Beck Besecker

Founder and CEO

Company:

Marxent

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Highlights

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 Beck Besecker, CEO and founder of Marxent, a 3D product experience platform that has raised over $44 million in funding.

Beck and his brother Barry’s entrepreneurial journey, starting as “thick as thieves” inventors in Ohio and going on to build multiple successful companies together.
Marxent’s vision that “3D will eat the Internet,” with every product online eventually being represented in 3D for a more immersive, configurable customer experience.
The challenge of helping average homeowners design complex, big-ticket home improvement projects like kitchens and baths, and how Marxent’s platform automates the process with AI-driven floor planning and design.
The five-year search for product-market fit, experimenting across industries from fashion to healthcare before finding traction in the home category.
Beck’s approach to fundraising, focusing on high-net-worth individuals and former entrepreneurs who can provide patient capital and operational expertise.
The emergence of “3D Commerce” as a category and Marxent’s role in organizing the first industry conference to bring together pioneers in the space.

Actionable
Takeaways

Fake It Before You Make It to Validate Demand:

When exploring a new opportunity, Beck advises entrepreneurs to "fake it" by creating a mockup or teaser to gauge interest before investing heavily in building out the full solution. By launching a placeholder website for the 3D Commerce Summit and tracking sign-ups, Marxent was able to confirm sufficient demand to justify the event. Founders should use lightweight experiments to test their hypotheses and inform resource allocation.

Prioritize Retention Over Growth at All Costs:

While topline growth is often celebrated, Beck emphasizes that retention is the most important metric for a B2B SaaS business. By investing significant time upfront to ensure a strong value proposition and good customer fit, Marxent has achieved net retention of 110%+ and a highly profitable, stable revenue base. Founders should focus on delivering compelling outcomes for their customers before chasing aggressive expansion.

Seek Patient Capital from Operators, Not Just Financiers:

In contrast to the "winner takes all" mentality of many VCs, Beck has deliberately raised funding from high-net-worth individuals and former entrepreneurs who understand the challenges of building a business and can provide strategic guidance alongside capital. While not always possible, founders should strive to align with investors who share their long-term vision and can weather the inevitable ups and downs of the journey.

Foster Radical Transparency to Build Trust with Stakeholders:

Beck stresses the importance of treating investors' money with deep respect and maintaining open, honest communication about both the good and the bad. By proactively sharing challenges and setbacks with his board, he has cultivated trust and a collaborative problem-solving dynamic. Founders should resist the temptation to sugarcoat reality and instead err on the side of transparency to build resilient relationships.

Catalyze Community to Establish Category Leadership:

As the 3D Commerce space began to take shape, Marxent seized the opportunity to bring together the emerging ecosystem by launching the first industry conference. By creating a forum for knowledge-sharing and relationship-building among pioneers in the field, the company positioned itself at the center of the conversation and reinforced its category leadership. Founders should look for ways to convene and educate their market to accelerate adoption and shape the narrative around their solution.