In this podcast episode, Satej, CEO of Rocketium, shares his journey into startups and the founding of his company. He discusses his experience at Taxi For Sure and the importance of having a core team. He explains the concept behind Rocketium and the ideal candidate profile for hiring. He emphasizes the value of listening to candidates and assessing their cultural fit. He also discusses the transition from founder-led sales to building a sales team and the importance of having a true salesperson. He advises against promoting solely based on individual contributor skills and shares insights on expanding into the US market selling software effectively, and much more!
Timestamps
[00:00:46] Satej talks about his early interest in startups and his desire to be a part of a new venture.
[00:02:16] Satej discusses his experience working at Taxi For Sure, a high-growth startup that eventually got acquired.
[00:04:45] Satej explains the core concept behind Rocketium and how it evolved from a gaming company to an enterprise-focused platform.
[00:11:33] Satej explains what he looks for in candidates, including their level of ambition, culture fit, and depth of thinking.
[00:13:02] Satej discusses the interview process, emphasizing the importance of simulating real work situations to evaluate candidates.
[00:16:35] Satej reflects on the biggest hiring mistake, which is not relying on gut instinct and making decisions based on pros and cons alone.
[00:21:05] Discussion on the challenges of transitioning employees from operational roles to sales roles and the importance of hiring the right people.
[00:23:29] Exploration of the factors to consider when expanding to the US market, including the need for local expertise and understanding of customers.
[00:25:40] Analysis of the evolving expectations of software buyers, including the need for software to enhance productivity and the importance of demonstrating adoption and cost-saving benefits.
[00:30:57] Discussion on the different types of users and buyers for Rocketium's software and the importance of equipping them with the right information.
[00:32:37] Advice on the importance of choosing a specific customer, company size, industry, and buyer to focus on, in order to save time and accelerate business growth.
Satej’s Links
Rocketium – https://rocketium.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/satejs/
My Links
Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes
YouTube: lifeselfmastery
Twitter: rohitmal
Scaling beyond founding teams with Satej Sirur from Rocketium