After last week’s announcement that IBM is acquiring HashiCorp for $6.4B, HashiCorp co-founder Armon Dadgar discussed a few behind-the-scenes elements of the acquisition and HashiCorp’s full journey from the early days. Armon shares some of his biggest lessons from the journey, from fundraising to community building and more.

(00:00) Intro

(01:17) Explaining HashiCorp: Simplifying Cloud Infrastructure for Enterprises

(03:24) Navigating the Acquisition: Emotions, Expectations, and the Future with IBM

(09:01) The Founding Story: Choosing the Path of a Venture-Backed Business

(10:59) Challenging Silicon Valley Wisdom: HashiCorp's Multi-Product Strategy

(17:54) The Importance of Being Pragmatic: Adapting Products to Market Needs

(32:27) Customer Trust and Commitment: The Foundation of HashiCorp's Success

(36:27) Organizational Evolution: Adapting Structure to Strategy at HashiCorp

(38:36) Exploring Product Verticals and Team Structures

(39:16) The Evolution of Product Portfolio

(40:46) Strategic Product Development and Market Fit

(41:51) Transitioning from Product Expansion to Monetization

(43:27) The Impact of Docker on Fundraising and Strategy

(50:31) Navigating the Challenges of Multi-Product Strategy

(55:33) The Significance of Branding and Product Naming

(01:00:46) Understanding User vs. Buyer Dynamics in Open Source Monetization

(01:09:17) The Founders' Journey: From University to HashiCorp

(01:16:39) Navigating Leadership and Hiring Challenges

(01:17:14) The Search for the Right Leadership: A Journey of Discovery

(01:17:57) Realizing the Need for Specialized Roles

(01:18:24) The Turning Point: Hiring Key Executives

(01:19:57) Overcoming the Ego: Embracing Change for Company Success

(01:21:18) The Final Decision: Bringing in New Leadership

(01:22:45) Reflecting on the Hiring Process and Its Impact

(01:28:27) Building a Culture of Execution and Communication

(01:50:51) The Importance of Airline Loyalty for Busy Executives

Executive Producer: Rashad Assir

Producer: Leah Clapper

Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky

Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA

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About the Show

Logan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes.

Executive Producer: Rashad Assir

Producer: Leah Clapper

Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky

🎙 Listen to the show

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-logan-bartlett-show/id1606770839

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WqBqDb4br3LlyVrdqOYYb?si=3076e6c1b5c94d63&nd=1

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9zb0hJZkhWbg

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugS0jD5IAdoqzjaNYzns7w?sub_confirmation=1

Follow on Socials

📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theloganbartlettshow

🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/loganbartshow

🎬 Clips on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theloganbartlettshow

About the Show

Logan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes.

Before Andrew Bialecki took Klaviyo public and scaled the company to $6B, he bootstrapped it to over $1M in ARR. In our discussion, Andrew reveals his philosophies around fundraising, finding the best talent, cultivating entrepreneurship inside Klaviyo, scaling culture, and more.

(00:00) Intro

(01:13) Klaviyo's Bootstrap Beginnings

(09:37) The Strategic Pivot to E-commerce and Retail

(15:02) Narrow Focus as a Catalyst for Growth

(25:48) Building a Culture of Learning and Growth

(34:02) The Entrepreneurial Path: From Engineer to Founder

(37:09) The Commute to Innovation: A Startup Journey

(37:57) From Performable to HubSpot: A Tale of Acquisition and Growth

(39:26) Building Klaviyo: Lessons in Entrepreneurship and Team Building

(40:40) Scaling a Startup: The Challenges of Leadership and Hiring

(47:04) Fostering a Culture of Experimentation and Entrepreneurship

(53:15) The Art of Hiring: Identifying Entrepreneurial Spirit

(58:39) Chronological Resumes and the Power of Storytelling in Interviews

(01:06:16) Embracing the Unsexy: The Philosophy of 'Eating Your Vegetables'

