In Her Own Words

Kate Brennan

I received a demo from Smarth, who personally got involved and showed me the product. I was immediately intrigued by him as a founder. As someone who has helped founders build companies and has been disappointed by the lack of customer support, founder involvement, and transparency in products from companies like LinkedIn and Salesforce, it was clear to me from the first meeting that this was special. His passion and sincerity were evident in how he described the product and how he listened during every meeting. His follow-through was available 24/7, and he dove into my specific process for running searches. He integrated 13 years of my sourcing expertise into their system to deliver a better way of working.

As a technology professional myself, I was impressed by how in tune Smarth and his team were with the customer. Leveraging AI for sourcing early on was exciting because sourcing is complex, especially at the executive level. While some might think it is easy because executives are visible on Google, it is actually difficult due to the nuances of their backgrounds. It is vital to understand the stage of the companies they have scaled—whether it's a startup or a global billion-dollar public company—and whether they have gone through an IPO or what the company's growth was during their tenure.

Smarth and his team were deeply interested in understanding what is required to win. They worked closely with us to tweak the vetting criteria and make enhancements to their system based on how we work. I felt like part of the team and loved their attitude and passion. I also appreciated how Smarth empowered the women on his team, providing them with technical support so they could work with me directly and master the technology.

I have never seen a founder so passionate, caring, transparent, and in tune with the customer. He is strategic about partnering with other products and companies to ensure they deliver everything a client needs beyond just his own tool. Currently, he is working on an ingenious way to source AI talent. He is fearless and seems to work 24 hours a day thinking about how to improve and who to partner with.

He is willing to approach top-tier leaders, such as the CEO of Salesforce, Marc Benioff. He recently mentioned that Craig Conway, a friend of mine and former CEO of PeopleSoft, wanted to partner with him. Because I trust Smarth, I am happy to introduce him to powerful figures like Craig or Marc Benioff. Smarth doesn't just "wing it"; he understands the product, the commercial side, and the business, and he has always thought through how his ideas will help the customer.

I believe Smarth belongs in a category of founders who should mentor other founders. This is a significant statement coming from me, as I have worked with thousands of CEOs and founders since I was 22. I am an LP in two funds and work with founders daily, and I can say that Smarth is in a category all of his own.