Conversation
Highlights

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries, the show that explores the future of tech with innovative B2B founders. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Sarah Lehman, CEO of Zartico, a destination operating system that has raised $24.5 million in funding.

• The problem Zartico aims to solve: helping the stewards of beloved places, which account for 10% of global GDP and employ one in eight people worldwide, to make better decisions using high-frequency, big data sets related to visitor movement, spend, and occupancy.
• The passion and commitment of leaders in destination marketing and management organizations, who work tirelessly to ensure a thriving visitor economy and a high quality of life for residents.
• The challenges of selling to government entities and the importance of finding investors who understand the govtech space and the potential for digital transformation within the industry.
• The impact of COVID-19 on Zartico’s early days, forcing the team to get creative with customer acquisition by renting an RV and bringing the trade show directly to potential clients.
• The focus on building culture and community in a remote-first startup, with initiatives like costume parties, a weekly all-hands call, and an annual “base camp” gathering.
• The decision to slow down growth in order to right-size processes, improve the implementation experience, and build a strong foundation for long-term success.
• The lessons learned from fundraising, including the importance of aligning with investors who share the company’s vision, timeline, and values.
• Sarah’s advice to her younger self to trust her intuition more, even in the face of uncertainty or lack of industry-specific experience.
• The long-term vision of expanding Zartico’s platform to serve multiple verticals within a destination, from airports to small businesses to sporting events, in order to provide a holistic view of the destination’s performance and resident quality of life.