(01:13:33) Klaviyo University: Training Future Founders and Leaders

(01:15:25) Cultivating a Culture of Learning at Klaviyo

(01:16:17) The Genesis of Klaviyo University

(01:17:05) Core Curriculum and Electives: A Deep Dive

(01:20:46) Adapting Learning Programs in a Remote World

(01:21:56) The Art and Science of Effective Business Writing

(01:28:35) Recruitment and Onboarding: Strategies for Success

(01:38:05) Building and Sustaining Company Culture

(01:41:28) Leveraging Boston's Ecosystem for Growth

(01:47:06) The Future of Software: Productivity vs. Output

(01:52:33) Closing Thoughts and Acknowledgements

Executive Producer: Rashad Assir

Producer: Leah Clapper

Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky

🎙 Listen to the show

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-logan-bartlett-show/id1606770839

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WqBqDb4br3LlyVrdqOYYb?si=3076e6c1b5c94d63&nd=1

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🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/loganbartshow

🎬 Clips on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theloganbartlettshow

About the Show

Logan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes.

After 23+ years in venture capital, Jeremy Levine has thrived in many eras, taking risks on now-iconic companies like LinkedIn, Shopify, Yelp, Pinterest, and more. In our discussion, Jeremy shared stories behind these investments and the mindsets he’s developed along the way. We also explored how the VC landscape has evolved over the last 20 years and where the industry may head next. Plus, Jeremy shares insights from his journey into VC, along with foundational advice and principles that anyone aspiring to succeed in the industry may find valuable. Overall, an in-depth discussion for anyone who wants to nerd out on venture capital with us.

(00:00) Intro

(01:03) Exploring the Personal Motivations Behind Venture Capital

(01:41) The Impact of Technology on Venture Capital

(03:11) The Reality of Venture Capital Impact

(06:45) The Ideal Venture Investment: The Donut Company Metaphor

(07:30) Operator vs. Career Investor: The Best Venture Capitalists

(09:57) The Dynamics of Choosing a Venture Investor

(14:03) The Unique Paths to Success in Venture Capital

(17:04) Authenticity and Adaptability in Venture Capital

(26:33) Navigating the Complexities of Venture Capital Careers

(34:11) Jeremy Levine's Journey to Bessemer Venture Partners

(40:00) Navigating the Venture Capital Landscape: Insights and Strategies

(40:30) The Competitive Edge in Early 2000s Venture Capital

(43:26) Reflections on Career Paths and the Role of Serendipity

(47:04) The Intricacies of Decision Making in Venture Capital

(52:37) Evaluating Investment Opportunities: The Price Sensitivity Debate

(55:22) Learning from Success and Failure: The Jet.com Story

(01:08:26) The Evolution of Successful Entrepreneurs: Insights from Shopify and Yelp

(01:16:22) The Strategic Advantage of Repeat Entrepreneurs in the Startup Ecosystem

(01:19:38) Navigating Market Dynamics: Insights and Analogies

(01:20:09) The Evolution of a Venture Capitalist: From Ideas to Impact

(01:21:22) Pioneering User-Generated Content: A Venture Success Story

(01:23:36) Exploring E-Commerce and the Power of Advertising

(01:24:59) Innovative Investment Strategies: SaaS and Payment Processing

(01:34:53) Bessemer's Legacy and Venture Capital Evolution

(01:39:57) Expanding Horizons: Bessemer's Global and Diverse Investment Approach

(01:52:35) Cultivating Talent and Embracing Industry Dynamics

(02:02:36) Navigating Budgets and Investment Strategies in Venture Capital

(02:03:55) The Importance of Accountability and Decision-Making Records

(02:05:46) Investment Memo Strategies: Beyond Templates

(02:08:43) The Dynamics of Voting and Decision Making in VC Firms

(02:16:19) The Evolution of Venture Capital: Trends and Predictions

(02:21:13) Building a Successful Venture Capital Firm: Culture and Operations

(02:29:57) Mentorship and Individual Growth in Venture Capital

(02:39:40) Navigating the AI Investment Landscape

(02:41:36) The Debate on Announcing Funding Rounds

(02:44:20) Closing Remarks

Executive Producer: Rashad Assir

Producer: Leah Clapper

Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky

🎙 Listen to the show

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-logan-bartlett-show/id1606770839

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WqBqDb4br3LlyVrdqOYYb?si=3076e6c1b5c94d63&nd=1

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9zb0hJZkhWbg

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugS0jD5IAdoqzjaNYzns7w?sub_confirmation=1

Follow on Socials

📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theloganbartlettshow

🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/loganbartshow

🎬 Clips on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theloganbartlettshow

About the Show

Logan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes.