His 1st startup failed. His 2nd became a unicorn in just 18 months. | Jake Stauch, Founder of Serval

His 1st startup failed. His 2nd became a unicorn in just 18 months. | Jake Stauch, Founder of Serval

Author: Mistral.vc January 8, 2026 Duration: 50:59
Jake founded Serval in April 2024— by Dec 2025 he'd raised a $75M Series B from Sequoia at a $1B valuation. He didn't look for a "wedge" or a "niche." He looked at ServiceNow—a $160B, 20+ year-old incumbent that everyone IT team relies on—and rebuilt it from the ground up in a YEAR. In this episode, Jake reveals the audacity behind building a full-platform replacement from Day 1, why he spent months building in the dark with zero revenue, and how he achieved a 50% demo-to-close rate on ...

Behind every great company is a moment where everything clicked-when a product finally met its market. A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders is dedicated entirely to unpacking that elusive, critical phase. Hosted by Mistral.vc, conversations here aren't about broad business advice; they focus intensely on the raw, formative stages from zero to one. You'll hear founders from companies like Reddit, Gusto, and Cohere recount the real decisions, stumbles, and insights that led to their breakthrough, offering a level of detail you can actually apply. This podcast operates on a simple belief: by examining enough of these specific journeys, patterns emerge that demystify product-market fit more effectively than any theoretical framework. It’s a resource built for founders who prefer learning through concrete examples and candid stories from those who’ve navigated the same path. Tune in for deep, practical dialogues with entrepreneurs and investors, all aimed at providing tangible lessons for your own venture.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders
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