EPISODE · May 16, 2022 · 29 MIN
Winning in a large target market with Cognism's James Isilay
from How to Win podcast with Peep Laja · host Peep Laja
Key Points:James explains how his trading background led him to founding Cognism (01:04)Cognism's first major pivot (02:25)My thoughts on early pivots with a quote from Eric Ries (03:39)James describes how Cognism's market size meant there was plenty of growth opportunity, despite competition (06:24)I explain the advantage of starting your business outside the hyper-competitive US market with a quote from Jean-René Boidron (07:18)James talks through why friendly, warm relationships with your early customers is key (08:53)My opinion on networking and why you should begin marketing efforts years before your product is available (09:57)I unpack why even mediocre companies can succeed if they have excellent product-market fit, with a quote from Wealthfront's Andy Rachleff (12:28)James discusses the importance of mentorship (13:28)My advice on seeking out mentors (14:21)Why Cognism did things in the early days that wouldn't scale, with a quote from Y Combinator's Paul Graham (16:26)My thoughts on building out your brand narrative once you've identified your competitive edge (18:55)James describes the moats Cognism is building for the future (23:57)Advice James would give to fellow SaaS founders (26:40)Wrap up (28:09)Mentioned:James Isilay LinkedInJames Isilay TwitterCognism LinkedInCognism WebsiteLean Startup by Eric RiesExpanding internationally into market openings with Kameleoon's Jean-René BoidronAndy Rachleff LinkedInPaul Graham TwitterMy Links:TwitterLinkedInWebsiteWynterSpeeroCXL
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What this episode covers
This week on How to Win: James Isilay, co-founder and CEO of Cognism, a sales intelligence and data platform. Founded in 2015, Cognism has seen explosive growth, going from $13.6M to $31M in revenue in the last year alone and sitting at over 320 employees. In this episode, we discuss the advantages of choosing a large target market and an essential product, and James explains how Cognism is targeting their ideal customer with a focused brand narrative. I share my thoughts on the "dos and don'ts" of mentorship, pivoting in the early days of your business, and how to tell the story of what makes your company unique.
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Winning in a large target market with Cognism's James Isilay
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