Ep 10 Shyam Rao (Founder @ Punchh)

ROI for Early Customers = Repeatable GTM

In this episode we talk to Shyam Rao, who sold his last company Punchh for $500M.

We decrypt his journey from trading into entrepreneurship and how he bootstrapped Punchh for the first 3-4 years. We also talk about how PLG and ROI focus has been core to the growth of the business, creating an alignment with customers - the key to continued expansion.

We wrap with how to navigate M&A, a theme which we believe is going to be a key topic in several board meetings over the next 12-18 months.

Over the course of the hour we covered the topics below

• 13:33 Finding Your First Customers

• 17:27 Bootstrapping and Early Growth Reflecting on Punchh's journey

• 27:07 Product-Led Approach

• 33:39 Focusing on ROI In the early days

• 35:11 Aligning with Customer Goals

• 44:09 Building a Strong Company Culture

• 50:10 Thoughtful Hiring as You Grow

• 53:39 Fostering Team Spirit

• 56:25 Preparing for M&A

• 01:02:52 Maintaining Work-Life Balance

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