Kady Srinivasan

New Episode is Live on KPH Podcast. Had a really meaningful conversation with Arjun Pillai, Co-founder & CEO at Docket, former CDO at ZoomInfo. Felix and Arjun Pillai spoke about his journey in tech and SaaS, how B2B sales is evolving, why SEO alone may no longer be sufficient, what AEO means in practice, and how founders should think about product-market fit, execution, and long-term decision-making. This was a grounded, honest discussion with insights shaped by real experience building, scaling, and leading global SaaS companies shared without buzzwords or shortcuts. Worth a listen if you’re building or operating in B2B SaaS. Watch the episode here: https://lnkd.in/gN9t7DsG Sponsored by FSEO.AI → https://fseo.ai/

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Today marks a milestone for Salesforce Ventures, and a defining moment for enterprise security. Alphabet’s acquisition of Wiz has officially closed. Wiz has been a cornerstone of our portfolio since May 2021, when Nowi Kallen, Kartik Gupta, and team first invested in their Series B at a $1.5B valuation. We saw the potential early and invested deeply, backing the team through their Series C, D, and E rounds. From a $1.5B Series B to a $32B acquisition, one of the largest in enterprise tech history, the Wiz team’s execution has been nothing short of extraordinary. This outcome reflects our mission at Salesforce Ventures: identifying the companies that define the next era of technology and staying behind them for the long haul. But the real credit belongs to the entire Wiz team on the ground. Beyond the technology, it was the relentless grit and day one mentality of Assaf Rappaport and the team that turned a vision into a $32B reality. Huge congratulations to the entire Wiz team on this historic achievement.

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Just spent 45 minutes talking with Nilanjana Bhowmik on her Post Money Podcast — exploring all the nuances of “software beyond the screen” investing, the danger of going TOO deeptech, and some of the best Ubiquity Ventures companies. Check out the preview video below or (1) watch the full interview on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gqUKpzP3 or (2) listen to the podcast: https://lnkd.in/gSi74wDZ — (And one clarification from this teaser because it sounds so terrible out of context: “these customers are so stupid they don’t know what they’re doing” — VERY importantly my quote starts with “I would NEVER back an entrepreneur who doesn’t empathize with customers and says ridiculous stuff like ‘these customers are so stupid…’)

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AI search is emerging as a meaningful new lead channel. India-founded startup Gushwork recently raised $9 million in a seed round led by Susquehanna International Group and Lightspeed Venture Partners to help businesses surface inside AI-driven discovery platforms such as OpenAI, Perplexity AI, and Google. The company reports more than 300 paying customers and approximately $1.5 million in annualized recurring revenue a few months after launching its AI-search-focused product, with strong recent growth and a substantial waitlist. According to its internal data, around 20% of customer traffic comes from AI-driven search and chat platforms, generating a disproportionately higher share of inbound leads. What’s unfolding is less hype and more structural evolution. Search behavior is expanding beyond traditional results pages into AI summaries, conversational interfaces, and AI-assisted browsing. Buyers are increasingly asking models direct, decision-oriented questions, which shifts visibility from keyword ranking toward being cited inside generated answers. That requires brands to build machine-readable authority through structured content, credible references, and consistent topical depth rather than relying solely on conventional SEO tactics. For marketing and tech leaders, the implication is pragmatic. Traffic volume may matter less than intent quality, as AI-driven discovery appears to capture users further along in the buying journey. Execution-heavy optimization work is becoming more automatable through AI agents, while human teams focus more on positioning and differentiation. High-consideration B2B sectors may feel the impact earlier, given their research-driven purchasing processes. The broader takeaway is simple: as AI systems increasingly mediate discovery, brand visibility will depend not only on ranking in search engines but on being recognized and surfaced by large language models when buyers ask who to trust. https://lnkd.in/egvj4PnM

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"Revenue leaders report that org-wide, AI-powered account intelligence and tailored POVs help accelerate revenue growth, scale sales excellence across their GTM team, and drive efficiencies to reduce the cost of sales." Read more about why tailored POVs are critical for your sellers today and existential for your AI agents tomorrow in this Selling Power post by Poggio Co-founder & CEO Matt Slotnick.

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The US market is excited for the GTM engineer role and how it enables reps to deliver more. The mature Indian market is still wondering why Revops is a separate department and what value do they add. Early stage haven't heard about Revops. The impact of hassle free ops and valuable insights to up the pitching game is seldom understood. This mentality of cost centres is what keeps Indian execution quality at its lowest. All while taking pride in first principles thinking, and missing the next step in the game. Designing a machine does not start manufacturing. Setting up a whole plant does.

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In the realm of systems integration, the debate often centers on the choice between One Integrated system versus two disparate systems. The consensus among my clients overwhelmingly favors the simplicity and efficiency of One Integrated system, albeit with a crucial caveat – it must work seamlessly. My journey of addressing clients' business challenges has propelled me into a prominent role as a leading benefit broker, distinguished not by selling insurance but by offering solutions. A prevalent issue faced by many clients is the disjointed nature of having separate Benefit Admin and Payroll/Human Capital Management (HCM) systems. The fragmentation caused by multiple systems not only confuses employees but also poses risks to data security and integrity. Such inefficiencies can burden HR and Finance Professionals, diverting their attention from strategic business priorities. The key to resolving these challenges lies in leveraging Benefit Technology expertise, in tandem with Benefit Knowledge, Compliance Support services, Employee Education, and Responsiveness. These elements are pivotal in assisting HR and Finance leaders in navigating the complexities of their back-office operations effectively. Have you found yourself grappling with a "Free" Benefit Admin System provided by your broker, leaving you to navigate its integration with your HCM system independently? There exists a more streamlined approach, and I am here to guide you towards it. Hilb Group Hilb Group | Managed Payroll Solutions ADP

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The Partnership Multiplier: How Strategic Alliances Create Exponential Value in B2B I am sure you have heard of 'point solution fatigue' by now. Well that is quickly becoming 'point solution exhaustion' and there’s no end in sight. Here’s the thing, every great business starts by solving one problem. It’s how markets evolve. We love that. We bet on that both as management consultants and investors. But here’s where it gets messy. Hundreds of companies flood the market trying to sell their solution as yet another standalone purchase for employers. Instead of adding to the noise, there’s a better path, partnerships. If you’re building a niche solution, consider plugging into the ecosystem of an established player solving broader problems. It’s faster, smarter, and creates exponential value for both sides. I learned this firsthand. Years ago, our small but mighty dev team couldn’t keep up with market demands. I needed a new feature fast (Darin Wardwell you might find this shocking). Their response? Sure… but what do you want us to stop working on to make that happen?" I needed both. So, I went out, found a partner already doing what we needed, and brought them under our go-to-market strategy. The result? 🏎️ Faster time to value 💪 Strengthened our story in market 🪴 Helped another company grow without distracting from our core That’s the Partnership Multiplier. Let experts do what they do best, while you collaborate and win together. We’ve helped dozens of companies rethink their GTM strategy through smarter partnerships both on the consulting and investment side. If this resonates, let’s connect. Happy to share more about how we have help make an impact. #Partnerships #GoToMarket #HealthInnovation #EmployeeBenefits

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