From Product Manager to 2x exited Founder: Ramesh Prabagaran's Go-To-Market Success Playbook Artwork

B2B Go-To-Market Leaders

Behind the scenes with top go-to-market practitioners from the B2B tech industry to understand their mindset and tactics: how they define go-to-market, their journey to the top role, team size, top of mind challenges and goals. Learn how product, sales, marketing and customer success leaders create internal alignment, achieve desired outcomes and help their teams perceive their customer in a human way. Hosted by Vijay Damojipurapu. Presented by Stratyve

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B2B Go-To-Market Leaders

From Product Manager to 2x exited Founder: Ramesh Prabagaran's Go-To-Market Success Playbook

April 16, 2025 • Vijay Damojipurapu • Episode 84

Go-to-market is defined as a cohesive, interconnected machine involving sales, marketing, product, and customer needs working together like a flywheel. A successful GTM strategy centers on four key elements: understanding the customer’s pain points, delivering clear product value, ensuring ease of consumption, and aligning cross-functional teams toward common goals.

In this insightful podcast, Ramesh Prabagaran, a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur and two-time founder, shares his journey from product manager to successful founder and CEO. With over 20 years in the computer networking industry, Ramesh discusses his experiences at Juniper Networks, his co-founding of Viptela (acquired by Cisco), and his latest venture, Prosimo. He dives deep into go-to-market strategies, the iterative process of startup development, and the challenges of finding the right customer segments and value propositions.

Ramesh provides valuable lessons on fundraising, mentorship, and navigating the shifting landscape of cloud networking, with particular emphasis on product-led growth (PLG) and enterprise sales. His story highlights the importance of capital constraints, building the right team, and developing a cohesive, customer-centric strategy.

Connect with Ramesh Prabagaran on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramsba

Connect with Vijay Damojipurapu on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijdam/

Brought to you by: stratyve.com

Chapters:

00:00 - How Ramesh Defines B2B Marketing in Startups
06:47 - From PM at Juniper to Multi-Time Founder: Ramesh’s Career Journey
12:35 - Why Ramesh Entered the Networking Space
15:22 - First Startup: Identifying Market Disruption Through Cost Arbitrage
18:40 - Second Startup: Lessons in Timing, Buyer Personas, and Messaging
39:32 - How to Fundraise Smartly Based on Market Readiness
48:56 - Ramesh’s Three Deepest Sources of Support
53:50 - The Power of Giving Back and the Silicon Valley Culture
56:00 - Advice to His Younger Self: Deprivation Drives Clarity