Are you satisfied with modern voice technology as we move into 2021? Otto Söderlund, the CEO and co-founder of Speechly, still sees a lot of shortcomings in the technology. That’s why his startup has developed technology that performs speech recognition and natural language understanding in real-time. In other words, Speechly is doing things with voice technology that the big players in that space have yet to do. Otto was a guest on the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast this week with Roland Siebelink. In addition to talking about Speechly’s incredible technology, Otto shared his vision for the future of voice technology and who stands to benefit the most from Speechly’s core technology: How product and development teams can integrate Speechly into their products. Why being tech-oriented has allowed Speechly to reduce its focus on marketing. How serving as a development shop was key in Speechly ultimately finding product-market fit. Why Otto believes that mutual trust is the biggest key to a successful co-founder relationship. Otto’s belief that co-founders are a family and their company is their “baby.” 

Silicon Valley Momentum

Finding Product-Market-Fit by Acting as a Developer Shop with Otto Söderlund of Speechly

In the startup world, there’s no substitute for working with the right co-founder. That’s exactly what Henry Bennett and Paul Loram have found in one another. The two have worked together on multiple startups over the past 15 years. Their latest venture, YourWelcome, is a POS tablet for rental properties that enable property managers to sell their own services, moving short-term rentals into a space that was previously only occupied by hotels. Henry and Paul joined scaleup ally Roland Siebelink on this week’s episode of the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast. They shared their secrets to a successful co-founder relationship and how they’ve been able to find success in multiple startup ventures:  How an old house gave Henry the idea for YourWelcome. Why constant dialogue is crucial for any startup partnership. The importance of having an end goal in mind during fundraising. Why startups shouldn’t forget to approach different customer segments in different ways. Why some startups will have a second chance to sell to their target group coming out of the pandemic. 

This is why you Listen to Customers, Not Investors with Henry Bennett and Paul Loram of YourWelcome

Whether you love working with them or not, spreadsheets are a part of doing business. Spreadsheets are the most commonly used type of software in the world with literally billions of users. Fortunately, the days of boring old spreadsheets are over thanks to Yannick Rault and his startup Sheetgo. With Sheetgo, users can ask the question, “What else can I do with my spreadsheet?” They can create workflows and automate processes that lead to greater efficiency while running a business. Yannick joined the latest edition of the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast with Roland Siebelink. The founder and CEO of Sheetgo discussed all of the ways that Sheetgo can impact the billions of spreadsheet users and so much more: How Google didn’t even know the idea behind Sheetgo was possible before they saw it themselves. How Sheetgo has been able to survive and thrive without as much financing as competing companies. Why finding partners early on played a crucial role in Sheetgo finding its way in a crowded space. The two types of investors that are best able to help startups realize their dreams. How starting out as an add-on ended up being the best option for Sheetgo. 

How to Turn a little Add-on, into a powerful product, and heck, why not a Unicorn with Yannick Rault of Sheetgo

Are you still sending Word docs into Docusign? Thanks to Contractbook, legal tech has been taken to the next level with contract lifecycle management. Contractbook helps SMBs to automate everything related to their legal documents. In fact, the company sets out to make its users feel like legal professionals. Contractbook has already made great headway in this sphere and has huge ambitions to help every SMB in the world in his area of need. This week, scaleup ally Roland Siebelink spoke with Contractbook co-founder and CEO Niels Martin Brochner on the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast. Niels shared all of the details on how Contractbook was founded, the market it serves, and its plot to dominate the world of contract lifecycle management: How the failure of his first startup helped Niels make Contractbook a success. The importance of proving to customers that you have insight into your field. How Contractbook discovered its target group but remains open to customers outside of that group. Why scaling your business might require a hard reset in some parts of your business. How the culture of a company can change based on that company’s targets and ambitions. 

How to Have your Customers App-Shame your Competitors with Niels Martin Brochner of Contractbook

Do you ever wish AI could handle some of your company’s project coordination and free up team members to do their best work? Well, it’s 2020, and all of that is possible with Forecast. Co-founder and CEO Dennis Kayser describes Forecast as “the ultimate power-up for project teams and professional service organizations.” With the help of Forecast.app, you can automate your busy work and better manage projects, resources, and finances. This week, Dennis spoke with scaleup ally Roland Siebelink on the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast. They discussed the origins of Forecast and the lessons Dennis has learned along the way: Why Forecast focused on making the best product possible, as well as a product that is simple to use. How remote working during the pandemic made Forecast’s customers realize they needed this type of product. How Forecast listens to its customers but doesn’t take what they say literally. Why fitting the company culture is the top priority when hiring team members at Forecast. The traits young startup founders need to survive when they’re just getting started on their journey. 

