5× Founder & CPTO
Select startups also work with me 1:1.
What I'm Shipping
Founder-first tools built for speed and distribution.
Jerry
🚀 LiveHelping founders turn content into pipeline — in <20 mins/day.
Now in early access. Used by 30+ founder-led teams.
Try Jerry →VanillaCRM
🔧 Custom DeployAgentic CLI CRM that scrapes and qualifies LinkedIn leads using public content.
Powers my own podcast guest pipeline. Available for custom deployment.
Schedule DemoPodder
⚡ Custom DeployAuto-clips, summarizes, and pulls growth hooks from transcripts.
Used for "Venturing with Vishesh" + founder brand ghostwriting.
Schedule DemoSelective Advisory (Limited)
For founders moving fast who need compounding speed without compounding burn.
Discovery Sprint
1 week, fixed
Diagnose, prioritize, and deliver an action plan focused on your fastest path to compounding speed.
- Founder interview + artifact review
- Bottleneck analysis across product, GTM, and engineering
- Prioritized action plan with 2–3 high-leverage next steps
- Optional 1:1 debrief call
Monthly Advisory
Limited slots
Weekly working session, async unblockers, and tight iteration loops. We continue only if results justify it.
- Weekly 60-min working session
- Async reviews and unblockers (Notion, Slack, or email)
- Strategic roadmap for product + GTM alignment
- Intros to relevant founders, advisors, or hires
"In one hour I learned things that would've taken me 5 years. 100% satisfied."
Tomi Suomela
CEO at Sellai | B2B Sales Marketplace
"He is incredibly helpful with every aspect of a product's roadmap, and with his extensive experience in entrepreneurship, Vishesh provides a similar expertise with every aspect of the startup's journey."
Austin Christensen
Finance @ Microsoft | Founder of BabelOn
"Priceless advice. One of the most accomplished, humble founders I know."
Martinien Cho
CEO at Mechi Wellness
"Vishesh shared strategic, cost-effective growth advice. Super insightful."
Angela Hein
CPG Consultant & Startup Advisor | 3x Founder
How I Work
A systematic approach to compounding your startup's speed.
1. Diagnose
Find the fastest path to compounding speed.
2. Design
Roadmap + technical & GTM unlocks.
3. Drive
Execution with leverage, not headcount.
Frequently Asked Questions
17 Years Building Startups
Over 17 years, I've built and scaled 5 companies as founder & CTO.
Co-founded Vamstar, scaling from zero to $1.2M ARR and raising $11M+ (Series A).
Served as CTO at AtruHelp, Billaway, and SuperSehat.
Advised engineering, product & growth at Oura Health, Precise.ly, and NthJen.
Spoken with hundreds of founders (100+ annually) — deep pattern recognition on what actually drives traction.
In 2024, I returned to hands-on building — creating founder‑focused products and working selectively with startups.
Founder Lessons & Unpolished Stories
I talk to real founders about what almost broke their companies — and how they turned it around.
