Ep. #7, SaaS Before It Was Cool with Steve Oriola

On episode 15 of Platform Builders, Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi sit down with Amrit Dhangal. Together, they explore his journey building Acquire from a scrappy live chat tool to a venture-backed customer service platform. Amrit reflects on scaling challenges, personal sacrifices as an immigrant founder, and the lessons he’s carrying into his new company, Aero.

On episode 14 of Platform Builders, Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi speak with Anthony Presley. Anthony walks through his journey from early consulting to creating workforce management SaaS, highlighting how persistence and customer-driven development shaped his companies. Together, they dig into the complexities of restaurant software, the importance of open ecosystems, and where dining tech is headed.

In episode 13 of Platform Builders, Christine and Isaac explore the intersection of AI and medicine with ER physician Nathan Murray. Nathan shares how and why he founded DocAssistant, an AI-powered scribe and decision-support tool for emergency medicine. This conversation examines the challenges of integrating AI into clinical workflows and offers a unique perspective on the future of healthcare tech.

In episode 12 of Platform Builders, Christine and Isaac chat with Mike Boufford, CEO of Otti and former CTO of Greenhouse. Mike unpacks hard-earned insights on topics like leadership philosophies, management best practices, and the unexpected moments that shape company culture. This conversation blends candid war stories with practical takeaways for anyone leading technical teams.

In episode 11 of Platform Builders, Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi chat with Greg Galant. Greg recounts his early entrance into podcasting, social media, and eventually PR tech. He shares war stories from the early 2000s, including launching a podcast before “podcasting” was popular, creating the viral Shorty Awards, and bootstrapping Muck Rack into a multi-million dollar SaaS company. The conversation offers a unique lens on innovation, timing, media evolution, and how AI is reshaping earned media.

In episode 10 of Platform Builders, Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi chat with Seth Besmertnik about Conductor's journey through the WeWork acquisition and its incredible comeback from near-disaster, offering a powerful lesson in resilience and leadership. The conversation then pivots to the future, exploring how AI is about to turn the web upside down. Seth provides a clear framework for how brands must adapt their content and SEO strategies to survive and thrive in this new AI-driven world.

In episode 9 of Platform Builders, Christine and Isaac sit down with Manny Medina, founder and CEO of Paid, to unpack the tectonic shift happening in software. From the rise of AI agents that autonomously perform tasks, to the death of seat-based pricing, and why ARR and SaaS metrics just don’t make sense anymore—Manny makes a compelling case that we’re entering a new era. If you're building, investing in, or working with AI-native companies, this is essential listening.

In episode 8 of Platform Builders, Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi are joined by John Melas-Kyriazi, founder and CEO of Standard Metrics. John shares his journey from VC to founder and how he’s rethinking investor–portfolio company collaboration. From spreadsheets to vertical SaaS, and now to AI-powered platforms, John dives deep into building software that’s truly purpose-built for venture capital.

In episode 7 of Platform Builders, Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi dive deep into the world of CRMs and SaaS strategy with Steve Oriola, CEO of Unbounce. Steve shares his insights on the historical shifts in CRM technology, the critical role of data in modern marketing solutions, and his approach to leading companies through significant transitions and acquisitions. Learn how focused product development and a strong company culture can drive success.

In episode 6 of Platform Builders, Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi chat with Brad Rigby about Canopy’s strategic shift from a niche tax tool to a leading accounting practice management platform. This conversation explores the challenges and triumphs of this major pivot, the nuances of building vertical SaaS, and how Canopy is leveraging AI to streamline workflows and make accounting tech essential.