How to Test if People have the Necessary Oomph with Dennis Kayser of Forecast

Worldwide travel has come to a grinding halt during the ongoing pandemic. But the travel industry always bounces back after a setback, and it always comes back stronger than before. Helping to make that a reality is Redeam, a startup that connects travelers, operators, and re-sellers by bringing the same technology used by airlines and hotels to theme parks, attractions, and countless other tourist activities. On the newest edition of the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast, Roland Siebelink spoke with Redeam CEO Melanie Meador. They discuss how Redeam will change the travel experience and how the company has adjusted following the pandemic: How Redeam addresses both the supply side and the demand side of the travel industry. Melanie’s unique challenges of becoming Redeam’s successor CEO in 2018. The role that emotional intelligence plays in being a CEO. The importance of CEOs remembering why they hired team members in the first place. How Redeam has put in the effort and energy to maintain company culture with everyone working remotely. 

"You Can Mold a Skillset But You Can’t Mold a Passion" with Melanie Meador of Redeam

Cryptocurrency is slowly but surely taking over the world, one blockchain at a time. Unfortunately, the IRS has caught on and isn’t going to let people make money off crypto investments without paying taxes. But the silver lining is a tech startup like ZenLedger, which works to help investors and tax professionals with their tax compliance needs as it relates to cryptocurrency. In the latest edition of the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast, Roland Siebelink spoke with ZenLedger co-founder and CEO Pat Larsen. They discuss ZenLedger’s strengths as a company and Pat’s unique journey to becoming the CEO of a startup: How Pat’s time as a chemistry major and Navy pilot led him to become a CEO. The challenges of deciding you want to be a CEO before having a use case. Why startup leaders should take every meeting they can get when looking for investors. Why curiosity is a quality that startups shouldn’t overlook when hiring employees. The importance of CEOs accepting that they don’t have all of the answers, as long as they’re looking for answers. 

How to Aim to be a Great Startup Leader—Regardless of your Product with Pat Larsen of ZenLedger

There are no limits to how Artificial Intelligence can have a positive impact on the world, and the dental industry is about to learn that first-hand. The aptly named Pearl, led by Ophir Tanz, Founder & CEO and Kyle Stanley, Chief Clinical Officer, is changing the way that dentists diagnose and treat patients. Thanks to Pearl, every dentist in the world will one day have AI technology double-checking their work and making sure patients get the best care possible. In this week’s edition of the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast, Roland Siebelink spoke with Ophir and Kyle. They discuss Pearl’s lofty goals to forever change dentistry for the better and the unique startup journey Ophir and Kyle have taken with Pearl: How Pearl’s AI technology helps solve the problem of inconsistency in the dental profession. How they plan to seamlessly embed Pearl in the workflow of every dental practice. Why the time is right for Pearl to become a pioneer in an emerging market. Why Pearl has made its biggest investment in solving problems rather than making sales. Why a willingness to learn is essential for all entrepreneurs, especially first-time startup founders. 

How to sell your new product to creatures of habit with Ophir Tanz and Kyle Stanley of Pearl

It’s always good for startups of all stages to have goals and be working every day in pursuit of those goals. However, too many startups lose sight of those goals and the practices that can help get them there. That’s the precise problem that founder and CEO Matt Tucker is looking to address with his startup Koan, an alignment platform that’s heavily inspired by OKRs. In the latest edition of the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast, Roland Siebelink spoke with Matt. The two discussed a wide array of topics related to Koan and the qualities that put startups in a position to be successful: How Koan is solving a “structured collaboration problem” by helping teams work together and work transparently to create a common purpose across the entire company. Why several small but positive behaviors can end up making a significant difference in the end. The importance of startup leaders “doing the basics,” even when a business is in its infancy. How a combination of coaching and software can be the right combination for creating lasting change within a startup. Why leaders need to take into account the problem they’re solving and how quickly they need to scale when it comes to fundraising. 

How to Focus on Fewer Things—to Achieve Much More with Matt Tucker of Koan

Efficiency is always the name of the game, particularly for development teams that don’t like distractions or interruptions. That’s why co-founders Ori Keren and Dan Lines have created LinearB.io, a project management tool aimed at improving workflow for dev teams without distracting meetings, standups and reporting tools. In the latest edition of the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast, Roland Siebelink spoke with Ori and Dan. They discuss how LinearB is empowering dev teams to work asynchronously as well as Ori and Dan’s journey as startup founders:  Why dev teams can sometimes function at a high level while, at other times, productivity falls off. Why LinearB built both engineering and go-to-market infrastructures during the early days of the company. Why interacting with your community can be invaluable in finding product-market fit. How LinearB found success by getting its product in the hands of customers as soon as possible, even if the product was far from perfect. The meaning of Ori’s saying that: “every line of code is a business decision.” 

