June 4, 2024

He Started A Business That Sold For $2.5 Billion. Here's What He Learned | Blake Murray, Divvy CEO | I/O Pod Episode 11

Show Notes

When Blake Murray came up with the idea of Divvy, it was because he had a problem: he couldn’t get real-time data on the financial health of his business. So in 2016, Blake set out to find a solution and realized there was none. Blake spent the next several years building what would become one of the fastest-growing startups in history—a platform combining expense management software and a corporate card to help businesses of all sizes manage their finances.

Blake, along with Tyler and Sterling—Divvy’s SVP and CRO—break down why this startup was such a remarkable success: a world-class team, a world-class product and a performance culture that pushed Divvy and it’s people to the top.

Chapters:

01:38 - How Blake Knew Divvy Would Be A Big Idea

07:17 - The Insight: No Real-Time Financial Information For Businesses

09:20 - The Idea: Blake Lands A 7-Figure Deal With Only A Deck

14:15 - Sell, Design, Build: How Divvy Built First Then Sold To Solve GTM

24:30 - Hire Like-Minded People Instead of People Who’ve Done It (Culture vs Acumen)

37:00 - ’Nobody’s Coming, It’s Up To Us’. How To Do More With Less

42:27 - Founder Advice: Have A Short Memory

43:45 - Founder Advice: Build A Performance Culture

49:52 - Work-Life Balance Myth: Big Sacrifices Are Required for Asymmetric Upside

59:00 - Investor Advice: Founders Want Investors Who Will Be Loyal To Them

1:04:45 - Tyler and Sterling’s Recap