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In this episode of Turning Point, Blaine Bertsch sits down with Eli Portnoy to explore his candid and compelling journey through multiple startups. From launching his first venture in college to leading companies like Sense360 and BackEngine, Eli shares hard-won lessons on the importance of timing, resilience, and the power of customer insight. He opens up about the emotional toll of entrepreneurship, the challenge of burnout, and how learning to gather and act on customer feedback systematically became a turning point in his success. This conversation is a masterclass in navigating the highs and lows of startup life with humility, clarity, and grit.Don't miss an episode of Turning Point! Subscribe, follow, and like for actionable insights and lessons from those who have successfully navigated the complexities of building a business.Listen on your favorite podcast network or at turningpoint.buzzsprout.comLearn more about BackEngine at BackEngine.aiConnect withEli at linkedin.com/in/eliportnoyWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/M6H_52YOTDM#Entrepreneur #founder #business #turningpoint #entrepreneurstoriesMaster the Future of Your Finances. From cash flow management to forecasting and scenario planning, see the impact of your decisions before you act. dryrun.com
Guest: Eli Portnoy, Founder & CEO at BackEngineAs B2B SaaS companies scale, they often lose touch with the customers who got them there.In this episode, Eli Portnoy, founder and CEO of BackEngine, sits down with Ken Lempit to talk about the critical breakdown in customer feedback systems—and how generative AI can help leaders hear what really matters.We unpack: ✅ Why customer feedback loops break as SaaS companies grow✅ The hidden costs of misaligned feedback channels and weak ownership✅ How AI can synthesize 100% of customer interactions—without surveys✅ What separates elite SaaS companies from the rest when it comes to NRR and churn✅ Why CS leaders are uniquely positioned to become strategic feedback ownersEli also shares the story of losing his biggest customer before a major fundraise—and the moment he realized feedback was everyone's problem, but no one's job.If you're a CMO, CRO, or CS leader building a feedback-driven growth engine, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.
In this insightful episode of the Startup CEO Show, host Mark MacLeod sits down with Eli Portnoy, a serial entrepreneur with two successful exits under his belt. Portnoy shares his journey from his first venture to his current role as co-founder and CEO of BackEngine, offering a masterclass in navigating acquisitions and building thriving startups. The conversation delves into the psychological aspects of selling a company, the importance of building relationships with potential acquirers, and the challenges of transitioning from founder to employee post-acquisition. Portnoy's candid reflections on his experiences provide valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, emphasizing the rarity of acquisition opportunities and the need to carefully consider one's motivations when faced with an offer. The episode also explores Portnoy's current venture, Back Engine, which leverages AI to help companies maintain a strong connection with their customers as they scale. Listeners will gain actionable insights on fundraising, exits, and the evolving landscape of startup leadership in the age of AI. Tune in to learn from Portnoy's successes and challenges, and discover how to build a company with long-term vision while remaining open to transformative opportunities.Since 1999, I have sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker. I served as CFO for software companies including Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) and Freshbooks. As a CFO I experienced outright failures, wildly profitable exits, and everything in between.I was a General Partner in Real Ventures, Canada's largest and most active seed stage fund. My investments there include the fund's largest cash on cash and highest IRR returns to date. Most recently, I founded SurePath Capital Partners the leading investment bank for SMB SaaS companies where we did hundreds of millions in financing and exit transactions.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/Contact Mark: https://markmacleod.me/
Eli Portnoy, who has founded and sold two significant startups and is working on a third, continues with how to develop an initial idea into a company that will be of interest to venture capitalists, takes us inside the process and challenges of selling your company, and delves into why he's diving into a third venture now (and with what new Big Idea).
Eli Portnoy, who had TechStars' biggest exit at the time and recently sold another important company, delves into why as an experienced entrepreneur he still went back to school to get an MBA, and the process he has developed to find three very different Big Ideas and hone them into salable companies.
Episode Notes: Meet Eli Portnoy Eli Portnoy Found and CEO of Sense360 with two exits in his career. He's a seasoned entrepreneur, starting a number of companies over the years. Yaakov and Eli actually went to school together over 30 years ago. Eli lives in Los Angeles with his family. First company, Thinknear = a […] The post Clone of Ecom 80/20 Podcast: Episode 20: GUEST: Eli Portnoy: How Customer Data Shaped My Entrepreneurship appeared first on HiFlyer Digital.
Episode Notes: Meet Eli Portnoy Eli Portnoy Found and CEO of Sense360 with two exits in his career. He's a seasoned entrepreneur, starting a number of companies over the years. Yaakov and Eli actually went to school together over 30 years ago. Eli lives in Los Angeles with his family. First company, Thinknear = a […] The post Ecom 80/20 Podcast: Episode 20: GUEST: Eli Portnoy: How Customer Data Shaped My Entrepreneurship appeared first on HiFlyer Digital.
