Libsyn Directory

Shubham Khoker on Scaling Startups, Growth Lessons, and the Future of AI Agents

Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

Release Date: 05/01/2025

How AI Is Shaping the Future of Sales with Doreen Pernel from Scaleway

Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am thrilled to have Doreen Pernel, Chief Sales Officer at Scaleway, Europe's leading sovereign cloud provider. She's built and scaled sales teams across Meta, Dataiku, Box, and Bloomberg, navigating Sydney, New York, London, and Paris. In this conversation, Doreen Pernel, Chief Sales Officer at Scaleway, shares her insights on sales leadership, cultural adaptability, and innovative strategies in the cloud computing industry. She discusses the importance of resilience in hiring, the evolving role of cold calling, and how to motivate teams against larger competitors. She also reflects on the...

Unlocking Subscription Success with Daniel Layfield

Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am thrilled to have Daniel Layfield, who is Director of Product Management at Diligent and founder of Subscription Index, advising subscription businesses on monetisation. In this conversation, Daniel Layfield shares his journey from finance to product management, discussing his experiences at Code Academy and Diligent. He emphasises the importance of understanding churn, effective pricing strategies, and the role of AI in product management. Daniel also explores the complexities of subscription models, the significance of metrics, and the impact of price localisation on revenue. Timestamps...

Scaling Product Organizations in the Age of AI with CallRail's Ryan Johnson

Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am excited to have , who is the Chief Product Officer at CallRail, an AI-powered lead intelligence platform serving 200,000+ businesses with over $100M ARR. In this conversation, Ryan Johnson, Chief Product Officer at CallRail, shares his journey from finance to product management, discussing the evolution of CallRail from a call tracking service to a lead intelligence platform. He emphasises the importance of scaling product organisations, balancing sales and product-led growth, and navigating the challenges posed by AI disruption. Ryan also delves into pricing strategies, monetisation...

Evolution of Pricing Strategies in Business with Gary Bailey

Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am thrilled to have , founder of Strategim, a monetisation & pricing expert with a deep background in financial services, accounting, pricing, and AI. In this conversation, Gary Bailey, a monetisation and pricing expert, shares his journey from accounting to product management and pricing. He discusses the importance of pricing as a core discipline in business education, the evolving role of finance in pricing strategies, and the impact of AI on SaaS pricing models. Gary emphasizes the need for training the next generation in pricing and the role of a monetization architect in modern...

Art of Pricing Strategies in SaaS with Naveen Mohan at Otter

Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am thrilled to have Naveen Mohan, who leads monetisation at , bringing deep experience from Adobe and Loom. With a Carnegie Mellon Information Systems degree and software engineering background, he combines data science expertise with product management. In this conversation, Naveen Mohan, Product and Monetisation Lead at Otter.ai, shares his journey from data science to product management, emphasising the importance of experimentation in pricing strategies and the evolution of monetisation in tech startups. He discusses the balance between soft and hard paywalls, the rise of hybrid pricing...

How Superlinked is building the Next Generation of AI Search with Ben Gutkovich

Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am excited to have , co-founder of , helping AI engineers build information retrieval systems using vector embeddings. In this conversation, Ben Gutkovich, co-founder of Superlink, shares his journey from a software engineer to an entrepreneur in the AI space. He discusses the differences between consulting and building technology, the challenges of recruiting talent in a competitive market, and innovative strategies for business development. Ben also addresses the impact of remote work on startups, insights into M&A deals, and predictions for the future of AI. He emphasises the...

Future of Fundraising in the Age of AI with Casey Woo of Operators Guild

Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am excited to have , founder of , a community of 800+ top operators. He is also a General Partner at FOG Ventures, where he's witnessing how AI is killing the 18-month fundraising cycle, enabling 1000x returns in half the time. In this conversation, Casey Woo, founder of Operators Guild and general partner at Fog Ventures, discusses his journey from Wall Street to the startup world, the evolving landscape of fundraising, and the impact of AI on job roles and business operations. He emphasises the importance of generalists in startups, the need for effective distribution strategies, and the...

Navigating the Crypto Landscape with Harvey Liu of Levex Exchange

Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am happy to have Harvey Liu, the CEO of , where he’s building a cutting-edge platform for spot and futures trading in digital assets. In this conversation, Harvey Liu, CEO of Levex Exchange, discusses his journey from computer science to venture capital and now leading a crypto exchange. We explore misconceptions about blockchain, the psychology of trading, the challenges of asset tokenisation, and the importance of a strong team and culture in business. Harvey shares insights on investing principles, strategies for startups going global, and the dynamics of venture capital, emphasising...

Transforming Education Through Digital Infrastructure with Shankar Maruwada from EkStep Foundation

Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am excited to have , Co-Founder and CEO of EkStep Foundation, a pioneering non-profit working to improve learning outcomes for millions of children in India through technology and learner-centric platforms. Shankar has been featured in ’s ‘Policy 50’, a definitive list of the 50 leaders who are steering and shaping India’s digital economy. In this conversation, Shankar Maruwada shares his journey from corporate leadership to social impact through the Ekstep Foundation. He discusses the importance of digital infrastructure in education, the lessons learned from the Aadhaar initiative,...

Investing in Peace with Shane Martin of B Ventures

Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

I am excited to have —a venture capitalist who’s rewriting the playbook for what investing can look like. He’s an investor at , the first-of-its-kind global peace VC fund that backs tech founders building solutions for both profit and peace. In this conversation, Shane Ray Martin, a venture capitalist at B-Ventures, discusses his unique journey into the world of venture capital, emphasising the potential profitability of peace tech. He shares insights on the challenges of pitching peace tech to investors, common mistakes founders make in their pitches, and the balance between instincts...

More Episodes

Shubham Khoker was the Head of Growth at Topmate. Topmate.io is a fast-growing online platform that connects freelancers and clients, he used to lead the growth strategy and execution for the company. rifa.ai founder. IIT bombay

In this episode, Shubham Khoker, former Head of Growth at Topmate and founder of Rifa AI, shares his unconventional journey from UPSC preparation to the startup world, insights from scaling Topmate in India and the US, lessons from failed experiments, and the evolution of the creator economy. He discusses the future of AI in growth and operations, the difference between growth sales and traditional sales, and how brands can drive user retention, and much more!

Timestamps

[09:00] Early days at Topmate – not a marketplace, but a tool for freelancers.

[11:30] Topmate’s shift from tool to marketplace model.

[13:00] Initial traction in India – focus on Bangalore and Mumbai.

[15:00] Decision to expand internationally – choosing the US market over others.

[18:00] Unique challenges in India: hesitation to pay for someone's time.

[20:00] Lessons learned from experimenting with free incentives in the US.

[22:00] How lack of pricing on Topmate's website hurt US expansion.

[24:00] CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) vs LTV (Lifetime Value) differences between India and US.

[26:30] Failed experiments: why cold outreach strategies in India didn’t work in the US.

[29:00] Lessons from automation failures in early US outreach efforts.

[31:00] Shubham's view on when startups should consider paid acquisition.