How Running Out of Money Made DocSend a $165M Success
Russ Heddleston, founder of DocSend, shares how nearly going bankrupt forced them to rethink everything—turning a failing startup into a product-led rocket ship that Dropbox bought for $165M. From spreadsheets of startup ideas, to the painful lessons of chasing enterprise sales, to doubling their prices and watching conversions skyrocket, Russ breaks down the hard truths behind building a breakout SaaS company. Plus: why he wishes he hadn’t sold, and what he’s doing differently with his next startup.
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1:06:05
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1:06:05
How a $500 TV Ad Turned Credit Karma into a $7B Empire
Ken Lin founded Credit Karma in 2007, bootstrapped through the recession, survived a near-shutdown by TransUnion, and ultimately sold to Intuit for $7.1B. In this episode, Ken shares how a $500 DIY TV ad broke their growth, why he avoided an IPO, the non-negotiables that mattered most in M&A, and where AI is taking personal finance next. A must-listen for any founder navigating scale, culture, and billion-dollar decisions.
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1:07:51
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1:07:51
How Tracy Young Sold PlanGrid for $875M and Navigated Tragedy
Tracy Young, co-founder of PlanGrid, shares how her background in construction led to building one of the most successful startups in the space—culminating in an $875M acquisition by Autodesk. She dives into lessons learned on product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, and navigating founder relationships as the company scaled.
Tracy also reflects on her time at Y Combinator, the fundraising process, and the emotional challenges of selling a company. Post-acquisition, she transitioned into coaching before founding her new startup, TigerEye. She discusses how AI, core values, and leadership growth are shaping this next chapter—and what she wishes more founders knew about resilience and reinvention.
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55:31
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55:31
Essay Readout: Stablecoins are Defense Tech by Morgan Beller
This is an essay readout using an AI voice clone of NFX general partner, Morgan Beller. Morgan navigates the world of stablecoins and defense tech, emphasizing the need for a synergy between regulators and stablecoin creators. She dives into the historical significance of the dollar's power and discusses how stablecoins could further propagate USD. The essay wraps up with insights on the role of stablecoin Founders in national defense and suggestions for a US digital dollar.
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The Past, Present, and Future of Longevity w/ Joe Betts-LaCroix Alex Colville
In this episode, Omri Amirav-Drory (NFX), Joe Betts-LaCroix (Retro Bio), and Alex Colville (Age1) discuss the history, recent progress, and hurdles in the longevity industry, including the evaluation of potential founders and business risks. The discussion further encompasses the global fundraising potential and societal impact of the longevity sector, viewing aging as a disease, and the future of longevity drugs.
Learn more at - https://nfx.com/bio
We believe creating something of true significance starts with seeing things others do not. NFX is a venture firm exclusively focused on pre-seed & seed stage startups.
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