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From Investment Banker To Revolutionising Workforce Management
Natasha Ratanshi-Stein
Surfboard
Episode 146: Amardeep Parmar from The BAE HQ welcomes Natasha Ratanshi-Stein, Founder of Surfboard.
Natasha Retenshi-Stein, CEO and founder of Surfboard, discusses her journey from investment banking at Goldman Sachs to founding her workforce management software company
Show Notes
00:00: Intro
01:34 - Childhood aspirations to be a lawyer, studying at LSE, and shifting to investment banking.
02:22 - Moving to London for university and deciding against pursuing law.
03:02 - Experience at LSE and pivot to investment banking after attending a law firm networking event.
03:54 - Competitive nature of getting a job at Goldman Sachs and her journey there.
04:58 - Time at Goldman and transition to the growing technology sector.
06:29 - Move to Piton Capital and decision-making process behind joining a small VC fund.
07:30 - Choosing a smaller VC firm over larger, more established ones.
08:11 - Insights gained from time at Piton, particularly in portfolio management.
09:52 - Transition from VC to joining Bulb and experiences there.
11:20 - Feelings of imposter syndrome and various roles at Bulb.
12:45 - Roles at Bulb, including customer service and risk management during the pandemic.
13:39 - Genesis of Surfboard and struggles at Bulb that led to its creation.
15:42 - Decision to leave Bulb and start Surfboard, supported by family and colleagues.
17:30 - Steps taken after leaving Bulb, including research and finding a co-founder.
18:25 - Securing pre-seed funding and hiring a team.
19:27 - Challenges of building a startup and the importance of funding and customer validation.
20:45 - Perspective on timing of funding round and support from previous relationships.
21:40 - Utilisation of pre-seed funds and early team hiring.
22:58 - Traits looked for in early team members and learning curve in hiring.
24:18 - Description of Surfboard’s current product and its evolution.
24:53 - Major pivots and decisions in product development process.
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