This week I am talking to two of the founding members of grammy-nominated Memphis blues and soul band Southern Avenue, Tierinii Jackson and Ori Nafalty! We talk their two very different backgrounds, how they came to form one of the hottest bands you've not yet heard of and what it's like taking a months-old baby with them on a world tour! We'd like to give a HUGE thank you to our friend (and 1st ever SodsPod guest) Eli Portnoy for putting us in touch with Southern Avenue, and also for being kind enough to let us use one of his offices to record this chat. Southern Avenue's latest album Be the Love You Want is available anywhere you get music, and they are playing more European & US dates all the way to the end of 2022 - check them out at southernavenuemusic.com! IG - @southernavenuemusic Twitter - @SoAveMusic Facebook - facebook.com/SouthernAvenueMusic -- This episode is sponsored by MANSCAPED. MANSCAPED are the world's champions in men's below-the-waist grooming - get 20% off AND free shipping worldwide at manscaped.com using the promo code SODSPOD - Your balls will thank you! If you'd like to support Sod's Law you can become a Sod's Law patron at patreon.com/sodspod from as little as £1 /$1 a month - there are different tiers including ad-free episodes, giveaways and more! See podcast.co/privacy for privacy information.
Today we are talking to Eli Portnoy, the co-founder, SVP, and GM of Sense360. With an entrepreneurial spirit that started in high school, Eli always knew he wanted to be a part of the startup world. He's had two successful exits, both of which he says were great experiences. He's here to talk about how and why he exited his companies. He'll touch on the process of transitioning his 11-person company to a large, publicly traded company. Knowledge as Payment Eli's first business attempt came in high school, when he and a couple friends realized there were no concessions available at their school. The group brought their idea for a school store to the administration and were given the green light. Reaching out to suppliers, they were able to put together a store in just a couple of weeks. Eli says the store did phenomenally well, and while all the proceeds went to the school, he walked away with a lot of knowledge. The Entrepreneurial Itch Strikes Again Down the road, Eli found himself working as a product manager at Amazon. Working with the Digital Video team, Eli's job was to define the experiences across connected devices. Working closely with all departments, Eli learned how to influence people, which would be a great skill to have. While he enjoyed the experience, he was ready to start his own company. Researching different industries that he thought were interesting, Eli began the search for a co-founder. Once he found a worthy partner, Eli left Amazon and started Thinknear, a location-based mobile ad network. Knowing What You Know Now, What Would You Tell Yourself Ten Years Ago? Eli says, looking back, he wishes he would've taken bigger swings and bigger risks. He's always operated from a mentality of trying to minimize the risks rather than leaning into them. Knowing now how the markets evolved, he would've gone deeper. All in all, he would tell himself to stop focusing on what could go wrong, and start focusing on what could go right. Knowing What You Know Now, What Would You Tell Yourself Ten Years Ago? Eli says, looking back, he wishes he would've taken bigger swings and bigger risks. He's always operated from a mentality of trying to minimize the risks rather than leaning into them. Knowing now how the markets evolved, he would've gone deeper. All in all, he would tell himself to stop focusing on what could go wrong, and start focusing on what could go right. To Connect With Eli Eli can be found on LinkedIn or reached through their website, www.sense360.com. -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You'll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/
Founded in 2014 and acquired by Medallia in September 2020, Sense360 offers businesses clearer insights on customer behavior through data. We met for a virtual chat with Founder & CEO Eli Portnoy to find out more about: Prioritizing value at every step of your pitch Effective cold outreach strategies Leverage your existing data to engage prospects Shoutout to our top partner Deel! They are a global hiring platform that makes it easy to hire anyone in a new country in minutes.
Eli Portnoy is SVP at Medallia after it acquired his company. Sense 360. Sense 360 was working with restaurants and doing great, and then COVID-19 happened. This is the story of how they found out the world has changed, how they reacted, and everything in the middle.
