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Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech’s most innovative B2B founders. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Marc Bernstein, CEO & Founder of Balto, a contact center solutions provider that’s raised $52 Million in funding.
Most interesting points from our conversation:
Marc's admiration for Leonardo da Vinci underlines the importance of nurturing diverse interests, even those seemingly unrelated to your core business. This breadth of knowledge can inspire innovative solutions to complex problems, a lesson for B2B founders to explore interests beyond their niche for unexpected inspiration.
Balto's initial strategy, influenced by Eric Ries' The Lean Startup, underscores the value of rapidly prototyping and seeking direct market feedback. B2B tech founders should prioritize creating a minimum viable product and use real customer interactions to refine their offerings.
The tectonic shifts in the tech landscape experienced by Balto in 2022 highlight the necessity of agility and resilience. Founders must be prepared to adapt their operations swiftly in response to external pressures, including reevaluating burn rates and operational efficiencies.
Marc's fundraising experiences reveal that investors are seeking genuine connections rather than just another pitch. Founders should focus on building relationships with potential investors by asking insightful questions and showing genuine interest in their perspectives.
Looking forward, Marc's vision for Balto includes using AI not just for automation but to enhance human capabilities, suggesting a future where technology and humanity coexist beneficially. B2B founders should consider how their products can not only solve existing problems but also empower users to achieve more than they could independently.
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