Tejas Manohar, Josh Curl & Kashish Gupta: Journey From Dormroom Dreams To Data Dominance

In the crowded landscape of data startups, few stories capture the essence of Silicon Valley perseverance quite like that of Hightouch co-founders Tejas Manohar, Josh Curl, and Kashish Gupta. Their transformation from college pals to unicorn builders involved more than just innovative technology; it also involved realizing a basic issue that was lurking in the shadows.

It started in 2018 when the three, who were then employed by various tech companies, kept running into the same annoying problem; business teams desperately needed the valuable customer data in their daily tools, but it was stuck in warehouses. They discovered during late-night talks and weekend coding sessions that they were dealing with an organizational issue that affected businesses worldwide, in addition to a technical one.

They refined their understanding of the issue by interviewing potential customers for months before rushing to build. Their methodical approach, which gave problem validation precedence over product development, would come to define them.

Their timing was perfect when they eventually unveiled Hightouch's reverse ETL platform in 2020. In the past, companies had invested heavily in data warehouses, but they were experiencing problems activating the data. Hightouch's solution, which immediately resonated, was to move operational data from warehouses into business tools like Salesforce and HubSpot.

The complementary skills of the founders were essential in the early stages of growth. Tejas contributed his technical vision, Josh's engineering prowess, and Kashish's understanding of the market. The realization that their early clients were utilizing Hightouch to revolutionize their entire business, rather than merely automating marketing, was their pivotal moment. The founders swiftly changed the focus of their messaging from technical tools to platforms for business transformation.

As competitors emerged, the trio increased their focus on the customer, frequently participating in client calls and implementation sessions themselves. Despite having fewer resources, they were able to outmanoeuvre larger rivals owing to their ground-level intelligence. By late 2023, Hightouch had achieved unicorn status, with a valuation exceeding $1 billion.

What's their secret? As Kashish puts it, "We never stopped thinking like the underdogs, even when we weren't anymore".