This week, my guest is the amazing Israel Portnoy. Now those of you who've listened to the podcast for a while will know that our first ever episode back in December 2019 featured a conversation with a very close friend of mine, Eli Portnoy. Eli and Israel are brothers. So to gauge a sense of what their family background was like, what it was like being one of 9 siblings, the son of a Rabbi living in Hale, Cheshire, I'd recommend skipping back to Ep #1 and hear Eli talk about that. My chat with Israel is a little more focussed on his musical life, where that stems from, his partnership with his younger brother Mendy to form The Portnoy Brothers and the fact that this week on May 23rd 2020, Israel is releasing his single, Facing Flames, with a full album due for release at the end of July 2020. Now this single and album have a distinct meaning behind them as exactly a year ago, on May 23rd 2019, Israel's home, recording studio, guitar collection and all his belongings were destroyed in a forest fire, leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back and his Guild 12-string acoustic guitar, called Guilda. We talk about that experience in detail, and at the very end he very kindly gives me a Zoom rendition of Facing Flames. Preorder your copy of Facing Flames on CD or limited edition Vinyl now at israelportnoymusic.com! -- If you'd like to support Sod's Law you can become a Sod's Law patron at patreon.com/sodspod from as little as £1 /$1 a month - there are different tiers including ad-free episodes, giveaways and more!
In the first Episode of the Sod's Law Podcast I'm talking with Eli Portnoy; Eli grew up in what would be considered an atypical but not unheard of circumstance - one of nine children in a religious Orthodox Jewish family. We talk family, crazy schooling and even substance abuse. Find out more at sodspod.com. -- If you'd like to support Sod's Law you can become a Sod's Law patron at patreon.com/sodspod from as little as £1 /$1 a month - there are different tiers including ad-free episodes, giveaways and more!
Eli Portnoy, founder and CEO of Sense360 talks about his regret of not selling his first company, pivoting his second startup, and how many mistakes he could’ve avoided if only he had a co-founder at times.
Traits to become a successful serial entrepreneur. Do you have what it takes? Find out from the Co-Founder and CEO of Sense360, Eli Portnoy. The post Ep10. The Serial Entrepreneur first appeared on eFM Live.
This is a conversation with the founder and CEO of Sense360, Eli Portnoy. Sense360 uses mobile sensors built into smartphones to understand a user’s location and activity and combines that with attitudinal data to explain the “why, what, and how.” Their clients include companies like Chipotle and Firehouse Subs amongst many others, He also founded ThinkNear, a pioneer in using location data to target advertising. Tastemakers will be live at CohnReznick’s Restaurant Technology Summit, which features speakers like Josh Patchus from Cava Grill and Christopher Sebes from Heartland Commerce, on October 18th in Washington DC. To register, use the link below. Enter the code TM50 for a 50% discount. https://www.cohnreznick.com/events/2017/2017-restaurant-technology-summit
UNTETHER.tv - Mobile strategy and tactics (video) | Pervasive Computing | Internet of things
UNTETHER.tv - Mobile strategy and tactics (video) | Pervasive Computing | Internet of things
When location based marketing emerged on the radar for marketers it changed the game. Bringing contextual, localized ads to a person within proximity to the business who's ad they were staring at - and not the person 5 miles away - was revolutionary. This ushered in the world of mass one-to-one mobile marketing. Right in the middle of this revolution was Eli Portnoy. You may recognize him as the founder of Thinknear (and 4-time UNTETHER.tv guest) and he is back on the show, this time talking about his new start up, Sense360. Sense360 takes contextual understanding to a new level, using all the sensors within the average smartphone to help create experiences that are situationally aware. This episode can be broken into 3 parts: What Eli saw in the marketplace to decide to leave Thinknear and take on the task at hand with Sense360. The "myth of the download" that has led so many good companies astray. The concept of "good push" and how using sensors with location and context can make a good mobile experience a great mobile experience. Eli was ahead of the industry when he dove into location-based advertising and now is ahead of the pack once again on using the sensors in our phones to help make marketing and advertising better - to turn it into a service for good. The examples Eli brings to light and deep knowledge that he shares in this episode gives us all a great insight into where this industry is going. Full show notes can be found here.
Welcome to episode #218. On the show: Microsoft HoloLens and Inconspicuous Mode; ShopX gives away 1 million beacons for free; SpaceBillboard; Bud Light's beer delivery app; Google Translate in real time; Sense360 launches and raises $2.5 million; Bluebite partners with Lamar to make LaBite; Skin & Bones from the Smithsonian; Is Google buying SoftCard?; Shazam can beacon now. Our special guest is Eli Portnoy of Sense360. Full show notes can be found here.
UNTETHER.tv - Mobile strategy and tactics (video) | Pervasive Computing | Internet of things
Welcome to episode #218. On the show: Microsoft HoloLens and Inconspicuous Mode; ShopX gives away 1 million beacons for free; SpaceBillboard; Bud Light's beer delivery app; Google Translate in real time; Sense360 launches and raises $2.5 million; Bluebite partners with Lamar to make LaBite; Skin & Bones from the Smithsonian; Is Google buying SoftCard?; Shazam can beacon now. Our special guest is Eli Portnoy of Sense360. Full show notes can be found here.