#46 The 5 Costly Mistakes in Early-Stage GTM 2025 | Breaking Through the\nAI Noise | How to Win Customers & Impress Investors on a Tiny Budget | Kat Wendelstadt
I'm joined by Kat Wendelstadt, Growth Angel at Ada Ventures, a seasoned expert in go-to-market strategies and customer engagement. With a background in big tech and a passion for startup growth, Kat has helped numerous companies refine their messaging and scale their marketing efforts. She's also a thought leader in the space, frequently sharing her insights on the importance of empathy and curiosity in customer interactions. Effective go-to-market strategies for early-stage startups require a deep understanding of customer needs and pain points. By refining messaging and testing across various channels, startups can achieve significant conversion uplifts and scale their marketing efforts. In this episode, we explore the critical mistakes to avoid and innovative approaches to winning customers and impressing investors on a tight budget. Key Discussion Points: 🔥 What's the most common mistake early-stage startups make when it comes to go-to-market strategies? 🤔 How can you ensure your messaging resonates with your target audience and drives conversions? 💡 What are some innovative approaches to customer engagement and content generation that don't break the bank? 🚀 How can you identify the most impactful marketing channels for your buyer's journey and scale your efforts? 📊 What are the key metrics to track and measure when it comes to go-to-market strategies, and how can you optimize for success? Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 2:08 - GTM Pre-Series A 6:21 - The 5 Cardinal Sins of Early-Stage GTM 7:21 - Messaging Fixes that Drive Growth 10:15 - Cutting Through the AI Noise 11:09 - Category Creation and Storytelling 16:23 - Low-Budget GTM Tactics for Startups 20:17 - The Attribution Challenge in 2025 22:18 - Choosing the Right GTM Channels 25:27 - Sales-Led vs PLG Motions 28:43 - GTM Challenges During a Pivot 32:14 - Overhyped Channels and Declining Reach 35:22 - Building Repeatable GTM Systems 39:53 - Bonus Segment: Fun Questions with Kat 42:42 - Must-Read GTM Book for Founders 43:12 - Where to Follow Kat Wendelstadt Important Links: Kat Wendelstadt (Guest) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-wendelstadt-gtm - https://www.katwendelstadt.com/ Vishesh Duggar (Host) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/visheshd/ - https://vishesh.space - https://tryjerry.com
#45 The Security Playbook Every SaaS Founder Will Wish They Heard Earlier | Peter Cooper
I’m joined today by Peter Cooper. He has spent 25+ years leading security transformations across high-stakes industries like fintech, banking, and critical infrastructure. From scaling global teams at Adyen to navigating compliance across IPOs and banking licenses, Peter now helps early-stage and growth companies build pragmatic, trust-first security. This episode explores what founders can learn from enterprise mistakes, how to bake security into culture, and why checklists won’t save you. We talk about: We talk about: 🛡️ When to not hire a CISO — and what to do instead 🔍 How top founders evaluate security at each stage of the startup journey 🚫 The difference between security theater vs real resilience 📈 Why every founder should define their risk appetite before they scale 👨👩👧👦 How to build “self-healing” security culture in early-stage teams ⚙️ The surprising truth about SOC2 tools like Vanta and more 🧠 Peter’s 6-phase security maturity model from Ideation to IPO 💸 Security metrics that actually matter — including how to reduce spend over time ⚖️ Compliance vs Trust — and why one won’t save you 💥 Real-world founder mistakes that triggered breaches This episode is a must-listen for any founder navigating fundraising, customer trust, or scaling product with peace of mind. Especially if you’re non-technical — Peter explains it all without buzzwords or scare tactics. P.S. Know a founder who thinks “we’ll worry about security later”? Share this. #VenturingwithVishesh For more raw conversations on #startups, #SaaS, and founder-led growth, follow @visheshd Important Links: You can reach Peter at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petercoopercv/ Vishesh, your host at https://vishesh.space P.S. If you are writing on LinkedIn https://tryjerry.com Chapters 0:00 - Peter’s Background: From Adyen to Fractional CISO 2:00 - What Startups Get Wrong About Security 4:07 - Why Security Is Often Reactive, Not Proactive 6:15 - Misconceptions Around Compliance and SOC2 9:12 - Security Debt vs Technical Debt 12:10 - The Culture Layer of Security 15:22 - Security Theater in Startups 17:50 - When to Hire a CISO (and When Not To) 21:05 - Security Responsibilities in Early Teams 23:48 - Peter’s 6-Phase Security Maturity Model 27:15 - What “Minimum Viable Security” Looks Like 30:20 - Evaluating Vanta, Drata, and AI-Compliance Tools 33:42 - Reducing Friction for Engineers 36:10 - Key Security Metrics That Actually Matter 38:55 - Common Founder Blind Spots 41:00 - Advice for Non-Technical Founders 43:05 - The Biggest Security Mistake Peter Ever Saw 45:40 - Final Takeaways for SaaS Founders
46 Episodes
"Raw, tactical insights from founders and leaders who've been in the trenches."
FROM THE FOUNDER'S DESK
Thoughts and Updates
Tactical stories, strategy, and hard-earned lessons from 17 years in the arena.
I’ve spent the last 17 years building companies. Some flopped. One got acquired. One scaled past Series A.
I work with a handful of founders each quarter. Reach out early.
Let's Work Together
I work with a handful of founders each quarter. Reach out early.