What do founders get wrong when trying to build a startup? Jeff Gibson, CTO and co-founder at Kintsugi, joins the show to break down how he approaches building around real business problems—not flashy features. Drawing from pre-IPO roles at Atlassian and his journey scaling Kintsugi, Jeff shares why understanding cash flow, revenue mechanics, and operational bottlenecks is critical for building something that lasts. Whether you're a startup founder or tech leader, this one’s full of sharp insights on building with purpose.
Key Takeaways
• Solving “boring” problems can be wildly valuable—if you understand where the money flows
• Great businesses start with a clear grasp of what companies actually value, not just what users say they want
• Pre-IPO cleanup reveals hidden complexity in compliance, revenue recognition, and internal tooling
• Pivoting without a strong North Star leads to wasted cycles; solve for the cause, not just symptoms
• Not every successful business needs to be venture scale—but it does need to be viable and focused
Timestamped Highlights
01:17 — What Kintsugi actually does, and why indirect tax is a massive hidden challenge
03:49 — The “pre-IPO cleanup” playbook and how it shaped Jeff’s understanding of business systems
06:52 — Why chasing product-market fit is risky if you don’t deeply understand the business problem
09:44 — Talking to 100 customers before writing a single line of code
12:57 — The opportunity in low-innovation, high-value spaces (think CRMs, billing, compliance)
16:44 — Niche wins: why a $10M business in a focused segment can be more valuable than chasing unicorn status
Quote of the Episode
“You don’t want to find a boring problem that’s commoditized. You want a boring problem that’s valuable.”
Resources Mentioned
• Kintsugi: https://www.kintsugi.com
Call to Action
If you found Jeff’s insights helpful, follow The Tech Trek for more conversations with builders and leaders shaping the future of tech. Share this episode with a founder friend, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen. Want to keep the conversation going? Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn.
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