UNTETHER.tv - Mobile strategy and tactics (video) | Pervasive Computing | Internet of things
Welcome to episode #200. On the show: Google Outside expands; Geotargeted ads to help The Times Newseum; Weve is dead; Pigeonly's Photopigeon; MoodMedia rolls out presence; Macy's commits to Shopkick and 4000 stores; Futur Heritage pushes Remy Martin; Verizon to enter car sharing; The Drink Up fountain; Urban Airship pushes iOS' interactive push notifications. Special guest is Eli Portnoy of Thinknear on their latest Location Score Index. Full show notes can be found here
Welcome to episode #200. On the show: Google Outside expands; Geotargeted ads to help The Times Newseum; Weve is dead; Pigeonly's Photopigeon; MoodMedia rolls out presence; Macy's commits to Shopkick and 4000 stores; Futur Heritage pushes Remy Martin; Verizon to enter car sharing; The Drink Up fountain; Urban Airship pushes iOS' interactive push notifications. Special guest is Eli Portnoy of Thinknear on their latest Location Score Index. Full show notes can be found here
UNTETHER.tv - Mobile strategy and tactics (video) | Pervasive Computing | Internet of things
UNTETHER.tv - Mobile strategy and tactics (video) | Pervasive Computing | Internet of things
Can you imagine paying for a billboard, television or newspaper ad to target an audience in Los Angeles only to have it run exclusively in New York? How about wanting to target an audience sitting in a stadium in Toronto only to actually have your message seen in Kansas City? Welcome to the tumultuous and challenging world of location based marketing. This challenge - the accuracy of location data - effects every single advertiser trying to grow their business via mobile. This challenge is also one that Eli Portnoy and his team at Thinknear have been trying to solve since their inception. Since the launch of the Location Score Index, Eli has made it his mission to create complete transparency in the location-based advertising world. Doing this requires asking hard questions of our established norms and sometimes these questions make us a little bit uncomfortable but they are necessary - as is the service the Thinknear team is providing. If you rely on mobile ads to help your business, this is required viewing...unless your goal is to fritter your cash away in New York as your company goes bankrupt in LA. Full show notes can be found here: http://untether.tv/2014/ep-525/
Welcome to episode #192. On the show: Factual's Trusted Data Contributor program; Target gets in the image recognition game; Applebee's hands over the keys to their Instagram account; Hillshire Brands bumps sausage revenue by 20% with beacons; Vibes gets personal with messaging; Marketron brings location-based services to broadcasters; DELI Amsterdam offers personality-based travel recommendations; First Data's new Perka loyalty program; PopJam's Instagram for kids; Guardians of the Galaxy VR premier. Our guest is Eli Portnoy of Thinknear talking about their new Location Score Tags. Full show notes can be found here: http://untether.tv/2014/twilbm-192/
UNTETHER.tv - Mobile strategy and tactics (video) | Pervasive Computing | Internet of things
Welcome to episode #192. On the show: Factual's Trusted Data Contributor program; Target gets in the image recognition game; Applebee's hands over the keys to their Instagram account; Hillshire Brands bumps sausage revenue by 20% with beacons; Vibes gets personal with messaging; Marketron brings location-based services to broadcasters; DELI Amsterdam offers personality-based travel recommendations; First Data's new Perka loyalty program; PopJam's Instagram for kids; Guardians of the Galaxy VR premier. Our guest is Eli Portnoy of Thinknear talking about their new Location Score Tags. Full show notes can be found here: http://untether.tv/2014/twilbm-192/
UNTETHER.tv - Mobile strategy and tactics (video) | Pervasive Computing | Internet of things
It has been 31 months since I last sat down with Eli Portnoy, co-founder of Thinknear, and to say things have changed would be an understatement. This episode highlights the epitome of being a startup in the ever-changing mobile ecosystem. The story of Thinknear really does mimic the flight paths of many of the most successful startups that are emerging from round one of mobile but the road was not always straight and the path not always clear. When we last spoke in August of 2011, Eli and the Thinknear team were focused on a business model that would quickly need to change. This is where the story picks up from and includes 2 shifts in business models, holding a team together, having faith in decisions, working with investors and ultimately being acquired by a Telenav. Oh, did I forget to mention flourishing as well? Part startup story and all survivor story, Eli shows what it REALLY takes to make your way through the rough entrepreneurial waters - mud and all. Full show notes can be found here: http://untether.tv/2014/ep-505-behind-the-scenes-of-a-mobile-startup-with-thinknear-co-founder-eli-portnoy/