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Conversation
Highlights

 

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 Stephany Lapierre, Founder & CEO of Tealbook, a supplier data platform that’s raised over $72 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

  • Inspiration from Family Legacy: Stephany was inspired by her entrepreneurial family background, particularly her grandmother’s successful management of a Pepsi bottling and distribution business.
  • Origin of Tealbook: The idea for Tealbook was sparked by Stephany’s experience in consulting, where she saw the inefficiencies in supplier data management at large companies like Johnson & Johnson.
  • Competitive Differentiation: Tealbook stands out by using machine learning to automate the enrichment and distribution of supplier data, eliminating the need for manual data entry and portals.
  • Creating a New Category: Tealbook coined the term “supplier data platform” to differentiate itself in the market and has worked with analysts and thought leaders to establish this new category.
  • Raising Capital as a Female Founder: Stephany shared insights on the challenges female founders face in raising capital and the importance of building a complementary team and finding the right voice in investor meetings.
  • Vision for the Future: Stephany envisions Tealbook becoming the gold standard for supplier data, integrated into every major procurement system, and expanding its data packs to unlock more use cases and deliver greater value to clients.

 

Actionable
Takeaways

Build a Complementary Team:

When raising capital, especially as a solo founder, hire a team that complements your skills and boosts investor confidence in your ability to execute.

Focus on the Bigger Picture:

Investors want to see the potential for high returns and not just the need for capital. Position your company as an opportunity they don’t want to miss.

Thought Leadership:

Invest early in thought leadership through blogs, webinars, and building relationships with industry analysts to establish credibility and educate the market.

Data Quality is Critical:

Ensure that data quality is a priority from the start. Poor data quality can hinder the success of digital procurement systems and other enterprise applications.

Leverage Customer Feedback:

Continuously test and refine your messaging and product features based on customer feedback to ensure alignment with market needs and expectations.

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