Listen Here

| |

Conversation
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 Hans Elstner, CEO & Founder of Rooom, an enterprise metaverse platform that’s raised over $25 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

  • Early Challenges: Hans started Rooom in 2016, spending three years developing the software before launching. Convincing stakeholders and refining the product were significant early hurdles.
  • First Major Client: Securing the first big customer involved numerous visits and extensive persuasion, ultimately landing a six-figure deal that validated Rooom’s value proposition.
  • Expanding Vertical Focus: Initially targeting marketing, Rooom now serves multiple verticals including training, onboarding, and virtual events, adapting to the needs of various departments within larger enterprises.
  • Go-To-Market Strategy: After initially attempting to enter multiple global markets simultaneously, Rooom refocused on select European countries and the US, finding this approach more manageable and effective.
  • Product-Led Growth: Rooom emphasizes a product-led growth strategy, ensuring their 3D technology is user-friendly and addresses clear ROI metrics for customers, complemented by thought leadership and storytelling.
  • Pandemic Impact: The pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual events and 3D solutions, significantly boosting Rooom’s growth and reducing the need for extensive educational efforts about the technology.

 

Actionable
Takeaways

Focus on Web-Based Solutions:

For scalability and ease of integration, prioritize web-based technologies over game engines, ensuring compatibility across various hardware and lower energy consumption.

Prioritize B2B Over B2C:

Enterprise customers are more willing to invest in advanced technologies, making B2B a more viable and lucrative market for complex solutions like the metaverse.

Leverage Thought Leadership:

Establishing expertise through keynotes and media presence can significantly enhance market credibility and drive lead generation.

Strategic Market Entry:

Rather than spreading efforts too thin across numerous countries, focus on key markets where you can establish a strong presence and gather momentum.

Adapt to Market Needs:

Be flexible and willing to pivot your product focus based on customer feedback and market demand, ensuring your solution remains relevant and valuable.

Recommended Founder
Interviews

Beck Besecker

Founder and CEO of Marxent

Beck Besecker, Founder and CEO of Marxent: Over $44 Million Raised to Power the Future of 3D Product Experiences

John Golinvaux

CEO & Founder of Fulcrum

John Golinvaux, CEO & Founder of Fulcrum: $6 Million Raised to Power the Future of Conversion Optimization

Rohit Bhadange

CEO & Founder of Zamp

Rohit Bhadange, CEO & Founder of Zamp: $14 Million Raised to Solve the Sales Tax Problem Killing eCommerce Companies

Jordan Gal

CEO of Rally

Jordan Gal, CEO of Rally: $6 Million Raised to Build the Future of eCommerce Checkout

Brandon Schulz

CEO and Co-Founder of Violet

Brandon Schulz, CEO and Co-Founder of Violet: $14 Million Raised to Power the Future of E-commerce

Bryan Mahoney

CEO and Co-Founder of Chord Commerce

Bryan Mahoney, CEO and Co-Founder of Chord Commerce: $40 Million Raised to Power the Future of E-commerce Data

Dane Baker

CEO and Co-Founder of EcoCart

Dane Baker, CEO and Co-Founder of EcoCart: $17.5 Million Raised to Power the Future of Sustainable Commerce

Oscar Rundqvist

CEO & Co-Founder of eComID

Oscar Rundqvist, CEO & Co-Founder of eComID: $3 Million Raised to Build the Future of Return Reductions

Maggie Adhami-Boynton

CEO & Founder of ShopThing

Maggie Adhami-Boynton, CEO & Founder of ShopThing: $10 Million Raised to Power the Future of Live Video Commerce

Rishabh Jain

CEO and Co-Founder of Fermàt

Rishabh Jain, CEO and Co-Founder of Fermat: Over $12 Million Raised to Power the Future of Commerce Experiences

Shariq Siddiqui

Co-founder and CEO of Veeve

Shariq Siddiqui, Co-founder and CEO of Veeve: Over $10 Million Raised to Power the Future of Shopper Engagement

Kacper Nowicki

Co-founder, CEO of Nomagic

Kacper Nowicki, CEO of Nomagic: $30 Million Raised to build the Future of ​​Robotics Fulfillment

Raj De Datta

CEO & Co-founder of Bloomreach

Raj De Datta, CEO & Co-founder of Bloomreach: $450 Million to Build the World’s Leading Commerce Experience Cloud

Pujun Bhatnagar

CEO & Co-Founder of Kintsugi

Pujun Bhatnagar, CEO & Co-Founder of Kintsugi: $8.2 Million Raised to Build the Future of Sales Tax Automation

Melodie van der Baan

Co-Founder and CEO of Max Retail

Melodie van der Baan, Co-Founder and CEO at Max Retail: $10 Million Raised to Help Retailers Sell Unsold Inventory