Scaling, AI, and Leadership after Big Tech: Lessons from Highspot's Bhrighu Sareen

Thinking about leaving Big Tech for a startup? In this episode of Founded & Funded, Madrona Managing Director Tim Porter sits down with Bhrighu Sareen, who took the leap from Microsoft to Highspot and has been leading AI-driven product innovation ever since. They talk about the realities of transitioning from a massive company to a high-growth startup, scaling AI-driven teams, and how Bhrighu's helping transform sales enablement through automation and intelligence. His insights on navigating change, working with founders, and executing at speed are a must-listen for any leader considering the leap from stability to startup chaos. Tune in now for practical strategies and an inside look at how AI is reshaping go-to-market execution. Transcript: https://www.madrona.com/big-tech-to-startups-highspot-bhrighu-sareen Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:01 Bhrigu Sareen's Journey at Microsoft 06:52 Transition to Highspot 10:00 Working with Founders and Building Trust 16:31 Increasing Product Velocity and Efficiency 21:12 Cross-Team Dependencies and Offshore Strategies 23:02 Starting the Journey at Highspot 23:31 Navigating Economic Uncertainty 24:21 Expanding Talent Pool in Vancouver 25:37 Establishing a Development Center in India 27:54 Challenges and Surprises in Transition 29:50 Innovating Through Economic Challenges 31:01 HighSpot's AI and ML Innovations 33:03 AI-Powered Sales Training and Coaching 36:14 Future of AI in Sales and Marketing 43:31 Balancing Data and User Experience 47:28 Looking Ahead: AI Agents and Productivity Gains

NOW PLAYING

0:00 51:16

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

44: HR is the New CEO ft PMAP 2026 President Gilbert Camasura

Mar 23, 2026 ·48m

43: From Individual Contributor to Leader: Katz Zeta and Sha Nacino

Mar 9, 2026 ·41m

42: From Board Exam Failure to a 20-Year Brand | with BDJ Founder Dar Ty-Nilo

Feb 16, 2026 ·38m

41: How to Lead Remote Teams | Penn Camille Lat and Sha Nacino

Feb 9, 2026 ·41m

40: How Self-Aware Leaders Build High-Performing Teams

Feb 2, 2026 ·41m

39: Leading Family Businesses: Succession, Sibling Rivalry & Prenups FT. Jon Ramos

Jan 28, 2026 ·61m

Similar Podcasts

Hope Talks on Lightsource.com Haley Scully & Dustin Anderson Hope Talks is a weekly podcast where hosts Haley Scully and Dustin Anderson share with you what the Bible says about real life issues with compassion, warmth, and wit. So you have every reason for hope, for every challenge in life. Because hope means everything. Hope Talks is a podcast of the ministry of Hope for the Heart, a worldwide biblical counseling, coaching, and caregiving ministry founded by June Hunt, providing resources and training on over 100 topics.To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.lightsource.com/donate/1707 The Invisible Wave Podcast Invisible Wave An estimated 1 in 4 young adults in the U.S. are living with a chronic medical condition, many invisible to the naked eye, and posing unique challenges in education, healthcare, the workplace, mental health, and the family.The Invisible Wave Podcast illuminates these shared challenges through highly relatable personal stories from individuals, caregivers, and innovators, and highlights effective grassroots solutions to improve quality of life for this vast, underserved community.*About the Host:*On the first day of her medical fellowship, Dr. Santi Bhagat’s 8-year-old daughter was rushed to the emergency room where they induced a medical coma to stop her first seizure. In that moment Dr. Bhagat crossed the threshold from being a physician to a frightened mother desperate to protect and save her child, and was moved to create Physician-Parent Caregivers (PPC), a non-profit to protect young people with chronic health conditions and their families. Santi has since founded the Anthem Aw Canadians for Truth Canadians For Truth Canadians for Truth was founded to provide a community for people who believe in the importance of Truth, Freedom, & Justice. We deliver high-quality media, and engaging events intended to unify Canadians under a common set of values. MJ Next Drake Dunaway & David Cook Messianic Judaism Next, or MJ Next, is a podcast founded to ignite candid and long-overdue conversations confronting current issues within Messianic Judaism, bringing it closer to a traditional, sustainable, and grown-up religion.We take the legitimacy of Torah and Messiah as givens well past re-litigation. Instead, we call for a Messianic Jewish Revolution that starts from the template of Judaism – complete with its collective wisdom, tradition, scholarship, lifecycles, and rabbinic pedigree – accepting Yeshua as the Messiah and the legitimacy of the New Covenant writings sans the filter of Christian dogma.We will tackle wide-ranging contemporary topics through uncompromising honesty and humor, serving up a crass, unorthodox style in service of an Orthodox Messianic Judaism.You can find us at https://www.mjnext.fm.We welcome and encourage your feedback. If you have topic suggestions, send us an email ([email protected]).

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Founded & Funded?

This episode is 51 minutes long.

When was this Founded & Funded episode published?

This episode was published on February 12, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Can I download this Founded & Funded episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.

URL copied to clipboard!