Product Led Growth Leaders

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the VP of Product at ModelOp, Dave Trier. Dave explains how ModelOp’s platform centralizes AI governance, automates oversight, and supports diverse models, helping organizations manage risk while enabling innovation. Dave discusses the evolving need for customer support, with some clients now mature enough for self-serve onboarding. Learn more about Dave'...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the CEO at StudioX, Ajay Malik. Ajay shares how StudioX helps companies integrate AI into daily workflows for greater efficiency and innovation. He covers industry pain points, the importance of seamless AI integration, and the value of strong UX and storytelling in communicating AI’s benefits. Learn more about Ajay's work HERE . Connect with Ajay on Link...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the CEO at Local Falcon, David Hunter. David shares his journey from finance to digital marketing and explains how Local Falcon helps businesses visualize and improve their local SEO rankings using a geo grid system. He covers the unique challenges of local SEO, the evolution of Local Falcon from a pure SaaS analytics tool to offering AI-driven insights and pr...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the CEO and Co-Founder at Concrete Engine, Meltem Ballan. Meltem discusses the company’s mission to make AI infrastructure accessible, secure, and scalable for businesses of all sizes. She explains the challenges companies face with current AI solutions and how Concrete Engine offers a managed service that simplifies deployment, reduces costs, and supports bot...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Software Engineering and Effectiveness Coach and Technical Leader at Cosmic Teacups, Thanos Diacakis. Thanos shares his approach to helping software teams deliver features faster and with higher quality. He discusses the pitfalls of over-planning, the value of agile principles (without rigid ceremonies), and the importance of team communication and iterati...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the CEO at Saily, Vykintas Maknickas. Vykintas discusses the challenges of traditional SIM cards and roaming charges, explaining how Saily’s eSIM technology offers flexible, cost-effective data plans with global coverage. Vykintas covers Saily’s user-friendly app, upcoming subscription service for frequent travelers, and the company’s approach to optimizing co...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Co-Founder at EventMagic, Jon Werner. Jon discusses EventMagic’s role in connecting Austin’s startup community and the challenges of managing event networking. Jon shares how EventMagic was created to streamline check-ins, badge printing, and meaningful connections, offering features like contextual contact notes and a networking dashboard. Learn more abou...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the CEO at Learner Mobile, Mike Thompson. Mike shares his journey from advertising to founding Learner Mobile after a personal tragedy, aiming to make work meaningful for field-based employees. He explores Learner Mobile’s mobile-first, AI-powered LMS, designed for rapid, accessible training tailored to frontline workers. Mike highlights the company’s unique b...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the VP of Product at Mozilla, Raj Singh. Raj shares his extensive experience in both startups and large companies, discussing the unique challenges of new product development in each environment. He explores differences in talent needs, mindsets, and organizational structures, highlighting frameworks like "Explore, Expand, Extract" for product growth...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the CEO and Co-Founder of Vengo AI, Jason Sherman. Jason discusses his entrepreneurial journey and the challenges businesses face in converting website visitors into leads. He explains how Vengo AI’s conversational agent uses AI to engage visitors, answer questions, and generate leads more effectively than traditional forms or chatbots. He also covers Vengo AI...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the CFO at Oberon, Bill Dillmeier. Bill shares practical advice for early-stage founders on fundraising, product-market fit, team building, and navigating the AI-driven market. He emphasizes honest self-assessment, rigorous customer validation, and building defensible products. Bill also discusses his approach to financial goal-setting, storytelling for invest...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the CEO at Salesflow.io, Besnik Vrellaku. Besnik shares his entrepreneurial journey, discusses the evolving challenges of B2B pipeline generation, and explains how Salesflow.io streamlines multi-channel outreach with a focus on personalization, security, and user experience. He highlights the importance of combining LinkedIn and email for effective lead genera...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the President and CEO at Ancilla Ventures, Allen Cooper. Allen discusses how his company’s technology platform supports hospital environmental services staff—such as cleaners and facility managers—by streamlining operations and data management. The conversation highlights the importance of these often-overlooked roles in healthcare, Ancilla’s collaborative app...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Founder and CEO at Fanfare, Michael Dodsworth. Michael shares his journey from engineering roles at Salesforce and Rival (acquired by Ticketmaster) to launching Fanfare, a platform that helps brands manage high-demand product launches and events. He discusses challenges in ticketing and retail, such as bots and technical debt, and explains how Fanfare impr...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the CEO of Orbit Analytics, Rupesh Sharma. Rupesh discusses the challenges enterprises face with traditional, IT-driven data reporting and how Orbit’s self-service solution empowers business users with quick, secure access to insights, especially for Oracle ERP systems. He explores the evolution of business intelligence, the integration of AI for actionable in...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Co-Founder of Superflex, Aibek Yegemberdin. Aibek discusses how Superflex bridges the gap between design and code by automating the conversion of Figma designs into code that matches developers’ styles and reuses existing components. Aibek explains Superflex’s unique integration with VS Code, its advantages over competitors like Figma Dev Mode and Zeplin,...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Chief Product Officer of Zendrop, Alexander Blinov. Alex discusses the challenges e-commerce sellers face sourcing products from China, including quality control and scams. Alex explains how Zendrop’s platform combines physical fulfillment centers in China with a SaaS solution, enabling sellers to easily source, manage, and sell products without direct man...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Founder and CEO of Truffle, Sean Griffith. Sean discusses the challenges of modern hiring, including application overload and AI-generated resumes, and explains how Truffle streamlines candidate screening with smart video summaries and match scores. Sean covers Truffle’s features, its focus on SMBs, and future plans to become a comprehensive hiring operati...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the CEO and Managing Director of Pinetics, Eric Gillman. Eric discusses the challenges of bringing medical devices to market, regulatory hurdles, and the importance of user-centered design. He highlights the nursing shortage and the potential for digital technology, AI, and robotics to address workforce gaps and improve patient care. Eric also offers advice to...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Fractional CTO, Balki Kodarapu. Balki discusses his project-based approach to product and design leadership, the growing importance of design systems, and the challenges startups face in today’s AI-driven tech landscape. Balki shares insights on building and documenting design systems, collaborating with non-technical founders, and leveraging domain expert...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Founder of Changebot.ai, Brian Sierakowski. Brian shares insights from his experience as a founder, emphasizing the importance of transparency and regular updates to build trust and demonstrate ongoing development. He explains how Changebot helps companies maintain visible changelogs and structured recaps, making updates accessible to both current and pros...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Co-Founder and CEO of Vertikal X, José Carlos Sarmiento. José Carlos shares his journey from sports to entrepreneurship, highlighting the funding challenges faced by endurance athletes. He explains how VTX uses performance data and technology to connect athletes with sponsors, aiming to make sponsorships more accessible. José Carlos covers the economic dyn...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Mental Jiu Jitsu Creator and Trainer, Luka Starčević. Luka shares how his martial arts background influences his approach to helping founders and professionals overcome internal barriers, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and personal responsibility. The discussion explores the parallels between martial arts and entrepre...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Co-Founder and COO of Trellis Law, Alon Shwartz. Alon discusses the challenges of accessing fragmented state trial court data in the U.S. and how Trellis is working to democratize legal information for attorneys, businesses, and individuals. Alon explains the platform’s use of AI to streamline legal research and enhance efficiency, and shares insights into...

Your host, Thomas Watkins, talks with the Founder and CEO of Contrasted, Douglas Abbott. Douglas shares expert insights on B2B marketing, emphasizing the importance of generating qualified leads, understanding the target audience, and tailoring messaging for different stakeholders. He discusses how Contrasted leverages proprietary AI tools to enhance marketing strategies and align them with client...