Behind the Category

About Behind the Category

Looking to build your own B2B market category? Learn directly from founders on the front lines working to create their own market categories. Brought to you by Frontlines.io

Publisher

Frontlines.io

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Mar 2023

Latest episode

4 Feb 2025

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Feb 2025

   Creating the Identity Governance Category with Kari Hanson

   Kari Hanson, currently CMO of Robin, shares the inside story of how she helped create and dominate the Identity Governance category during her tenure at SailPoint. In this episode, we explore the strategic decisions, market dynamics, and execution tactics that transformed SailPoint from a startup competing in the provisioning space to becoming the defining leader of an entirely new enterprise software category. Topics Discussed: - The evolution from provisioning to identity governance - Working with industry analysts to validate and define the category - Using PR and thought leadership to establish market leadership - Leveraging competitor moves to strengthen category positioning - The role of customer evidence in category creation - Transitioning from creating a category to owning it GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: - Timing matters more than terminology: Kari emphasizes that their success wasn’t about insisting on specific category terminology, but rather about timing the market need correctly. She explains, ”I think if we had gone a couple of years early or we had waited too long, we would have missed the boat.” B2B founders should focus more on identifying the right market moment than perfecting category naming. - Use analyst relationships strategically: Instead of viewing analyst relations as transactional, Kari’s team maximized value by treating analysts as strategic advisors. She shares, ”We would do monthly inquiries... we would find out what they’re hearing.” She recommends founders ”pick their brain until they tell you can’t ask them any more questions.” The key is using analyst insights to inform strategy, not just seeking inclusion in reports. - True thought leadership transcends product: Kari defines authentic thought leadership as being able to ”get through the entire conversation and never mention your product.” She explains that real thought leadership focuses on ”here’s where the market’s going, here’s how it’s going to affect you” rather than product features. B2B founders should separate vision-oriented content from product marketing. Build category definition through customer evidence: Rather than simply declaring a new category, SailPoint built credibility by showcasing customer adoption. Kari notes how they would get early customers to speak at trade shows about ”why this new approach was so compelling.” B2B founders should leverage customer proof points to validate category creation efforts. - Maintain definition control while being flexible on terms: While competitors and analysts used varying terminology, SailPoint stayed focused on controlling the category definition. Kari explains, ”We didn’t fight on the term because no one really cares. At the end of the day, it was really the definition of what this category includes.” B2B founders should focus more on owning the problem definition than specific terminology. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co

2. 

   24 Apr 2024

   Creating the Identity Orchestration Category with Strata Identity's Eric Olden

   Welcome to another episode of Behind the Category — the show that explores GTM stories from tech’s most innovative B2B founders. In today’s episode, we’re talking with Eric Olden, CEO and Founder of Strata Identity, an identity orchestration platform that has successfully raised over $42 Million in funding. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation: - The Genesis at Berkeley: Eric reflects on starting his entrepreneurial journey in 1995, amidst the burgeoning internet era, identifying security as the web’s most critical missing ingredient. - The Dot-com Bubble: Eric provides an insider’s view of Silicon Valley during the dot-com bubble, highlighting the rapid rise and fall of many startups, including his own brush with an IPO before the market crash. - Creating Categories: Eric talks about his experience in creating new market categories, emphasizing the importance of solving substantial problems and distinguishing between category creation and product innovation. - The Importance of Analyst Relations: Eric underlines the role of analyst and media relations in building and defining new categories, stressing the necessity for founders to invest time and resources in this area. - Identity Orchestration: Eric explains how Strata Identity is pioneering the category of identity orchestration, addressing the challenges of managing identity across multiple cloud environments. - Content and Thought Leadership: Highlighting strategies for building authority and generating interest in a new category, Eric shares insights into producing valuable content and engaging with thought leaders to amplify their market presence.

3. 

   5 Apr 2024

   Creating the Go to Market Security Category with CHEQ's Guy Tytunovich

   Welcome to another episode of Behind the Category, where we explore the stories of founders who have successfully created and dominated new market categories. In today's episode, we're joined by Guy Tytunovich, CEO and Co-Founder of CHEQ, a go-to-market security platform that has raised an impressive $183 million in funding. From Military Intelligence to Tech Entrepreneurship: Guy shares his unique journey from serving in Israeli defense intelligence to founding CHEQ, highlighting how his military experience has influenced his approach to business and category creation. The Birth of Go-to-Market Security: Discover the strategic vision behind CHEQ and how Guy and his team identified the need for a new niche in cybersecurity, focusing on safeguarding businesses' go-to-market operations. Evangelizing and Educating the Market: Gain insights into CHEQ's efforts to educate the market, overcome initial skepticism, and achieve widespread acceptance through strategic communication and thought leadership. Timing is Everything: Guy reflects on the serendipitous timing of CHEQ's launch, aligning with emerging market needs and trends, and emphasizes the crucial role of timing in achieving category success. Convincing Customers to Invest in a New Category: Learn about the strategies CHEQ employs to persuade customers of the need for go-to-market security and overcome the challenge of establishing budget allocations for a new category. The Importance of Sales Enablement and Operational Excellence: Understand how CHEQ's focus on sales enablement and operational excellence has been pivotal in scaling the business and solidifying the go-to-market security category.

