Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Armon Sharei, CEO & Founder of Portal, a cell engineering platform that has raised $5 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

• Navigating the IPO Process: Armon shares the intense experience of taking a company public, emphasizing the numerous meetings with investors and the unique challenges posed by COVID-19, including navigating interactions over video calls with limited visibility.
• Dealing with Stock Price Fluctuations: He discusses how stock price volatility can impact focus and morale, offering insights into maintaining discipline and guiding a team to stay mission-focused despite the pressures of public market performance.
• Public vs. Private Company Dynamics: Armon explains the differences between running a public and private company, highlighting the increased transparency, regulatory burden, and efficiency of financial transactions as some of the factors that influenced his preference for public company leadership.
• The Role of Forced Transparency: He reveals how being public reduced the opportunity for "smoke and mirrors" tactics, providing a clearer view of peers and competitors and increasing the efficiency of financial dealings.
• Impact of Being Public: Armon appreciates the sharper, more informed nature of public investors and the accelerated pace of financial transactions, though he acknowledges the challenges and paperwork involved.
• Motivation for Building and Innovation: Reflecting on his personal drive, Armon attributes his commitment to improving the world to his experiences growing up in Iran and witnessing global disparities, which fuels his work in advancing cell therapies.