This Is Why Every Line of Code Is a Business Decision with Ori Keren and Dan Lines of LinearB

There are few things in this world as complicated as banking regulation. That’s especially true when so many small-medium businesses become part of the delivery chain. Tech startup LexAlign is simplifying compliance for banks by developing the “missing piece in the digitization of banking.” In this week’s edition of the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast, tech-ally Roland Siebelink speaks with LexAlign CEO and co-founder Trevor Lain. They discuss the complexities of what LexAlign does and the challenges of a startup that’s hoping to conquer a new frontier: How the mortgage crisis helped Trevor realize the need for a company like LexAlign. How LexAlign tries to empower small-medium businesses while also fostering innovation and competition. What it’s like for a startup with broad capabilities to find a target customer. Why it’s okay not to have a finished product during the early days of your startup. The importance of having a purpose behind your day-to-day activities rather than being solely focused on money. 

How to find Perfect Product-Market-Fit amidst an Economic Crisis with Trevor Lain of LexAlign

With adult-use cannabis products legal in 11 US states and several countries, the industry is poised for massive growth over the next several years. Tech startup Apex Trading is aiding in that growth by providing a wholesale business management and sales platform for businesses in the US cannabis industry.  In the latest edition of the Silicon Valley Momentum Podcast, Roland Siebelink speaks with Apex Trading co-founders John Manlove and Rob Fess. They discuss the goals and challenges of a young company that was founded in early 2018: How far the cannabis industry has come, as well as the challenges it still faces. What John’s experience with another startup taught him about the dangers of a CEO burning out. The importance of co-founders understanding one another and understanding the dynamic between one another. How keeping a “plant-first” mentality has allowed Trade Apex to connect with the cannabis community and earn the trust of clients. Finding product-market fit when your product is needed but not required. 

How to Steer Clear of Founder Burnout With the Right Support System with John Manlove and Rob Fess of Apex Trading

In a world that’s been reshaped by the ongoing pandemic, remote work and virtual events are becoming more common than most of us could have ever imagined. InEvent provides a platform for team management and virtual events, and as a result, the startup has grown by leaps and bounds over the last several months. In this week’s episode, Roland Siebelink speaks with InEvent co-founder and CEO Pedro Góes. They talk about InEvent’s journey to product-market-fit and the startup’s sudden success during the pandemic: How quickly the demand for virtual events has grown and the potential for future growth. The many steps InEvent took to find the right type of customer. How InEvent views salespeople for a self-service product that they want to sell itself. Why InEvent places so much emphasis on customer satisfaction and customer feedback. The importance of not comparing yourself to other startups when it comes to finding product market fit. 

"Growing 3X per month, after 7 years of trial-and-error. As if our growth came out of nowhere!" with Pedro Góes of InEvent

Companies are doing their best to remain efficient in this remote-working world.  They are eager to try any tool that helps to keep their employees productive. CloudApp is one of the tools benefiting from this trend. In this episode, Roland Siebelink speaks with CEO Scott Smith and CMO Joe Martin. They discuss the growth of their startup and what CloudApp brings to the SaaS market. Listen to the full podcast to hear Scott and Joe share: How CloudApp can save time and be a useful tool for async workers. Why working for a startup is attractive option compared to a larger company. The best times to seek advice and suggestions from investors and board members. Why CloudApp doesn’t subscribe to the typical Silicon Valley approach to business. The new meaning behind the acronym ARR and how it’s shaping CloudApp’s approach. 

How CloudApp Grew to 4 Million Users During the Global Pandemic with Scott Smith and Joe Martin of CloudApp

There’s no doubt that is more and more business being conducted remotely these days with the ongoing global pandemic. Of course, some companies like design startup Superside were ahead of the curve. Superside has been 100% remote since Day 1, delivering better and faster design projects and giving customers 24/7 support. In this week’s edition of the Silicon Momentum Valley Podcast, Roland Siebelink of scaleupallies.com speaks with Superside founder and CEO Fredrik Thomassen about how the changes in the world have helped Superside and how he hopes Superside can help change the world. Listen to the full podcast to hear Roland and Fredrik discuss: How Superside’s technology and commitment to finding the best designers in the world help separate the startup from its competitors. Why it’s so important to Fredrik that Superside helps to level the global playing field when it comes to labor. How the purpose of outsourcing has changed over the last 20-30 years. Who Fredrik listens to when he needs advice about Superside. The vision Fredrik has for Superside over the next 10 years and how that long-term vision has impacted his decisions as the company’s CEO. 

"How to Play an Awfully Long-Term Game" with Fredrik Thomassen of Superside

Roland Siebelink talks all things tech startup and bring you interviews with tech founders across the world.

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