Amanda spent 16 years running a services business for Cisco and Intel. When she tried to productize her business, 22 VCs rejected her. That became 6sense, a $200M ARR company. After stepping aside as CEO and taking five years off, she's back with an AI startup called 1 mind.
In this episode, Amanda breaks down why she always goes enterprise-first when everyone tells her to start small, how she used an AI clone of herself to pitch 60 VCs and raise 1mind's Series A in three days, and why she believes the entire sales process—SDRs, AEs, sales engineers—is about to be collapsed into a single AI "superhuman."
Why You Should Listen
- Why 22 VC partner meetings said no—and how one change fixed it overnight.
- How she used an AI clone of herself to close a Series A in 3 days.
- Why starting enterprise-first beats moving upmarket.
- Why outbound AI email is a race to the bottom and what to build instead.
Keywords startup podcast, startup podcast for founders, product market fit, AI agents, AI sales, enterprise sales, 6sense, 1mind, finding pmf, B2B SaaS, AI enabled services, net dollar retention
Chapters
- 00:00:00 Intro
- 00:05:58 22 VC Rejections—Until She Found the Right Co-Founders
- 00:08:49 Why She Always Starts Enterprise-First
- 00:22:00 Five Years Off—Then the AI Wave Hit
- 00:27:32 Why AISDRs Are a Race to the Bottom
- 00:43:23 Using Her AI Clone to Raise the Series A
- 00:49:52 The Moment of True Product Market Fit
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.