⚙️ Going from Contractor to Co-Founder

Varun Anand, Head of Operations of Clay

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Rameel Sheikh
September 15, 2024

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From cold emailing his way into Hillary Clinton's office to co-founding Clay, Varun Anand's journey is a masterclass in persistence and unconventional thinking. In our conversation, Varun reveals:

  • How relentless cold emailing shaped his career trajectory

  • The unexpected parallels between political campaigns and B2B SaaS startups

  • Clay's unique approach to product demos that accelerated their growth

  • Why hiring 'non-traditional' talent has been key to Clay's success

  • How fostering individual creativity drives company culture and innovation

Listen now on Spotify and YouTube.

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In our first cohort we onboarded COO’s and executives from companies like: 

  • Director of Operations at Hinge - $400M revenue 

  • Head of Operations / Cofounder at Clay - $500M valuation 

  • COO at beehiiv - $250M valuation 

  • Head of Biz Ops at Replit - $1B valuation 

  • VP of Ops at Wefunder 

  • VP of Finance at Spellbook - Raised a $20M Series A 

  • COO at Somewhere.com - Last valued at $50M  

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  • VP of Finance / Ops at Fermat - Series A 17M raised 

  • Head of Operations at Chowbus - Exited, previously raised $100M 

  • COO at Appsumo - $100M bootstrapped business with Noah Kagan 

  • COO at Gateway X - Holding company of Jesse Pujji 

  • VP of Ops at Verifiable - Series B $27M 

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Chat soon,

Rameel

Varun Anand's path to becoming co-founder of Clay is anything but conventional. Starting with a political internship he landed through sheer persistence, Varun's career has been defined by following his instincts and embracing chaos.

After stints at Google's Jigsaw and other startups, Varun found his way to Clay, where he's helped shape a unique approach to B2B SaaS growth and company culture.

In this episode, Varun shares:

  • The power of cold emailing in opening unexpected doors

  • How Clay found its product-market fit with agency owners

  • Their unconventional approach to demos and customer feedback

  • Clay's strategy for maintaining tight feedback loops as they scale

  • The importance of fostering individual creativity in building company culture

Key takeaways:

  1. Persistence in outreach can open unexpected doors: Don't be afraid to follow up multiple times when reaching out to potential employers, partners, or customers.

  2. Embrace chaos in early-stage startups: Focus on speed and impact rather than trying to implement traditional management practices too early.

  3. Trust your gut: Sometimes the most impactful career moves aren't the most rational ones. Be willing to follow your instincts when an opportunity excites you.

  4. Rethink traditional processes: Clay's "reverse demo" approach shows how challenging convention can lead to better outcomes.

  5. Invest in quality talent across all roles: Clay's approach to support and sales hiring demonstrates the value of having high-caliber people in traditionally undervalued positions.

  6. Foster individuality and creativity: Creating a culture that celebrates the whole person can lead to unexpected innovations and a more engaged workforce.

  7. Focus on what matters: As Varun puts it, "If it's not top of mind, don't worry about it. Just do the thing that's top of mind. Cause that's what's most important."

Where to find Varun:

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) Teaser

(00:00:54) About the Episode

(00:02:23) Introduction and Background

(00:03:59) Working for Hillary Clinton

(00:05:22) Joining Clay as Advisor

(00:06:33) Early Days at Clay

(00:08:45) Building Clay's Go-to-Market Strategy

(00:15:04) Clay's Growth and Evolution

(00:19:17) Becoming Co-Founder at Clay

(00:37:07) Balancing Work and Personal Life

(00:49:01) Sponsor

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