Eric Boduch: Pendo's Origin Story, Building a Brand, and Product in the Age of AI (Part 1)

From co-founding one of the Triangle's most successful tech companies, Pendo, to quietly building a new venture studio, Eric Boduch has a deep well of entrepreneurial experience. In this first of a two-part series, Eric sits down with Scot to reflect on his journey, the lessons learned from the dot-com bust, and the evolution of product management.

Eric gets into his early days, his path to co-founding Pendo, and the strategic decisions that helped shape its unique brand and culture. 

If you've ever wondered about the behind-the-scenes of building a high-growth startup and the critical role of product, this conversation offers invaluable insights.

Tune in to hear:

• Eric's early fascination with computers and how he balanced academics with sports from a young age.
• The story of his first startup with Todd Olson (Pendo CEO) and the valuable, albeit tough, lessons learned during the dot-com crash.
• How Eric transitioned into marketing and product roles at larger companies, gaining international experience and an understanding of public company dynamics.
• The origins of Pendo, from its unique name and iconic pink branding to its groundbreaking approach to product experience and company culture.
• Eric's perspective on the "golden era of product management" driven by AI and why understanding user problems is more critical than ever.
• The personal decision behind stepping away from Pendo to pursue his long-held ambition of running a venture studio.

Where to Find Eric Boduch:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-boduch-a1b61/

Where to Find Scot Wingo:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thescotwingo/
Tweener Times: https://www.tweenertimes.com/
X: https://x.com/scotwingo

In this episode:
(00:05:38) Growing up in Western Massachusetts, the home of Friendly's Ice Cream, and his early start in coding and sports. 
(00:08:28) How Eric chose Carnegie Mellon for computer engineering and developed his entrepreneurial bug. 
(00:12:22) The founding of Cerebellum with Todd Olson and the tough lessons from the dot-com crash. 
(00:17:12) Post-Cerebellum ventures, including ProductSoft and his time at Embarcadero and Vitria. 
(00:22:08) The timing challenges of Smash Technologies and the rise of mobile apps. 
(00:25:19) The genesis of Pendo: from initial ideas with Todd Olson to the early days of building the product. 
(00:28:46) Eric's role in Pendo's early marketing, the struggle to define a category, and the origins of the pink dinosaur brand. 
(00:39:01) The rapid growth and culture-building at Pendo, including the challenges of scaling from 1 to 30+ employees quickly. 
(00:41:44) His transition to leading Adopt (now Pendo for Employees) and the future of software usage. 
(00:44:33) Eric's vision for Pendo as a $100 billion company and the critical role of product data in the age of AI. 
(00:49:06) Why Eric was drawn to venture studios and why now felt like the right time to launch his own.

Triangle Tweener Talks is hosted by Scot Wingo, presented by Triangle Tweener Fund, and produced by Walk West.

This is Part 1 of Eric Boduch's story. Tune in next week for Part 2!

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Triangle Tweener Talks is sponsored by:

• Atomic Object: https://atomicobject.com/