alexis Normand, CEO at Greenly. Key Takeaways: - Raising a $52M B round in a downturn SaaS market - Scaling the GTM (Go to Market) organization - How to successfully succeed with inbound marketing - Content, Content & Content - Democratizing the access to carbon accounting - The carbon accounting platform that matches customer needs - Helping companies to reduce their CO2 emissions