“Initially I remember calling ourselves real time communication solutions,” recalls John Kim, CEO of Sendbird. But in the fast-paced world of tech startups, sometimes the way you describe yourself can make or break your success.

For Sendbird, a customer communications platform that has raised over $220 million in funding, finding their place in the market wasn’t just about building a great product. It was about understanding how to position themselves in a crowded field.

“If you look at the traditional category of cpaas, a lot of companies like Twilio message Bird or Infobiv Sendgrid. So traditional legacy infrastructure like SMS and email usually fills up the CPaaS space. So are we that or because we touch a lot of the mobile app and user experience. So the traditional CPaaS category doesnt really have a tight fit,” Kim explains.

This is the story of how Sendbird navigated the challenge of category creation, ultimately carving out their own niche in customer communications. It’s a journey that involved rethinking their approach, listening to market demands, and strategically positioning themselves for growth.

As Kim puts it, “We don’t want to be where the puck is. We want to be where the puck is going to be.” This forward-thinking approach has been key to Sendbird’s strategy in defining their unique place in the market.