Rami Salman (Wrappup, Cisco) - Why his Lebanese roots impact him to this day, how he is able to make something out of nothing, what prompted the Voicea acquisition, and how he overcame countless failures

In this episode, we talk with Rami Salman, the Co-Founder of Wrappup, a meeting-based productivity app with intelligent voice recording that helps inside sales managers make better decisions. Now, Rami is the Director of M&A, Strategy, & Partnerships at Cisco, after Wrappup's acquisition by Voicea, and concurrently by Cisco.This was an in-depth conversation on Rami's entrepreneurial journey, from when he learned the entrepreneurial tools and mindset from childhood with his family, to Co-Founding Wrappup and raising multiple rounds for his startup, ultimately getting acquired. Now at Cisco, we talk with Rami to look back on his journey and the deep lessons he learned throughout this time. He was honest in sharing his challenges, worries, and success raising funds for Wrappup and the conversations he's had with investors, so there is plenty to unpack here if you are a founder going through the same journey.We'll talk about:The frameworks and strategies Rami used to shift Wrappup in a direction to profitability and ultimately attracting investorsWhat to really do once you get market validation for your product, and how to respond to it effectivelyThe hardest moment of being a founder on the verge of closing down the businessHow to structure your startup so that you are fit for acquisitionEnjoy!Timestamps2:28 Intuitive, Analytical: How Rami would describe himself growing up7:41 Rami's first taste of entrepreneurship through his family11:11 Tinkering as a key trait of a founder16:07 Starting off an experiential career after graduating18:38 Working at Bain & getting the tools to tinker with business and strategy19:57 How Rami's wife encouraged him to get an MBA for entrepreneurship21:38 How Rami Salman learned more at a hackathon than the last 1.5 years of his career26:50 "I really wanted to do something that didn't exist before" Rami Salman's ethos on Wrappup28:17 Choosing the right customers for Wrappup and how to close larger rounds33:57 "Impossible is was just a temporary position for them" Getting app developers for Wrappup36:19 Using the matrix of use cases to figure out strategic direction39:07 How Wrappup was acquired by Voia through organic connection41:04 Why you should get someone to steal your idea44:30 Getting market validation and 200k app downloads47:20 The challenges of transitioning into getting acquired50:11 The different criteria of getting acquired as a startup52:39 What VCs really look for when investing in businesses53:11 The hardest moment in Rami Salman's entrepreneurial journey56:16 What qualities Rami Salman thinks a good investor should have1:00:23 Deciding to be an entrepreneur again or not1:01:50 Redefining impact now that Rami Salman is more of an investor and advisorLinksRami Salman's LinkedIn: https://ae.linkedin.com/in/ramisalmanAbout the Host COTU Ventures Website Amir's LinkedIn Amir's Twitter