We only take on 4 clients per month. Join our October cohort. 1 spot left.
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 Krenar Komoni, CEO & Founder of Tive, a supply chain visibility platform that’s raised $82 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
- Founding Story: Krenar started Tive in 2015 after witnessing the inefficiencies in tracking shipments in his father-in-law’s trucking business.
- Product Innovation: Tive’s launch of the world’s first single-use 5G-ready tracker in 2020 significantly improved product-market fit and customer adoption.
- Customer Shift: Initially targeting VP-level supply chain executives, Tive’s ideal customer profile shifted to logistics managers and transportation coordinators who handle shipment operations.
- Sales Strategy: Cold calling and direct customer engagement were crucial in understanding market needs and iterating the product for better market fit.
- Market Discovery: Tive found a significant market in produce logistics, where real-time temperature tracking ensures product quality upon delivery.
- Core Value: Krenar emphasizes transparency with customers, building trust by proactively communicating issues and maintaining high customer support standards.
Actionable
Takeaways
Adapt Your Target Customer Profile:
Initially targeting VP-level executives may not always be the best approach. Identify and engage directly with the individuals who handle the day-to-day operations, as they may have a greater need for your product.
Leverage Cold Calling for Customer Insights:
Don’t underestimate the power of cold calling and direct engagement with potential customers. This approach can provide valuable insights into market needs and help refine your product offering.
Innovate Cost-Effective Solutions:
To succeed, especially in hardware products, it's crucial to find ways to reduce costs without sacrificing quality. Tive achieved this by working closely with manufacturers in China to produce affordable, high-quality trackers.
Prioritize Transparency with Customers:
Building trust through transparency is essential. Proactively communicate any issues and maintain high standards in customer support to foster strong, long-lasting relationships.
Understand and Adapt to Market Needs:
Flexibility and willingness to pivot are key. Tive initially targeted the pharma industry but shifted focus to produce logistics when they found a more immediate and accessible market opportunity.
Recommended Founder
Interviews
Yariv Bash
Co-Founder & CEO of Flytrex
Yariv Bash, Co-Founder & CEO of Flytrex: $60 Million Raised to Power the Future of Drone Delivery
Gabor Balogh
CEO of Trucksters
Gabor Balogh, CEO of Trucksters: $21 Million Raised to Build the Future of Long Haul Trucking
Amir Taichman
Founder and CEO of Unity SCM
Amir Taichman, Founder and CEO of Unity SCM: $13 Million Raised to Power the Future of Supply Chain Operations
Khaled Naim
Co-Founder and CEO of Onfleet
Khaled Naim, Co-Founder and CEO at Onfleet: $42 Million Raised to Power the Future of Last-Mile Delivery
Fabricio Miranda
CEO & Co-Founder of Flieber
Fabricio Miranda, CEO & Co-Founder of Flieber: $19 Million Raised to Build the Future of Inventory Management for E-commerce
Damien Hutchins
Co-Founder of Rollzi
Damien Hutchins, Co-Founder of Rollzi: Over $8 Million Raised to Build the Full Truckload Carrier of the Future
Patrick Visintainer
CEO and Co-Founder of REPOWR
Patrick Visintainer, CEO and Co-Founder of REPOWR: $13 Million Raised to Build the World’s Largest Commercial Trailer Marketplace
Jithendra Palasagaram
CEO and Founder of Part Analytics
Jithendra Palasagaram, CEO and Founder of Part Analytics: $4 Million Raised to Simplify Direct Material Sourcing
Shaily Garg
CEO and Founder of GlobalFair
Shaily Garg, CEO and Founder of GlobalFair: $22 Million Raised to Create the Future of Cross-Border Procurement
Shalabh Singhal
CEO and Co-Founder of Trademo
Shalabh Singhal, CEO and Co-Founder of Trademo: $12.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Supply Chain Intelligence
Nick Clarke
CEO of Greywing
Nick Clarke, CEO of Greywing: $2.5 Million Raised to Drive Digital Adoption in The Shipping Industry and Modernize Maritime Logistics
Brandon Daniels
CEO of Exiger
Brandon Daniels, CEO of Exiger: $160 Million Raised to Build the Future of Supply chain and Third-Party Risk Management
David Pennino
CEO and Founder of LogicSource
David Pennino, CEO and Founder of LogicSource: $250 Million Raised to Power the Future of Procurement
Ilya Preston
CEO & Co-Founder of Paxafe
Ilya Preston, CEO & Co-Founder of Paxafe: $14 Million Raised to Power the Future of Decision Intelligence in Logistics
Sudhir Bhojwani
Co-Founder and CEO of ORO Labs
Sudhir Bhojwani, Co-Founder and CEO of ORO Labs: $59 Million Raised to Power the Future of Procurement
Roei Ganzarski
CEO of Alitheon
Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon: $30 Million Raised to Help Organizations Trace the Untraceable
Jason Park
CEO & Co-Founder of Coldcart
Jason Park, CEO & Co-Founder of Coldcart: $6.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Perishable e-Commerce Fulfillment
Tony Migliore
Founder and CEO of Moova
Tony Migliore, Founder and CEO of Moova: Over $18 Million Raised to Build the Future of Last-Mile Logistics
Edouard Gouin
Co-Founder and CEO of Convelio
Edouard Gouin, Co-Founder and CEO at Convelio: $44 Million Raised to Power the Future of Art Logistics
Andrew Butt
CEO of Enable
Andrew Butt, CEO of Enable: $156 Million Raised to Build the Future of Rebate Management