Important vs. Urgent: The Data Decisions Startups Get Wrong

In this episode, I chat with Harini Karthik, co-founder and CEO of Zetta, a platform dedicated to helping companies accelerate growth through data and AI. Harini shares her perspective on the critical value of early investment in data teams, emphasizing the need for companies to allocate 10% of their workforce to data roles. We discuss the evolution from spreadsheets to BI to AI in data analytics, and how Zetta is helping companies make this transition quickly and efficiently.

Throughout our conversation, Harini emphasizes the importance of measuring key metrics like LTV to CAC ratio, activation rates, and revenue per employee. She shares her perspective on bootstrapping versus venture funding, highlighting that over 50% of bootstrapped companies succeed compared to only 10% of funded startups. We also explore the challenges and benefits of bootstrapping, including the creative freedom it provides and the long-term sustainability it can offer.

Chapters

(02:58) - Importance of Data in Startup Success

(10:13) - Balancing Intuition and Data in Decision Making

(15:21) - Key Metrics for Early-Stage Consumer Products

(25:47) - Transition from Spreadsheets to BI to AI

(38:08) - Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital

Host Links

https://casperstudios.xyz/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysingh10125

https://x.com/jsingh_08

Guest Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/harinisubramaniankarthik/

https://zettadata.ai/

Keyword:

Generative AI, fintech, AI-driven finance, SigTech, market strategy, trade structuring, reasoning models, exploration vs. exploitation, intellectual honesty, fintech entrepreneurship, cross-cultural business, financial insights, data integration, trading innovation, tech-finance intersection, AI in markets.