Hacking A Startup From Idea To Exit With Ben Lamson

Forward Obsessed

Ben Lamson is the Head Of Revenue at Paperspace, a GPU cloud and software stack for machine learning and artificial intelligence developers, which was recently acquired by Digital Ocean. Previously, he was the co-founder and CEO of WeDidIt, a crowdfunding platform for nonprofits that was acquired by a private equity firm. Lamson's entrepreneurial journey began in his early twenties, inspired by his parents, who were both successful small business owners despite not having college degrees. Growing up in a close-knit family in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Lamson learned the value of hard work and determination from a young age. In college, Lamson pursued his passion for wrestling, becoming a Division I athlete at American University.

Lamson's career in sales began at Meltwater Group, where he met his future co-founder, Sisu Suh. Together, they left Meltwater to start WeDidIt, hacking their way through the startup process by entering business plan competitions, winning grants, and participating in accelerator programs. Through their scrappy efforts, they raised a total of $3.5 million for WeDidIt before successfully exiting to a private equity firm. After the acquisition, Lamson joined Paperspace as the Revenue Leader, where he implemented a product-led growth strategy that resulted in a 350% revenue increase in just 12 months. His success caught the attention of Digital Ocean, who acquired Paperspace in 2023.

Throughout the interview, Lamson shares valuable insights and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, such as the importance of being curious, asking the right questions, and constantly learning. He emphasizes the value of resilience and grit, drawing parallels between the challenges of wrestling and the struggles of building a startup. Lamson also discusses the future of generative AI and its potential impact on various industries. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, sales, product-led growth, and the future of AI. Lamson's inspiring journey from college wrestler to successful startup founder and revenue leader is a testament to the power of hard work, determination, and continuous learning.

Episode Outline
(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:07:49) Discovery of wrestling passion and its impact

(00:17:21) Service industry experience and lessons learned

(00:21:58) Starting a tech company with a co-founder from Meltwater

(00:26:29) Idea evolution and the aha moment for WeDidIt

(00:28:46) Hacking the startup journey through accelerators and competitions

(00:31:18) Raising funds and extending runway through odd jobs

(00:40:45) Joining Paperspace and implementing product-led growth strategy

(00:54:33) Paperspace acquisition by Digital Ocean

(00:56:20) The experience of a successful exit

(01:02:22) Advice for non-technical professionals entering the tech industry

(01:04:00) Importance of curiosity in personal and professional growth

(01:09:58) Mental models for success in wrestling and sales

(01:12:35) Importance of repetition and constant refinement

(01:14:17) Turning unhappy customers into happy ones

(01:16:08) Transitioning from sales to product-led growth

(01:20:55) Navigating the stressful acquisition process with Paperspace

(01:24:30) Balancing ego and humility in leadership

(01:26:36) Hacking the fundraising process through alternative methods

(01:30:11) The moment the wire hit after the successful exit

(01:33:54) Staying at Paperspace post-acquisition and future plans

(01:38:02) Coolest use cases of AI seen in the past month

(01:41:56) Concerns about big players in the AI space and the need for regulation

Episode Links

Paperspace: https://www.paperspace.com/
Digital Ocean: https://www.digitalocean.com/
Meltwater Group: https://www.meltwater.com/en
Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminlamson/
Jason Lemkin on having a mentor budget for VPs of sales: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/do-your-vps-have-mentor-budget-jason-m-lemkin-2c/?trk=public_post

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