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Strategic Communications Advisory For Visionary Founders
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Highlights
From iPod Moment to Industrial Evolution: How Geminus is Redefining Machine Optimization
Most industrial machines today operate at just 60-80% of their optimal efficiency. In a recent Category Visionaries episode, Geminus founder Greg Fallon revealed how his deep tech startup is tackling this massive inefficiency problem – and more importantly, how they’re convincing conservative industrial buyers to embrace their AI-powered solution.
The challenge isn’t just technical. As Greg explains, “In the industrial space, the biggest challenge is credibility. You’re dealing with the largest corporations in the world and it’s difficult from a startup to work with these corporations.”
In an era where every company claims AI capabilities, Geminus had to find ways to stand out. Their solution? A three-pronged strategy combining strategic partnerships, laser-focused targeting, and thought leadership.
Building Credibility Through Strategic Partnerships
Rather than trying to build credibility from scratch, Geminus identified established players who could validate their approach. “We have found [it] helpful to identify credible companies to whom we can add value as a partner, who can bring us credibility to their customers who might be these large corporations,” Greg shares.
This led to partnerships with companies like SLB (formerly Schlumberger) in energy engineering. These relationships don’t just open doors – they provide crucial validation in an industry where failed experiments can cost millions.
The Art of Focus in Industrial Sales
The team spent considerable time finding their ideal customer profile. As Greg notes, “We found that if we can focus on to start a very small audience that is highly credible, that understands what we do inherently and has already looked at other forms of AI and is familiar with some of the drawbacks, we can resonate instantly.”
This meant looking beyond surface-level targeting to identify specific organizational dynamics. Greg explains they look for “a certain subset of companies that have very strong relationships between their chief digital officer, their digital transformation teams and their operating units.”
To execute this targeting at scale, Geminus employs sophisticated tools like 6sense to monitor enterprise buying signals – analyzing “what are their employees searching on? What keywords are they looking at? How do they stack rank?”
Navigating Complex Enterprise Sales
The industrial sales cycle involves “twelve stakeholders in a given deal” where decisions are split between digital transformation leaders and operating teams. Greg’s team learned to navigate this complexity by focusing on enterprises with strong alignment between these groups.
This meant accepting that their primary champion – usually the Chief Digital Officer – isn’t always the economic buyer. “We may have twelve stakeholders in a given deal, and it may be a split decision between, like, a chief digital officer who becomes our advocate, but then the operating teams that run these big assets who actually have to buy in and sometimes fund them,” Greg reveals.
Redefining a Category
Rather than trying to create an entirely new market category, Geminus is positioning themselves as disruptors in the existing industrial optimization space. As Greg explains, “I used to think that we’re creating a new category, and I’ve come to realize that there are a set of tools that have been around for about 40 years that kind of call themselves industrial optimization… I would say that we’re redefining a category, and I liken ourselves to the iPod. There were music players for sure, but the iPod completely changed what a music player was.”
This approach helps buyers understand where Geminus fits while still emphasizing their revolutionary impact. The vision? “My vision for the next three to five years is to have AI helping to optimize every machine, plant and system on the planet,” Greg shares.
For founders targeting industrial enterprises, Geminus’s journey offers valuable lessons in building credibility, focusing on the right customers, and positioning innovative technology in conservative markets. Success requires more than just technical innovation – it demands a carefully orchestrated approach to earning trust and demonstrating value.
Actionable
Takeaways
Challenge the Status Quo with Deep Tech:
Geminus's success highlights the potential for deep tech solutions that combine cutting-edge research from multiple fields, such as machine learning and computational physics, to solve complex, long-standing industry challenges. Founders should look for opportunities to apply cross-disciplinary innovation to redefine established categories.
Build Credibility Through Strategic Partnerships:
To overcome the skepticism and long sales cycles typical of large industrial corporations, focus on identifying credible partners who can validate your solution and provide access to their customer base. Invest time in nurturing these relationships and leveraging their networks to build trust and momentum.
Craft a Timely and Relevant Media Narrative:
To cut through the noise in a crowded market, develop a compelling story that resonates with the broader zeitgeist and aligns with your company's mission. Cultivate relationships with journalists and thought leaders who can help refine your narrative and provide a platform for your message.
Tailor Content to Multiple Buying Personas:
In complex B2B sales, it's crucial to understand the different stakeholders involved in the decision-making process and create targeted content that speaks to their specific needs and concerns. Use a tiered approach on your website and other marketing materials to provide high-level, strategic information for senior leaders while also offering detailed, technical content for end-users and practitioners.
Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity:
Recognize that failure is an inevitable part of the startup journey and that the key is to fail fast, learn from your mistakes, and pivot quickly. Trust your instincts as a founder and use every setback as an opportunity to gather information, test assumptions, and refine your approach.
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