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Strategic Communications Advisory For Visionary Founders
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 Ryan Janssen, CEO and Co-founder of Zenlytic, a BI tool for commerce brands that has raised $5.4 million in funding. Zenlytic leverages cutting-edge AI to offer instant, reliable analytics insights, acting like an always-on data analyst for its users.
Ryan mentions measuring success through engagement as a seed-stage business. For founders, focusing on how actively users engage with your product can provide more immediate and actionable insights than other early metrics, guiding product development more effectively.
Zenlytic differentiates by integrating existing technologies (LLMs) deeply with a semantic layer for BI, rather than solely innovating on the surface. Founders should consider how deep integration of technologies can create a more reliable and distinctive offering than merely adding new features.
Given the skepticism around new technologies, especially AI, Ryan emphasizes the importance of demonstrating product capabilities directly to potential users. Making your product as accessible as possible for demos can help overcome doubts and build trust in your solution.
Acknowledging and planning for the limitations of your technology, as Zenlytic does with AI's potential for inaccuracies, can prevent overpromising and underdelivering. Transparently communicating these limitations to your users can foster trust and set realistic expectations.
Zenlytic identified a vacuum left by acquisitions in the BI space as an opportunity. For founders, staying alert to shifts within established markets—such as major players pivoting or integrating vertically—can reveal underserved segments or needs ripe for innovation.