Founders in Arms

• From Rice Krispies to $36M Series B: Dan Hobbs on Building Safety AI, Enterprise Sales, and Leading Across Borders

  In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad Akhund and Raj Suri speak with Dan Hobbs, co-founder and CEO of Protex AI, a company using computer vision to identify safety risks in warehouses and factories before accidents happen. Dan shares his journey from bootstrapping his first startup (where he survived on store-brand Rice Krispies for three weeks) to building a 70-person team serving Fortune 500 clients like Amazon and DHL.The conversation explores how Protex leverages existing CCTV infrastructure to detect dangerous behavior patterns, the advantages of being "outsiders" disrupting traditional industries, and how the AI boom has transformed both fundraising and customer conversations. Dan offers insights on navigating enterprise sales, building trust-based relationships with clients, and managing an international team across Ireland, Boston, and London.From pivoting through multiple startup ideas to selling multi-million dollar contracts, this episode provides valuable perspectives on computer vision applications, scaling an AI company in today's market, and the unique challenges of leadership growth. Whether you're interested in AI applications, enterprise sales strategies, or the founder journey, Dan's candid experiences offer practical wisdom for entrepreneurs at any stage.

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• Building Meaningful Tech for the Next Generation With Jay Shah

  In this episode, Jay Shah joins Immad and Raj to talk about his new startup, Poppy—a screenless, AI-native phone designed for kids. He shares what led him to pivot from enterprise SaaS to building hardware in his basement, why he believes kid-first tech needs a rethink, and how intentional design can create healthier relationships with technology.Jay reflects on lessons from BufferBox, the realities of manufacturing and tariffs, and the power of network effects in consumer hardware. The conversation spans everything from AI in education to emotional resilience as a second-time founder, the state of Canadian tech, and how Y Combinator continues to shape founder journeys.

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• Trade Wars & Supply Chain Disruptions: Ryan Petersen on Navigating the 145% China Tariffs

  In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad Akhund and Raj Suri speak with Ryan Petersen, co-founder and CEO of Flexport, about the recent implementation of 104% tariffs on Chinese imports. Ryan shares insights on how businesses are responding to this trade crisis, strategies for supply chain adaptation, and the broader implications for US-China commerce. The conversation explores how Flexport is helping customers navigate these challenges, the economic impact of protectionist policies, and Ryan's personal journey as a founder. From global trade dynamics to startup leadership wisdom, this episode offers valuable perspective on managing through economic uncertainty.

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• Building a Consumer Network First and Monetizing Later with ClassDojo's Sam Chaudhary

  "Schools try really hard to do all these jobs equally well for all kids, and it's a completely impossible task."ClassDojo CEO Sam Chaudhary shares how his education platform reached 50 million students by making the counterintuitive decision to spend seven years building a network before monetizing. In this revealing conversation with Immad Akhund and Raj Suri, Sam explains why education companies typically fail and how Class Dojo broke through by focusing on parents as true customers rather than selling to institutions.The discussion explores their unique growth strategy and delves into the psychology of education, with Sam sharing insights on how children develop best in "cozy bubbles" where they can explore interests without constant comparison, and why the balance between challenge and support is crucial for both children and high-performing teams.This episode offers essential lessons for founders tackling challenging markets, building consumer networks, and creating environments where authentic growth trumps comparison.

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• Special Episode—Unpacking Mercury's $300M Series C with Guest Host, Hiten Shah

  "The bar was really low in banking—we're not talking rocket science here. We built a product that reached a reasonable standard." Mercury CEO Immad Akhund reveals how a focus on solving basic user experience problems enabled his company to secure a $300M Series C at a $3.5B valuation. In this revealing episode, Hiten Shah (founder of Crazy Egg, KISSmetrics, and Nira—acquired by Dropbox) joins Raj Suri to mine insights from Mercury's journey from founding in 2017 to becoming a fintech powerhouseThe conversation explores how Mercury identified underserved segments in financial services and built distinctive features for startups, e-commerce businesses, and professional services.This episode offers essential lessons for entrepreneurs building in regulated industries, product leaders working on complex user experiences, and founders evaluating fundraising strategies. It’s a masterclass in identifying market opportunities, creating differentiated experiences, and building a profitable business in a highly competitive sector while maintaining focus on customer experience above all else.

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