Скачать или смотреть From COVID Boom to Bootstrap Mode: Hubilo’s Refounder Story

In this episode, Greg Head talks with Shailesh Hegde, the turnaround CEO of Hubilo, a once heavily funded virtual-events startup that went from explosive COVID growth… to collapse… to a practical, bootstrapped restart that recently resulted in a strategic acquisition.

Shailesh shares the real story of navigating a post-pandemic crash, returning $150M of VC funding, rebuilding the company around a new ICP and product, and leading a lean team to an exit with BrandLive.

This episode breaks down what it actually takes to reset a company, rebuild product-market fit, and lead through massive uncertainty.

Key Takeaways
Refounder Mindset – Shailesh stepped into the CEO role and reframed the mission from hypergrowth to survival, focus, and a practical exit.
New ICP Reality – Moving from event organizers to B2B marketers required a complete repositioning and GTM rebuild that took longer than expected.
AI as Differentiator – Hubilo used AI-generated content and repurposing tools to stand out in a crowded webinar category with entrenched incumbents.
Practical GTM – LinkedIn thought leadership, SEO content, and product-led demos outperformed outbound or expensive Google ads in this competitive space.
Strategic Fit Wins – BrandLive acquired Hubilo for complementary capabilities, product acceleration, and access to a strong India-based engineering team.

⏱️ Chapters:
0:00 – Intro and Welcome
1:58 – Hubilo’s Origin Story
3:46 – Pivot to Webinars
6:15 – From Boom to Bust
11:44 – Inside the BrandLive Acquisition
17:17 – Shailesh’s Refounder Journey
22:29 – COVID Spike and Crash
27:32 – Choosing the Webinar Bet
36:03 – Rebuilding GTM Strategy
49:52 – Finding Product-Market Fit Again
55:05 – How the Exit Came Together
1:03:10 – What’s Next for Shailesh
1:06:28 – Advice for Practical Founders

🔗 Links
Shailesh Hegde on LinkedIn -   / shaileshhegde  
Hubilo on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubi...
Hubilo website - https://www.hubilo.com/
Brandlive website - https://www.brandlive.com/


About Practical Founders and Greg Head

Practical Founders build valuable software companies without big VC funding. This growing community of practical founders are winning the startup game with successful exits of $20 million to $100 million for founders, if they ever choose to sell. There has never been a better time to be a practical founder.

Greg Head is the founder in chief of Practical Founders. He is a 30-year software industry veteran who was part of the startup-to-scale journeys of three different CRM software companies, including one IPO. He is now an active advisor, community builder, and speaker who helps founders of SaaS software startups worldwide.

Greg is a paid strategic advisor to 40 early-stage SaaS company CEOs with his Practical Founders Peer Groups and his 1-1 CEO advisory programs. He hosts the weekly Practical Founders Podcast where he interviews successful founders who grew valuable software companies without big funding.

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