Help us get to 10,000 subscribes. Subscribe to @ThisIstheWaywithArtinMichael 📌 Connect with Lisa - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisadconn/ 📌 Subscribe to the shorts channel @FounderBytes 📌 Follow Artin @https://www.linkedin.com/in/artinnazarian/ 📌 Follow Michael @https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmichaelmerrill/ Join us as Lisa, CEO of Gather (formerly Icebreaker), shares her incredible journey of building a company from the ground up. Discover how a product initially called Icebreaker evolved into Gather, navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it found its niche in connecting remote teams and fostering meaningful conversations. Lisa dives into the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership, the dynamics of co-founder relationships, fundraising strategies, and the valuable lessons learned from building and successfully exiting a company. Founder's Journey: Follow Lisa's path from starting Icebreaker to successfully selling Gather. Strategic Pivoting: Learn how the company adapted its focus during changing market conditions. Fundraising Insights: Get a candid look at attracting investors and navigating different funding rounds. Team Dynamics: Understand the importance of co-founder relationships and emotional intelligence in leadership. Acquisition Lessons: Discover key takeaways and challenges from the M&A process, including a major mistake. [00:00] Intro [02:44] Building the MVP and Early User Validation [06:00] The Unexpected Boost from COVID-19 [13:11] Land and Expand Strategy: New Hire Onboarding Success [18:01] Pivoting to Productivity and Product Adaptation [30:27] Fundraising Journey: Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A Rounds [37:25] Emotional Intelligence as a Differentiator in Leadership [42:43] Navigating Co-founder Conflicts and Operating Frameworks [50:24] The Rules of Venture Money and Different Exit Paths [56:20] Learning from M&A Mistakes: A Major Misstep