S11E6: Building the Unified API with Merge Co-Founder, Shensi Ding

Welcome back to The Room Podcast! Today, we’re thrilled to explore the fast-evolving world of B2B tech innovation with Shensi Ding, co-founder of Merge. Merge has become a leader in unified APIs, creating a category that addresses the challenges many companies face with complex integrations. Shensi’s journey is a unique one—from her coding days in Boston to Columbia, then a career at Silver Lake, all of which prepared her to tackle the 'SAAS sprawl' problem head-on. Together with her co-founder, Gil Feig, Shensi has built a powerhouse team and a product that’s essential for clients like Ramp and BambooHR. Their customer-first approach has secured $75 million in funding and a growing presence across SF and NYC.

In this episode, we delve into topics like using customer insights to drive category creation, balancing skills in co-founder dynamics, and navigating fundraising from seed stage through metrics-driven growth. 

(00:00) Introduction

(05:04) Where did Shensi grow up and how did that shape her view of the world?

(06:07) Did Shensi always think she was going to become a founder?

(06:29) How were website designers making money in the early 2000's?

(07:25) How did Shensi move from making websites to computer science?

(08:19) How has finance influenced Shensi to become a founder?

(10:26) Why did Shensi leave finance to join Xpanse?

(11:35) How did Shensi meet her co-founder, Gil, and why did they decide to find Merge?

(14:20) What was the aha moment that encouraged the start of Merge?

(14:57) What is the core product of Merge?

(16:48) Who was the first company to say yes to using Merge?

(17:53) What are some of the ways that customers are using Merge?

(18:48) How does Shensi classify the space that Merge is a part of?

(19:38) How did Shensi think about building her initial team?

(21:00) Who was the first person to say yes to investing in Merge?

(21:31) How was Shensi's experience fundraising for Merge?

(22:44) What advice does Shensi have for fundraising?

(25:37) What is Merge's go-to-market strategy and how did Shensi build the initial sales team?

(26:29) How do you scale up after the seed round?

(28:19) How is AI disrupting the unified API space and how does Merge fit into that?

(29:14) What is a part of the founding journey that Shensi didn't expect?

(31:17) How is the founding landscape today? Are people looking to keep building?

(32:52) What companies are a part of Merge's tech stack?

(33:38) What's next for Merge and for Shensi?

(34:48) Who is a woman in Shensi's life that has had a profound impact on her and her career?

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