Outset

Our WIRe San Francisco event last night was a true delight! A BIG thank you to our event sponsor Outset for making this event possible! Want an invite to our next WIRe San Francisco event? Sign up for the mailing list at https://bit.ly/45nwT0p. #WomeninResearch #MRX #MarketResearch

We’re not following the usual startup playbook. We’re allergic to corporate speak. At Outset, we remind ourselves every day: We’re building tools for humans. So everything we do should feel human, too. That means celebrating people. Not just what they say, but how they think, feel, and decide. Here’s what that’s looked like so far: → A yacht party for researchers → Cereal boxes as conference swag → A billboard about listening to humans → Goofy clipart flyers to promote our events → Hand-delivered event flyers to our neighbors This isn’t just for show. It’s how we build. Everything we do reflects a commitment to people. Follow Outset to see how we’re building, post-Series A.

How do you raise $17M for an AI startup that’s creating an entirely new category? 🚀 In the latest episode of #FiredUpFunded!, we sit down with Aaron Cannon, Co-founder & CEO of Outset, to unpack the journey from Y Combinator to a Series A led by 8VC. Here’s what you’ll learn from Aaron’s story: 🔹 How AI-moderated research is changing the game for understanding human behavior 🔹 Why storytelling is the most powerful fundraising tool in your arsenal 🔹 The importance of picking the right partner, not just the right VC firm 🔹 What it takes to build trust with global brands and win fast adoption 🔹 Why the line between quant and qual data is vanishing Listen now: https://hubs.li/Q03BmdGv0 #MarketingPodcast #StartupMarketing #AIStartups #SeriesAFunding #VCfunding

One of the hottest startups that is reinventing and expanding a category is Outset. They are the pioneers of AI-moderated research which combines the scale of a survey with the depth of an interview. You might have seen their billboards around SF. They just closed their $17M Series A led by Jack Moshkovich, partner at 8VC. In the second episode of FiredUp Funded!, we talk to Aaron Cannon, co-founder and CEO of Outset about: 🎤 How Outset is reinventing and expanding the research category with AI 🏭 Why they are focused on enterprise sales from the get-go 🤝 How the relationship with 8VC started ⭐ Why the partner at the VC firm is so important 👑 The impact of being a Y Combinator alum on fundraising 📕 The importance of storytelling in fundraising and refining that narrative You will soon see why Outset is on such a tear at the moment. Aaron thinks fast, talks fast and moves quickly - which is why in 2.5 years they have gone from startup to Series A, defining their category - and 'the safe choice' in the words of one enterprise prospect. This is a great behind-the-scenes look at how a hot AI company closed its A-round from a leading VC. My deep thanks to Aaron for his time and candor in this discussion with Chris Ulbrich and me. https://lnkd.in/gVUJHHXP

We are still hiring and looking for talented people. It used to be just Michael Hess and me behind our booth. Now we’re flying out team members to New York for conferences! Our team is expanding and we are looking for: ↳ Excited to go into the office 4 days in San Francisco  ↳ Understand the power of balancing intensity and fun ↳ Self-starter who loves to build and makes workflows efficient  ↳ Willing to be scrappy and work together as a team ↳ Cares deeply about our customers and making an impact Here are some details about Outset: ↳ We recently raised Series A ↳ Market research is rapidly evolving and we’re part of the change ↳ We provide top 10 percentile for compensation in our industry  ↳ We offer unlimited PTO and encourage employees to travel Check out our careers page and apply online. Tag anyone who might be a good fit.

We just got back from Quirks in NYC and couldn't be more proud of our GTM team! Even though only a few of us could make it, we worked together and finished the conference leaving a strong impression. It reminded us of the three things we believe make us a successful company: 1. Build the best product for our users 2. Communicate that value to the best of our ability 3. Hire the best freaking team in the world to 1 & 2 ARR is important, but it's only an indicator of how well you execute these. Raising capital is important, but funding rounds don't build a product and do your communication for you. Everything else is a vanity metric.

Bay Area peeps! Come join us next Wednesday!

San Francisco: join us NEXT WEEK for an inspiring evening of connection and conversation! This is a space to share ideas, spark collaborations, and celebrate the future of research together. Stick around for networking, snacks, and more! A BIG thank you to our event sponsor Outset for making this event possible! Register here: https://bit.ly/46IF2i0 #WomeninResearch #MRX #MarketResearch

We didn’t want TechCrunch to cover our $17M Series A. We made a video instead. We went direct. Not to go viral. Not to impress VCs. But to speak directly to the people who matter most to us. We filmed it in a converted church. Worked with a Second City improv writer. Used our own product to analyze the footage. And yes, my eyes were a little too intense. That got confirmed. It was awkward. It was exhausting. But it was also the most fun I’ve had telling our story. The video gave us a way to show what we stand for: Human-centered. A little quirky. Not taking ourselves too seriously. Just trying to say something real, and say it well. We’re building Outset to help companies truly understand the people they’re building for.

We said we’d milk this cereal campaign (get it??). Turns out, cereal’s the best swag we’ve ever done. People took photos. Grabbed extras for their kids. One person even asked if we were launching a DTC brand. We’re not. (Yet.) 😂 We just wanted to surprise people. Make them smile. Get them curious enough to stop and ask: “Wait… what’s Outset?” Because sometimes the best marketing isn’t loud. It’s the kind that captures attention. And yeah, those boxes led to real conversations. Even booked calls. Dozens of them. The coolest part? We validated the idea using Outset by running interviews with actual humans. We’ve still got a few boxes left. If you’re a research expert and want one, send me a DM.