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Sunny Gupta, the co-founder of Apptio, shared his entrepreneurial journey at an event in Seattle, highlighting the inspiration behind launching Apptio. It all started with a simple question asked by a CIO at a financial firm about managing technology investments. This question sparked Gupta’s interest and led him to create Apptio, a company that helped organizations manage software spending and introduced the concept of Technology Business Management. Apptio eventually went public in 2016, was acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2019, and later by IBM in a $4.6 billion deal.

Asking good questions played a significant role in Apptio’s success, especially during the early stages. Gupta put together a customer advisory board to seek validation and continuously asked potential customers why they would or would not buy the product. This approach helped the company raise over $130 million in private funding before going public. Despite facing challenges, particularly in the first year after its IPO, Apptio’s ability to adapt and change, along with its strong organizational culture, allowed it to persevere and overcome obstacles.

Gupta’s motivation behind building Apptio was to create a major enterprise software company in the Pacific Northwest, and the company’s success with over 1,300 employees and 1,800 customers has made it one of the region’s biggest tech success stories. Gupta also highlighted the vast talent pool and market opportunities in Seattle, citing the presence of large tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft as a key advantage for startups looking to grow and find initial customers. He emphasized that Seattle offers a supportive environment for early-stage concepts and ideas, making it a favorable location for building successful tech companies.

Gupta’s entrepreneurial journey with Apptio began in Bellevue, Washington, where he started the company in the library and his home basement. His vision was to build a significant software enterprise in the region, which led to the growth and success of Apptio over the years. Gupta emphasized the importance of grit, perseverance, and the ability to adapt to challenges faced during the company’s journey. Despite setbacks, Apptio’s ability to evolve and change, along with its strong organizational culture, enabled it to navigate through obstacles and ultimately succeed in the competitive tech industry.

The Seattle market, according to Gupta, offers a conducive environment for startups to thrive and scale, with access to top talent, major tech companies, and supportive early adopters for new concepts and ideas. Gupta’s assessment of Seattle as a better place to build companies compared to the Bay Area highlights the region’s potential for creating successful tech ventures. With Gupta’s experience and insights from his entrepreneurial journey with Apptio, he continues to be involved in the tech ecosystem as a strategic director at Madrona, supporting other startups and sharing his expertise with the next generation of entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest.

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