How Sameer Dholakia Led SendGrid to IPO and Exit

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Give First

Techstars

104 episodes

1 week ago

In the startup world, Give First means simply trying to help anyone—especially entrepreneurs—with no expectation of getting anything back. It's the pay-it-forward principle that builds strong startup networks. Hosts David Cohen and Brad Feld—Techstars cofounders, lifelong entrepreneurs, and startup investors—talk with mentors and founders about what giving first looks like in action, and how it makes great entrepreneurship possible.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Sameer Dholakia Led SendGrid to IPO and Exit

Give First

38 minutes 8 seconds

1 week ago

How Sameer Dholakia Led SendGrid to IPO and Exit

In this episode of the Give First podcast, Brad Feld sits down with Sameer Dholakia, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners and former CEO of SendGrid, the first Techstars company to go public.

When Sameer joined SendGrid, growth was slowing and the company was losing money. Under his leadership, it became a $250M business, went public, and was later acquired by Twilio.

Sameer shares the story of how his mother’s advice shaped his approach to leadership and why empathy and clarity became his greatest tools as a CEO. From his first days stepping into a nervous team, to navigating “oh sh*t” moments on the path to IPO, Sameer reflects on the lessons that defined his career, and how they continue to guide his work with founders today.

Sameer Dholakia ➡️ LinkedIn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.