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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 Jeremy Almond, CEO & Founder of Paystand, a B2B payment network that has raised over $100 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

  • Venmo for Enterprise: Paystand is a next-gen B2B payment network that saves companies millions of dollars by providing radically better economics, processing over $10 billion in payments and supporting around a million businesses.
  • Building Through Focus: Jeremy emphasized the importance of staying focused. Paystand’s growth is attributed to a brick-by-brick approach, first targeting specific markets like Oracle and Microsoft ecosystems before expanding.
  • Scaling Milestones: Key company milestones were centered around unlocking the next stage of growth—from securing initial customers to making sales repeatable, and then scaling the business through focused enterprise sales strategies.
  • Blockchain Innovation: Paystand’s payment platform is powered by blockchain, offering instant, automatic payments at zero cost, without reliance on traditional systems like Visa or Mastercard.
  • Real Business Value, Not Blockchain Hype: While Jeremy is a believer in blockchain, he insists Paystand sells based on real value to customers, such as instant payments and reducing costs, not blockchain hype.
  • The Next 10 Years: Jeremy envisions a future where businesses use blockchain infrastructure, replacing legacy systems like Visa and Mastercard, ultimately creating more efficient, tax-free financial ecosystems for companies globally.

 

Actionable
Takeaways

Focus on Building Real Value, Not Hype:

Jeremy emphasized that successful businesses don’t rely on hype, even when dealing with cutting-edge technologies like blockchain. Instead, focus on creating tangible value for customers, like improving efficiency or cutting costs, which drives adoption. Actionable takeaway: Ensure your value proposition solves a clear problem for your customer, rather than banking on hype cycles.

Unlock Growth Stages by Identifying Barriers:

Jeremy’s approach to scaling Paystand was to continuously identify and remove what was blocking the company from reaching the next stage. Whether it’s securing initial customers or expanding sales repeatability, growth depends on removing these roadblocks. Actionable takeaway: Regularly assess what’s limiting your company’s growth and focus on unblocking those areas to unlock the next stage.

Nail a Specific Market Before Expanding:

Paystand’s growth came from targeting specific, underserved ecosystems like Oracle and Microsoft, allowing them to dominate those niches before broadening their reach. Actionable takeaway: Before aiming for widespread adoption, focus on deeply understanding and serving a niche market. Success there creates the foundation for broader expansion.

Sales Before Marketing:

In the early days, Jeremy took a sales-first approach, building credibility through customer success stories before ramping up marketing efforts. This strategy helped Paystand grow steadily without relying on flashy marketing. Actionable takeaway: Focus on building strong customer relationships and success stories before pouring resources into large-scale marketing campaigns.

Position for the Long Game:

Jeremy’s long-term vision is to replace outdated financial systems with blockchain infrastructure, a process he believes will take time. His strategy is centered on building a durable company focused on long-term success rather than short-term gains. Actionable takeaway: Don’t chase short-term wins at the expense of long-term sustainability. Position your company to last by building solid infrastructure and partnerships.

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