Today, we will be breaking down ZoomInfo. Founded as DiscoverOrg in 2007, ZoomInfo is a go-to-market software & data solution for B2B sales. When a sales rep gains access to ZoomInfo, they gain access to a database with over 130 million contacts. The ZoomInfo platform assists in finding potential customers, contacting those potential customers, and refining each phase of the workflow.   To help break down ZoomInfo, host Jesse Pujji is joined by its CEO, Henry Schuck. Henry founded DiscoverOrg and acquired ZoomInfo in 2019. During our conversation, we cover how ZoomInfo differs from traditional CRM businesses, its unique gross margin profile, their special go-to-market muscle, and Henry’s approach to M&A. As a founder, I love stories about bootstrapped businesses, and Henry’s does not disappoint. I hope you enjoy this breakdown of ZoomInfo.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. -----   Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, Inc. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss   Show Notes [00:02:35] - [First question] - What is ZoomInfo and their current scale [00:04:19] - The problem that ZoomInfo solves and an overview of their product [00:07:23] - A consumer-friendly description of what ZoomInfo is  [00:11:13] - The value unlock their database provides salespeople [00:13:28] - Big milestones when bootstrapping the business and their history [00:19:20] - Big problems that had to be solved when building the business [00:21:26] - Giving us a sense of the data market today [00:23:58] - Whether or not they play in a competitive landscape [00:26:36] - The P&L of ZoomInfo and metrics he pays attention to  [00:28:18] - Getting the data for their database and the costs associated with it [00:30:03] - Improving their service the more data they accumulate [00:31:48] - Overview of their contracts when offering the service to a business [00:32:35] - Various components of their sales and marketing strategy [00:35:35] - Same day sales cycles and how that manifests itself in ZoomInfo [00:38:48] - What separates ZoomInfo; they sell to sellers and their velocity  [00:40:31] - Their approach to M&A in strategy, valuation, and funding  [00:44:16] - Things they say no to when it comes to M&A  [00:47:19] - How they approached the funding side of their acquisitions [00:48:06] - Why they chose to go public [00:49:52] - Notable moments in how the business responded to the pandemic [00:52:24] - Key factors that would allow ZoomInfo to double their market cap in ten years [00:54:03] - Potential opportunities in AI and data science sectors [00:55:20] - What keeps him up at night in regards to their future success [00:57:12] - Ways he invests in his abilities that other CEOs could learn from [00:57:54] - Whether or not BigTech poses a threat to their data accumulation [01:01:48] - Lessons for builders and investors when studying ZoomInfo’s story [01:03:28] - Learn more about their space; A World of DaaS Podcast  

Today, we will be covering the endlessly fascinating market of Space. While we typically focus on an individual company for Business Breakdowns, we thought an industry primer was the best approach for this expanding market. With Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos directing so much energy to the promise of space, it is impossible not to dream about what lies ahead. To cover this endless topic, I’ll be joined by a previous guest, Tren Griffin. While Tren’s full-time job is a director at Microsoft, his experience with satellites and endless curiosity make him ideal for this conversation. We cover how our ground economy is enabled by space today, what excites him most about the space to space opportunities in the future, and how space compares to other network foundations. I hope you enjoy this great space primer with Tren Griffin. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. -----   Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, Inc. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss   Show Notes [00:02:19] - [First question] - The current size and scope of the space economy [00:04:42] - Important historic milestones that helped us get to where we are today [00:12:33] - The varying levels of orbit and what they unlock for technology [00:19:22] - How expensive launches were and what they are now with SpaceX and Starship [00:22:08] - Overview of the Starlink project and using it to recoup infrastructural setup costs [00:27:32] - Whether or not launch will ever become more than just a commodity  [00:31:01] - Different types of satellites and earth-orbiting technology [00:34:23] - Thoughts on in-space manufacturing as an emerging industry [00:35:33] - Future colonization of the moon, Mars, and humanity leaving the Earth [00:38:19] - The importance of dreaming big to inspire those around you [00:42:36] - Potential reasons why space may not become a new frontier [00:44:41] - Politics and the militarization side of open space [00:47:19] - Legalities and the need for a space treaty  [00:49:41] - Whether or not humans will be living on the moon by 2035 [00:51:03] - What the benefits will be of a colony on Mars if we can establish one on the moon