Episode 72
How This CEO Built a Movement, Not Just a Company with Nick Mehta
In this insightful episode of the Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod sits down with Nick Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Gainsight, to explore the journey of building a category-defining company. Mehta shares how Gainsight played a pivotal role in creating the customer success profession and job category, transforming how businesses approach customer retention in the SaaS world. The conversation delves into Gainsight's funding history, with Mehta offering valuable perspectives on navigating relationships with top-tier venture capital firms and aligning expectations. He provides a candid look at the challenges of scaling a startup while maintaining a strong company culture, discussing Gainsight's core values and how they've shaped the organization's growth. Mehta also opens up about personal growth and the evolving priorities of a long-term CEO, offering wisdom on balancing professional ambition with personal fulfillment. This episode is a must-listen for founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in the human side of building a successful tech company.
00:53 Gainsight's Guru: Meet Nick Mehta
02:14 Taylor Swift: Nick's Unexpected Muse
05:01 The Many Faces of Nick
13:29 Nick's Literary Legacy: Five Books
17:48 Keeping Customer Focus at Scale
24:16 Glassdoor Glory: Gainsight's Triumph
28:44 Five Pillars: Gainsight's Core Values
38:22 Ganesh's Wisdom: Letting Go
46:28 Wrapping Up: Kudos to Nick
Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.
I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/
Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/
