Living in Sprints: Navigating the Eras of a Founder's Life with Todd Saunders
In this episode of Very True, Alex sits down with Todd Saunders, CEO of Broadlume, to explore the nonlinear path from Big Tech employee to vertical SaaS mogul. Todd shares his journey of leaving a comfortable job at Google to launch a horizontal ad-tech company, only to discover a hidden goldmine in the flooring industry, a pivot that transformed his business into a dominant market player.
Alex and Todd dive deep into the philosophy of "Living in Sprints," discussing how high-performers navigate the intense phases of life, from the academic grind to the startup gauntlet and eventually to family life. They dismantle the "Golden Handcuffs" myth, debate the true definition of wealth (cash flow vs. paper equity), and explain why "valuation optionality" is often more valuable to a founder than a massive headline-grabbing valuation.
Episode Highlights:
Episode Highlights:
- [03:21] The Accidental Pivot: Todd reveals how he discovered that 30% of his ad-tech revenue was coming from local flooring stores, leading to a massive pivot from a horizontal platform to a specialized vertical SaaS juggernaut.
- [04:46] Escaping the Machine: Why Todd walked away from Google after only two years to chase "unlimited upside" and control his own destiny, despite having no other job offers.
- [11:47] The Golden Handcuffs Trap: A candid look at how high salaries in finance and Big Tech can trap talented people in lifestyle creep, preventing them from ever taking the entrepreneurial leap.
- [32:25] Living in Sprints: Todd and Alex discuss the concept of "sprints"—how life is defined not by a steady cruise, but by intense periods of focus (high school, banking, early-stage building) and the challenge of finding the next mountain to climb
- [25:11] Valuation Optionality: Why raising a "$100M Seed Round" can actually be a death sentence for a startup. Todd explains the math behind maintaining a valuation that allows for multiple exit scenarios, not just a unicorn-or-bust outcome.
- [49:54] The Case for Founder Secondaries: Alex argues why allowing founders to take some chips off the table early (via secondary sales) actually aligns them better with investors and allows them to play "offense only."
Links & Resources:
- Broadlume: https://www.broadlume.com/
- Verisimo Ventures: https://verissimo.vc/
- Follow Todd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tosaunders/
- Follow Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-oppenheimer/
About Very True: Hosted by Alex, Very True by Verisimo Ventures explores the honest, unvarnished stories of founders and the real problems they are solving. We look past the hype to find the truth in technology and entrepreneurship.
Creators and Guests
Guest
Todd Saudners
Todd Saunders is the CEO of Broadlume (recently exited), the leading all-in-one marketing and management platform for the flooring industry. A graduate of William & Mary, Todd began his career at Google before leaving to launch his own ad-tech startup in 2015. After realizing a unique opportunity in a niche market, he successfully pivoted his company into a vertical SaaS powerhouse. In addition to his work in tech, Todd once served as an "accidental" city councilman for his hometown.
