How to Win podcast with Peep Laja
Winning in a large target market with Cognism's James Isilay
Key Points:
James explains how his trading backgroun...
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May 16 2022 29m
Chapter 1 1 min
James explains how his trading background led him to founding CognismChapter 2 1 min
Cognism's first major pivotChapter 3 2 mins
My thoughts on early pivots with a quote from Eric RiesChapter 4 53 sec
James describes how Cognism's market size meant there was plenty of growth opportunity, despite competitionChapter 5 1 min
I explain the advantage of starting your business outside the hyper-competitive US market with a quote from Jean-René BoidronChapter 6 1 min
James talks through why friendly, warm relationships with your early customers is keyChapter 7 2 mins
My opinion on networking and why you should begin marketing efforts years before your product is availableChapter 8 59 sec
I unpack why even mediocre companies can succeed if they have excellent product-market fit, with a quote from Wealthfront's Andy RachleffChapter 9 52 sec
James discusses the importance of mentorshipChapter 10 2 mins
My advice on seeking out mentorsChapter 11 2 mins
Why Cognism did things in the early days that wouldn't scale, with a quote from Y Combinator's Paul GrahamChapter 12 5 mins
My thoughts on building out your brand narrative once you've identified your competitive edgeChapter 13 2 mins
James describes the moats Cognism is building for the futureChapter 14 1 min
Advice James would give to fellow SaaS foundersChapter 15 1 min
Wrap up