{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fb2baceo.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fmohit-aron-2-_HMqrp1C","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"How to Build a Multi-Billion-Dollar Software Business (Mohit Aron, Founder of Cohesity)","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/172dabcc-5e24-4c3a-9533-d7e242f3ce97/1978dc6d-bb75-49d0-b8b2-c15ea8f052c2/mohit-aron-square-1.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"","height":200,"description":"In this episode, I'm excited to welcome Mohit Aron back to B2BaCEO for the second time. As the founder of Cohesity and co-founder of Nutanix, Mohit is a titan in the world of enterprise GTM and infrastructure software. With two wildly successful companies under his belt, he's a true expert when it comes to building enterprise software businesses from the ground up. \n\nIn our conversation, Mohit shares his proven frameworks for validating startup ideas. He reveals hard-won lessons from starting Nutanix and Cohesity, with real-world examples that bring his advice to life. We explore product-market fit—what it really looks like in practice—as well as how to build a team and manage performance in a high-growth startup. We wrap up by discussing the topic du jour, generative AI, and the opportunities it opens for startups.\n\nThis episode is full of insights for technical founders. I hope you enjoy it!\n\n(00:00) Intro\n(00:21) Mohit's framework for a bulletproof startup hypothesis document\n(07:53) Why your MVP shouldn't be your full vision\n(10:39) Cohesity's journey from 0 to 1, 1 to 10, and 10 to 100+\n(17:19) Examples of founders not being intellectually honest about their hypotheses\n(20:35) How to accurately size your startup's market (TAM)\n(23:55) Balancing founder conviction with naysayer feedback\n(31:02) Adapting the hypothesis document for the generative AI era\n(34:19) Mohit's definition of product-market fit\n(39:05) When to hit the gas on sales hiring (and when not to)\n(44:59) Mohit's system for competency-based hiring\n(53:17) Implementing performance management via quarterly calibrations\n(56:00) What Mohit would do differently as a technical founder\n(58:07) Mohit's top advice for founders\n(60:09) The industries ripe for disruption by generative AI\n(62:04) Book recommendations for founders"}