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 Michael Ioffe, CEO & Co-Founder of Arist, a message-based learning platform that has raised over $16 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

• Arist's Origin Story: Arist began as a solution to deliver education in war zones with limited internet and laptop access by leveraging text message-based learning, which later evolved into an enterprise solution.
• Effective Learning Model: The company discovered that bite-sized, conversational learning delivered over time significantly improves retention and behavior change, compared to traditional methods like lengthy video courses.
• The LMS Problem: Michael explains why traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS) are outdated, focusing on compliance rather than effective learning, and how Arist aims to meet learners where they are by integrating into tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams.
• Targeting the Next-Gen Learning Leaders: Arist focuses on innovative L&D leaders who are open to modernizing corporate learning, rather than trying to convert legacy leaders resistant to change.
• Fast Time-to-Value: Arist differentiates itself by offering a near-instant time-to-value, where potential clients can build and experience a course within 15 seconds, a stark contrast to the months-long implementation of traditional systems.
• Future Vision for Learning: Michael envisions a future where 80% of Fortune 500 companies use Arist for the majority of their learning, moving away from static LMS systems to more dynamic, autonomous learning experiences.