ThriveStack and Dave Hersh
Aug 20, 2025
In this fireside chat, Gururaj Pandurangi sits down with Dave Hersh, founding CEO of Jive Software and now a coach to startup founders and leaders. From scaling Jive from bootstrapped beginnings to IPO, to guiding today’s SaaS teams through turbulent markets, Dave shares a candid look at what’s broken in venture-backed growth, what founders should focus on instead, and how to align both investors and customers without losing sight of purpose.
We explore his founder journey, the tension between investor pressure and customer needs, the waste of premature scaling, and why he believes emotional-market fit—the resonance a product has with its users—matters just as much as product-market fit.
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“Growth without profit, without purpose, can become toxic. The real challenge is building something that grows and endures.”
— Dave Hersh, Founding CEO of Jive Software
Key Insights
⚖️ Investor Pressure vs. Customer Needs
Why short-term expectations often distort long-term product and strategy decisions—and how founders can rebalance.
💸 The Waste in Venture Capital
Growth-at-all-costs has left many companies fragile. Dave explains how to recognize premature scaling before it’s too late.
❤️ Emotional-Market Fit
Beyond functionality, companies win when they create loyalty and resonance with customers at an emotional level.
🚀 Coaching Conscious Leaders
After Jive, Dave dedicated his time to helping founders navigate growth without burning out themselves—or their companies.
Actionable Takeaways
For Founders: Don’t let investor expectations define your roadmap; customer outcomes should.
For Growth Leaders: Emotional resonance is the moat—look beyond metrics to why people truly care.
For Investors: Hypergrowth isn’t a strategy; durability is.
For SaaS Teams: Build models that balance profit with growth from day one.
Resources Mentioned
Jive Software IPO journey
Conscious leadership frameworks
ThriveStack Customer Analytics: www.thrivestack.ai
If you’re a SaaS founder or growth leader navigating the tension between scaling fast and building to last, you’ll want to catch this conversation.
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