His 1st startup failed. His 2nd became a unicorn in just 18 months. | Jake Stauch, Founder of Serval

Episode notes

Jake founded Serval in April 2024— by Dec 2025 he'd raised a $75M Series B from Sequoia at a $1B valuation. He didn't look for a "wedge" or a "niche." He looked at ServiceNow—a $160B, 20+ year-old incumbent that everyone IT team relies on—and rebuilt it from the ground up in a YEAR. In this episode, Jake reveals the audacity behind building a full-platform replacement from Day 1, why he spent months building in the dark with zero revenue, and how he achieved a 50% demo-to-close rate on six-figure enterprise deals. Why You Should Listen How to go from incorporation to a $1B valuation in just 18 months. The psychological shift in sales calls that proves PMF. How to build a demo so compelling that 50% buy on the spot. Why you no longer need to find a small wedge to win post Gen AI. The specific question that stops customers from giving you generic feedback.