Chris Regester

So, you know, when we started the company, a handful of people, and we said, look, we're not going to have any commercial team members. We're not going to do any marketing. We're not going to have any sellers. We're just going to have people who are trying to figure out what this set of problems are that we're trying to solve and the right way of going about it.

So, you know, when we started the company, a handful of people, and we said, look, we're not going to have any commercial team members. We're not going to do any marketing. We're not going to have any sellers. We're just going to have people who are trying to figure out what this set of problems are that we're trying to solve and the right way of going about it.

So for the first four or five years, totally bootstrapped, not really a salary in sight. And I'm really building this out, thinking very hard until we had about 100 employees, which is a lot for bootstrapping. And then it gets pretty scary as well because when you're bootstrapping, you typically only have three months of salary in the bank account. And you're always a little bit nervous.

So for the first four or five years, totally bootstrapped, not really a salary in sight. And I'm really building this out, thinking very hard until we had about 100 employees, which is a lot for bootstrapping. And then it gets pretty scary as well because when you're bootstrapping, you typically only have three months of salary in the bank account. And you're always a little bit nervous.

You have a bad quarter and suddenly it all goes a little bit sideways. But then we did a very large Series A. We raised $50 million Series A. Because we've been bootstrapped, it's very much in our DNA that anything you do has to generate value. And you don't just spend unnecessarily.

You have a bad quarter and suddenly it all goes a little bit sideways. But then we did a very large Series A. We raised $50 million Series A. Because we've been bootstrapped, it's very much in our DNA that anything you do has to generate value. And you don't just spend unnecessarily.

So even today, we've barely touched that $50 million because our culture is to run the business properly and ensure that everything is focused around value. Value creation of every individual. There's no floppy roles. There's no floppy work. It's value. And when you have that mindset, you realize that at the end of the day, the reason you exist is to deliver objectives for your customers.

So even today, we've barely touched that $50 million because our culture is to run the business properly and ensure that everything is focused around value. Value creation of every individual. There's no floppy roles. There's no floppy work. It's value. And when you have that mindset, you realize that at the end of the day, the reason you exist is to deliver objectives for your customers.

Because as you build a business, very quickly, all of your revenue, all of your inherent values in business is in your customer base. It's not in your new business pipeline. That's all hopes and dreams and forecasts. But the actual business is in your customers. And so as you scale a business, what matters is can you deliver objectives to your customers?

Because as you build a business, very quickly, all of your revenue, all of your inherent values in business is in your customer base. It's not in your new business pipeline. That's all hopes and dreams and forecasts. But the actual business is in your customers. And so as you scale a business, what matters is can you deliver objectives to your customers?

And over time, can you retain and grow them? So I think that bootstrap nature of the business just inherently makes you value customers so much more. If you have an idea and someone gives you $200,000 and then you get a kind of a proof of concept idea and you get $2 million in seed funding, Then all you care about is churning out that pipeline and proving that you're going to land new customers.

And over time, can you retain and grow them? So I think that bootstrap nature of the business just inherently makes you value customers so much more. If you have an idea and someone gives you $200,000 and then you get a kind of a proof of concept idea and you get $2 million in seed funding, Then all you care about is churning out that pipeline and proving that you're going to land new customers.

But if you're having to fund the business yourself, you realize like, no, we need the customers to renew. We need them to grow because that's how we're going to make payroll. So it's very much in our DNA to focus on customer centricity and customer value because otherwise the business would have fallen apart very early on.

But if you're having to fund the business yourself, you realize like, no, we need the customers to renew. We need them to grow because that's how we're going to make payroll. So it's very much in our DNA to focus on customer centricity and customer value because otherwise the business would have fallen apart very early on.

Yes, I think that if you try to simplify it, it's like there's more complexity in data. So traditional CRM systems are already built around transactional data, right? So an opportunity can be open or closed. Deals can be won or lost. Like typically things exist in a binary state and that's how things are. So you look at HubSpot data or Salesforce data, everything's very binary.

Yes, I think that if you try to simplify it, it's like there's more complexity in data. So traditional CRM systems are already built around transactional data, right? So an opportunity can be open or closed. Deals can be won or lost. Like typically things exist in a binary state and that's how things are. So you look at HubSpot data or Salesforce data, everything's very binary.

But when you're dealing post-sale, what matters is time series data, right? So that just means there's more complex data and it's just, you know, just infinitely faster amounts of data you've got to think about because ultimately post-sale is about understanding current state, comparing that to prior state, and thereby inferring future state. And you're trying to do this across everything, right?

But when you're dealing post-sale, what matters is time series data, right? So that just means there's more complex data and it's just, you know, just infinitely faster amounts of data you've got to think about because ultimately post-sale is about understanding current state, comparing that to prior state, and thereby inferring future state. And you're trying to do this across everything, right?

So all your data has to be on a time series so you can understand development. So there's just vast amounts of data and you need that time series in all of your product analytics and ticket volumes and email threads and survey results in product feedback and in payment, every concept, even revenue ultimately is time series, right?

So all your data has to be on a time series so you can understand development. So there's just vast amounts of data and you need that time series in all of your product analytics and ticket volumes and email threads and survey results in product feedback and in payment, every concept, even revenue ultimately is time series, right?