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Listen "Jeff Denworth: The GTM Story of VAST Data ($9.1 Billion Valuation)"
Episode Synopsis
In this episode of Unicorn Builders, we're speaking with Jeff Denworth, co-founder of VAST, an AI data platform that has raised an impressive $381 million in funding.
Key topics discussed in this episode:
Jeff's journey as a "consummate startup guy," having been involved in five startups and working in distributed scalable systems for most of his career.
The foundational thesis of VAST: to unlock data for the era of AI by building a simpler, more scalable, and more cost-effective data management system than existing solutions.
The early days of selling VAST's product, focusing on customers with petabytes or exabytes of data and taking the time to deeply understand their needs and challenges.
The shift in VAST's marketing philosophy from appealing to technical buyers with deep dives into the technology to focusing on customer reference marketing as the company scaled.
The impact of the ChatGPT launch on VAST's business, accelerating revenue growth and attracting a flood of new AI cloud service providers and venture-backed large language model companies as customers.
VAST's approach to fundraising, using the capital primarily for marketing purposes while maintaining cash flow positivity and operational autonomy.
Jeff's advice for founders on choosing investors who bring not just capital but also strategic value and long-term partnership to the table.
Key topics discussed in this episode:
Jeff's journey as a "consummate startup guy," having been involved in five startups and working in distributed scalable systems for most of his career.
The foundational thesis of VAST: to unlock data for the era of AI by building a simpler, more scalable, and more cost-effective data management system than existing solutions.
The early days of selling VAST's product, focusing on customers with petabytes or exabytes of data and taking the time to deeply understand their needs and challenges.
The shift in VAST's marketing philosophy from appealing to technical buyers with deep dives into the technology to focusing on customer reference marketing as the company scaled.
The impact of the ChatGPT launch on VAST's business, accelerating revenue growth and attracting a flood of new AI cloud service providers and venture-backed large language model companies as customers.
VAST's approach to fundraising, using the capital primarily for marketing purposes while maintaining cash flow positivity and operational autonomy.
Jeff's advice for founders on choosing investors who bring not just capital but also strategic value and long-term partnership to the table.
In God we trust