Some SMarketPlace™ guests wow you with tech or marketing & sales prowess. Gaurav Bhattacharya (CEO, Jeeva AI) – AKA “G” – also reminds you what founder’s grit looks like off-camera. We talked how agentic AI adds value, sure—but the moments that stuck for me were human. 😊
G didn’t start with a silver spoon. He and his brother grew up with little, lost his dad early, and still chose to bet on himself—coding at 10, first game at 12, first company after high school. An uncle’s advice became his compass: “Learn to code and learn to sell.” ⚙️🤝 And G’s the consummate salesman today.
On leadership, his one piece of advice to CEOs is deceptively simple: “Believe in yourself… have internal conviction… don’t let self-doubt creep in.” When the big customer leaves or a top employee quits, that’s not the end of the story—it’s the middle. 💪 🧠 ♥️
On scale, he’s proof you can build big without hiring big. Small, trusted senior teams + AI as leverage. Let humans do discovery, demos, and negotiations—let AI handle the repetitive, research-heavy grind. 📈
On fundraising, I loved his discipline: treat it like a sales process, not a never-ending coffee tour. Create real FOMO with tight windows, pattern-match questions, and iterate the pitch between meetings. 🤝
And the Rock ’n’ Roll? G is a lifelong Beatles guy. His family motto: “Happy? Sad? Angry? Go have tea…and listen to The Beatles.” (Frankly, great GTM advice too: keep it simple, keep it human.)
For highlights, watch these clips:
• “Advice for a CEO” → conviction over doubt
• “Beginnings” → why code + sell still wins
• “Rock & Roll” → chai, Beatles, and balance
If you want the playbook behind the moments, check out the full episode below.
Huge thanks to G for bringing both heart and horsepower to the show—and to our SMarketPlace™ crew Tom Dempsey, Sarah Noonan, Bryan Reynolds, and Christopher Mateo for making it rock. Special thank you to LaunchCapital Venture Partner, Jeeva.ai boardmember and the guy who made this all happen, Cliff Sirlin.
P.S. If you’re curious how agentic AI can double your pipeline without losing the human touch, PublioSTUDIO (a Jeeva.ai partner) can set you up with a quick demo—and a free 2-week trial to kick the tires. Contact us today to learn more.