Raising $80M to reforest the world with Diego Saez-Gil (Pachama)

The Only Thing That Matters

Join us as we uncover the multifaceted entrepreneurial journey of Diego Saez-Gil, who navigated the twists and turns of three different startups. From the highs of selling a successful budget accommodations app to the lows of confronting airline restrictions with smart luggage, Diego's story is a testament to resilience and innovation.
In this episode, Diego shares the foundational steps for validating startup ideas across industries, drawing from his rich experience. Discover how principles of customer feedback and doing things that don't scale—lessons from Y Combinator—guided him through ventures in both software and hardware. Learn about the critical phase of achieving product-market fit and the importance of maintaining robust customer support and communication channels to iterate and improve upon products based on user feedback.
Get an inside look at the bold journey of building a hardware company from scratch, navigating manufacturing in Asia, and overcoming the hurdles of crowdfunding campaigns. Diego also illuminates the path to creating a sustainable marketplace ecosystem at Pachama, emphasizing the role of a genuine mission in attracting investors and talent. This episode is packed with valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs, highlighting the power of mission-driven companies in making a significant impact on the world.

Chapters

1. Climate Tech Innovator's Journey (00:00:00)

2. Validating Startup Ideas Across Industries (00:11:43)

3. Building Product Market Fit With Users (00:20:52)

4. Building a Hardware Company (00:29:20)

5. Startup Growth Through Customer Validation (00:37:31)

6. Building a Sustainable Marketplace Ecosystem (00:43:15)

7. Importance of Choosing the Right Investors (00:50:17)

8. Building a Mission-Driven Company (00:59:08)