4. 

   5 Feb 2024

   Creating the Go to Market Category with ZoomInfo’s Bryan Law

   In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Brian Law (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanbasdenlaw/), CMO at ZoomInfo (http://zoominfo.com/). Topics Discussed: Brian’s career before he joined ZoomInfo, and why he decided to do so The “go-to market” category, ZoomInfo’s category strategy and the team responsible for it Branding, positioning, and the challenges of shifting to a new category Founder-led growth, and what are ZoomInfo’s current priorities What people usually get wrong about category creation, and what questions founders looking to create a new category should ask

5. 

   15 Dec 2023

   Creating the Data Privacy Management Category with DataGrail’s Daniel Barber

   In today's episode of Behind the Category, we speak with Daniel Barber (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-barber/), CEO and Co-Founder of DataGrail (https://datagrail.io/), a data privacy management company that's raised more than $84 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Daniel’s international background, and why he chooses to live in San Francisco How DataGrail aims to give control back to businesses, so they can provide the data transparency and control their customers want Challenges: creating a new product category, educating one’s market, and aligning the company around the same narrative Whether analyst firms have an important role in the creation of a new category The future of data privacy

6. 

   15 Nov 2023

   Creating the Interview Intelligence Category with BrightHire’s Benjamin Sesser

   In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Ben Sesser (https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminsesser/), CEO & Co-Founder of BrightHire (https://brighthire.com/), an interview intelligence platform that's raised $36 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Ben’s career background in HR, and what it taught him about the central importance of the people who make up a business Challenges and shortcomings in the current hiring strategies most businesses use, and how it inspired BrightHire’s founding The typical BrightHire client profile - talent-forward organizations that treat hiring itself as a discipline Why creating a category might mean more than just being a disruptor, and when working within an established space might actually work How data becomes a key tool to educate a potential market, training customers to understand the value a business brings Favorite book: The Lean Startup (https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898)

7. 

   15 Oct 2023

   Creating the In-Game Creation Category with Uri Marchand

   In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Uri Marchand (https://www.linkedin.com/in/urimarchand/?originalSubdomain=il), CEO and Co-Founder of Overwolf (https://www.overwolf.com/), an in-game creation platform that has raised over $150 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Uri’s childhood as a gamer and the lessons learned from his time in the Israeli Air Force What category Overwolf is in and why it’s not what people think at first The figures of Overwolf’s success, and how Uri defines and measures success How category creation can be challenging, and useful strategies to go about it Uri’s vision for Overwolf in the next 10 years

8. 

   15 Sept 2023

   Creating the LearningOps Category with Cognota’s Ryan Austin

   In today’s episode of Behind the Category, we speak with Ryan Austin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanaustin3/?originalSubdomain=ca), CEO and Founder of Cognota (https://cognota.com/), a learning ops platform that’s raised over $7 Million in funding, about why knowledge and capacity building will always be the key to making business better, and the impact insights can have on tangible outcomes. With a functional solution targeting almost every aspect of your daily business needs, and an ROI calculator to report impacts in real time, Cognota is a decision-maker’s new best friend. We also speak about Ryan’s first company, founded in his dorm room at university, eventually transitioning from service-orientated to venture-backed tech startup, the power of learning and development to drive innovation, and where Cognota sees itself in the forefront of the industry in years to come. Topics Discussed: How Ryan ended up founding his first business on the floor of his university dorm room Why the learning and development industry remains critically underserved by tools that empower its potential impact Insights into the challenges of transitioning from a services-oriented business to a venture-backed technology company Cognota’s vision for the next three to five years, expanding the platform, developing more workflows, global expansion, and certification Becoming a leading player in the learning field, driving innovation and positive change

9. 

