Tech Entrepreneur on a Mission Podcast

By: Evergreen Podcasts
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  • Summary

  • Welcome to the Tech Entrepreneur on a Mission podcast. My name is Ton Dobbe. I am the founder of Value Inspiration and the author of ‘The Remarkable Effect’. I envision a world where every B2B SaaS business succeeds because they're creating software their customers would miss if were gone 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆: Research consistently shows 90% of all startups fail. That's bad. What's worse however is that +75% of SaaS Scaleups fail - companies that are supposed to have product-market-fit. Far too few Scaleups create the traction they aspire for and fail for the wrong reasons I believe this should stop - and hence I started my business and this podcast The goal I have with this podcast is two-fold: to inspire new forms of value creation by sharing compelling ideas and stories about the potential we can unlock when technology and people blend in the right way. Share experiences from tech entrepreneurs like you about what it requires to create a remarkable software business and how to overcome the roadblocks to do so.
    All rights reserved 2022-25
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Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
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Episodes
  • #359 - Jan Bruce, CEO of meQuilibrium on when to ignore the capital temptation

    #359 - Jan Bruce, CEO of meQuilibrium on when to ignore the capital temptation
    Apr 30 2025
    This podcast interview focuses on what it takes to build a successful software company by following your convictions even when easier paths tempt you. My guest is Jan Bruce, CEO of meQuilibrium (MeQ). In 2011, after years in the media industry during its technological disruption, Jan witnessed firsthand how stress and resistance to change were devastating careers and organizations. Despite having no background in technology or clinical work, she made the bold decision to create a software solution when she barely understood what a software application was. For the first five years, she and her team worked for almost nothing, deliberately avoiding the tempting direct-to-consumer route that was attracting massive funding for competitors, instead patiently building a B2B model that would prove more sustainable long-term. And this inspired me, and hence I invited Jan to my podcast. We explore the counterintuitive leadership decisions that led to her company's success while competitors faltered. Her approach challenges conventional wisdom in three critical areas: avoiding the "capital trap" of raising too much money too early, resisting the temptation to pursue direct-to-consumer strategies despite industry hype, and having the patience to discover your true value proposition through customer insights rather than preconceived notions. Jan's leadership journey reveals that sometimes the most profitable path is the one where you say "no" to what everyone else is saying "yes" to. Here is a quote that captures one of Jan's most striking business lessons: "There was a time when there were a lot of we had potential competitors entering in the direct to consumer space, and they were raising a lot of money, which, as you know, from a tech perspective, capital can deliver speed to build. And so there's always that temptation to, well, should we do it to get the money? But we didn't do it, and it was the right thing to do." By listening to this podcast you will learn: How to achieve "funding freedom" by bootstrapping until investors need you more than you need them Why saying "no" to popular market trends can create a sustainable competitive advantage How to discover your true value proposition by listening to customers rather than industry hype The leadership mindset required to build a profitable software company when you have no technology background For more information about the guest from this week: Guest: Jan Bruce Website: meQuilibrium.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    48 mins
  • #358 - Samuel Logan, CEO of Evidencity on when slowing down accelerates growth

    #358 - Samuel Logan, CEO of Evidencity on when slowing down accelerates growth
    Apr 23 2025
    This podcast interview focuses on the entrepreneurial wisdom gained through building a data-driven business from scratch. My guest is Samuel Logan, Founder and CEO of Evidencity. After bootstrapping Evidencity as his fourth venture, Samuel Logan has spent a decade building a company with a profound mission: creating transparency to eliminate modern slavery in global supply chains. His journey began by addressing a critical gap in the market—helping multinational corporations access reliable data about their suppliers in regions where information wasn't available online. What started as a network of people physically retrieving documents in over 80 countries evolved into a sophisticated data platform that now helps uncover hidden networks facilitating forced labor. Samuel's commitment to transparency goes beyond simple compliance, focusing on the 30% of companies truly willing to "lift up the rocks and see what's underneath" their supply chains. And this inspired me, and hence I invited Samuel to my podcast. We explore the counterintuitive decisions that transform good companies into remarkable ones. His approach challenges the "move fast and break things" mentality that dominates the startup world. Samuel reveals why the hardest business choices often aren't about what to do, but about what to stop doing—especially when everyone around you expects the opposite. We discuss why sometimes you need to step back and work "under the hood" of your business rather than racing forward, and how what seems like an obvious path in the market can often be a "mirage." Throughout our conversation, Samuel shares the moments where slowing down actually accelerated his success and why rebuilding foundations allowed him to capitalize on opportunities his competitors couldn't see. Here is a quote that captures one of Samuel's most striking business lessons: "If we had not made the decision around the data schema that we made, we would today not be in the position that we're in to leverage the AI technology that's in the market. Frankly, we need to leverage that to keep up with the pace at which things are moving right now." By listening to this podcast you will learn: How to recognize when your business needs to take two steps back to ultimately move ten steps forward Why your first hires post-funding should focus on leverage points rather than immediate revenue generation How implementing "user manuals" for leadership creates vulnerability and clarity that transforms team dynamics How to structure pipeline confidence-weighting systems that prevent optimism bias in your forecasting For more information about the guest from this week: Samuel Logan Website: Evidencity.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • #357 - Rich Kahn, Founder and CEO of Anura on transforming a reluctant side project into a viable business

    #357 - Rich Kahn, Founder and CEO of Anura on transforming a reluctant side project into a viable business
    Apr 16 2025
    This podcast interview focuses on entrepreneurial decision-making and product development. My guest is Rich Kahn, CEO of Anura. Rich has been building tech companies since 1993. In 2003, while running an ad network with his wife, clients began complaining about traffic quality issues. When he discovered no commercial fraud detection solutions existed, he reluctantly built one himself. Years later during an M&A process, potential acquirers showed minimal interest in his primary business but significant interest in this internal tool he'd developed. The rest is history. And this inspired me, and hence I invited Rich to my podcast. We explore the practical realities of identifying your most valuable product, even when it's not what you initially set out to build. Rich shares how he tested his solution against market leaders before spinning it off as a standalone company, and why focusing on measurable results rather than flashy features has been crucial to his success. Here is a quote that captures one of Rich’s most practical business decisions: “We added a guarantee to Anura for two key reasons: First, our accuracy is not a gimmick. It’s the real deal. Second, because no one else in the industry is willing to address false positives – real people misidentified as fraud. It’s usually the number one issue that clients have with a fraud solution. We are so confident in our solution; we have no problem guaranteeing it.” By listening to this podcast you will learn: How to recognize when your side project has more market value than your core business Why solving measurable problems creates stronger differentiation than marketing hype When to build technology in-house versus partnering with others The practical challenges of scaling a technical business in a constantly evolving landscape For more information about the guest from this week: Rich Kahn Website: anura.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
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