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The GTMnow PodcastAuthor: GTMnow
The GTMnow Podcast interviews well-known tech executive, VC, and founders - the expert operators in the trenches who have been there, done that to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Sophie Buonassisi to dissect their stories, revealing expert insights around what worked, what didnt, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of GTMfund - sharing insight on go-to-market from working with hundreds of portfolio companies backed by over 350 of the best go-to-market executives. GTMfund is an early-stage VC fund focused on investing in the most exciting, up-and-coming B2B SaaS companies across the world. The LP network consists of VP and C-level Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success leaders from companies like DocuSign, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Snowflake, Okta, Zoom, and many more.Visit gtmnow.com for more details and to sign up for our newsletter and other content resources. Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Technology Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Inside Electric's AI Relaunch, from a 3X Founder | Ryan Denehy (Founder & CEO, Electric)
Thursday, 27 August, 2026
The founder and CEO of Electric, Ryan Denehy joins GTMnow to explain why and how he rebuilt Electric as an AI-native software company.Ryan gets specific on why he split the business in half, how the pivot forced a total change in distribution (from direct sales to embedded channel partnerships with payroll platforms), and why a new product doesn't just need a new channel, it can unlock ones that were impossible before. He also shares the ADP partnership that put Electric behind 1,700 reps, the near-death moments (including the night he almost wired his seed round back to investors), how to actually get acquired by a public company, and the cold-outreach framework he's used since making extreme-sports videos at 17.What you'll learn:- Why he rebuilt a working company AI-native, and the five-step playbook for a "total reinvention"- Why product-market fit is as much about distribution as the product, and the Sirius XM lesson behind it- How going AI-native collapsed his unit price and made channel-led growth possible for the first time- Why the winner-take-all gap between AI companies is so much wider than in classic SaaS- The embedded-partnership motion behind ADP, Justworks, and TriNet deals (300+ customers onboarded in a day)- How to actually get acquired by a public company (hint: people buy companies, corp dev doesn't)- Why the quietest near-death threat is a splashy senior mis-hire, not a market crash- The cold-outreach framework he's run since cold-emailing pro athletes at 17Chapters:00:00 Intro01:04 A 3x founder who sold two companies to public acquirers01:33 What Electric is, and why "AI" was in the name in 201604:40 What a "wholesale rewrite" meant06:38 Why go AI-native08:12 The reinvention playbook13:08 Why they blew the whole thing up13:48 Distribution as product-market fit: the Sirius XM lesson15:37 How AI collapsed the price and unlocked channel sales18:19 The winner-take-all gap between AI companies20:35 From direct sales to channel23:00 The three-year channel payoff25:17 Rebuilding the product and signing the payroll platforms26:27 The new-category pitch29:29 Behind the scenes for ADP, Justworks, and TriNet30:02 Almost wiring the seed money back32:00 The day everything changed at once33:52 The quiet damage of a senior mis-hire35:48 Two prior companies: go-to-market above all38:18 How to get acquired by a public company42:55 Extreme-sports videos at 17, and the outreach framework44:47 Where to find Ryan and ElectricConnect with Ryan Denehy:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandenehy/ X: https://x.com/DenehyXXLElectric: https://electric.aiHost: Sophie Buonassisi, SVP at GTMnowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiebuonassisi/X: https://x.com/sophiebuonaAbout the guest: Ryan Denehy is the founder and CEO of Electric, an AI-native IT management platform now embedded in payroll and HR products including ADP Team Management, Justworks, and TriNet. A three-time founder, he previously built and sold companies to USA Today and Groupon. Electric is backed by investors including Notable Capital and Slack.About GTMnow: GTMnow is the media arm of GTMfund, sharing the strategies, tactics, and stories from the operators and investors building the next generation of go-to-market.Visit us on: https://gtmnow.comFollow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gtmnowFollow us on X (Twitter): https://x.com/GTMnow_Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GTM_nowFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gtmnow_Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gtmnow_/The GTMnow Podcast The GTMnow Podcast is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with the top 1% GTM executives, VCs, and founders. Conversations reveal the unshared details behind how they have grown companies, and the go-to-market strategies responsible for shaping that growth.Visit gtmnow.com for more episodes and other interesting content.