   15 Aug 2023

   Creating the MarketingOS Category with Metadata’s Gil Allouche

   In today's episode of Behind the Category, we speak with Gil Allouche (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilallouche/), CEO of Metadata (https://metadata.io/), pioneers of the marketingOS category. Topics Discussed: - Lessons Gil learned from hosting 20+ episodes of B2B Category Creators - Introduction to the MarketingOS category - Behind the scenes look at the work done to define the category - Lessons learned from the MarketingOS category launch - The role B2B influencers play in category creation - Why Metadata didn't explore category creation until after their Series A - The role analyst firms play in category creation - How Metadata slowly introduced category messaging into the website - Gil's #1 piece of advice for aspiring category creators

10. 

    15 Jul 2023

    Creating the Sending Management Category with Sendoso’s Kris Rudeegraap

    In today's episode of Behind the Category, we speak with Kris Rudeegraap (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudeegraap/), CEO and Co-Founder of Sendoso (https://sendoso.com/), the leading sending management platform that's raised over $150 Million in funding, about why it’s time for a better way of corporate gifting, and what ROI on each ‘send’ could mean for your company. With curated, customizable gifts for every occasion, comprehensive customer support and global logistical support, Sendoso makes every gift really count, more than just the thought. We also speak about Kris’ background for over a decade in software sales and his personal experience with the pain point of email oversaturation, the trials and challenges of building a new market category to differentiate yourself from the competition, the role of AI in delivering the perfect gift, and why keeping in contact with customers will keep your strategy flexible regardless of how circumstances change. Topics Discussed: Kris’ background working for over a decade in the software sales space, and the strategies the industry relies on to get their message out Personal experience with the pain point of email oversaturation, and the need to build a better way of engaging with potential customers Sendoso’s category creation strategy, and the stumbling blocks along the way which brought them to where they are today Why plucking a brand new term out of nowhere might not be the best way to make a mark on your marketplace Staying flexible and never being afraid to pivot as circumstances change, including in terms of your market category The role of AI in gift fulfillment for the new digital economy

11. 

    15 Jun 2023

    Creating the Marketing Automation Category with Mark Organ

    In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with serial category creator Mark Organ. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/markorgan/?originalSubdomain=ca) Mark first revolutionized B2B marketing as the founding CEO of Eloqua (ELOQ), the world leader in marketing automation software, which was acquired for $871M. Then he founded Influitive, the creator of the the advocate marketing and community category. Today, Mark runs Categorynauts where he helps B2B SaaS leaders discover, develop, and dominate their software category. Topics Discussed: The story behind the marketing automation category The role competition plays in creating new categories Strategies and tactics for category creation What critics get wrong about category creation What founders commonly get wrong about category design Mark's #1 piece of advice for aspiring category creators

12. 

    15 May 2023

    Creating the Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Category with Sangram Vajre

    In today's episode of Behind the Category, we speak with Sangram Vajre (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sangramvajre/), CEO and Co-Founder of GTM Partners (https://gtmpartners.com/) and Co-Founder of Terminus (https://terminus.com/), pioneers of the Account-Based Marketing (ABM) category. Topics Discussed: Sangram’s career background as the CEO and Co-Founder of GTM partners, and what led him to found Terminus The origins of ABM The role events play in creating a new category The power of podcasting to support category creation efforts Why Terminus partnered with competitors to create demand for the ABM category The most common challenges of category creation Sangram’s advice for founders getting ready to embark on their own category creation journeys

13. 

    15 Apr 2023

    Creating the Data Observability Category with Monte Carlo’s Barr Moses

    In today's episode of Behind the Category, we speak with Barr Moses (https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrmoses/), Co-Founder & CEO of Monte Carlo (https://www.montecarlodata.com/), a data observability platform that's raised over $230 Million in funding. Topics Discussed: Barr’s background in the Israeli military, and the lessons in analytics and dealing with challenges that she brought to the world of business How Barr’s Mother became her business inspiration from a young age, and what she learned from watching her business journey Why it can be easy to end up making content only for yourself, and how important it is to communicate with your potential clients to know what’s really going on Why Monte Carlo’s focus is on getting as many customers as possible and making them as happy as they possibly can Why Barr spends time on podcasts, at speaking events and writing blogs to share the concept behind her new business category The data observability category and why Barr is so thrilled to see it establishing itself

14. 

    15 Mar 2023

    How B2B Market Categories Are Created with G2’s Godard Abel

    In today's episode of Behind the Category, we speak with Godard Abel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/godardabel/), Co-Founder and CEO of G2 (https://www.g2.com/), the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace tracking over 2100 software categories. Topics Discussed: The founding story of G2 The problems with traditional analyst firms How G2 has built a foundation on trust How categories are created at G2 How G2 is leveraging AI and what’s coming next Godards number one piece of advice for B2B founders looking to create a market category

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

113,700

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

23

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

0

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.