Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

IVP's Hypergrowth Podcast: Harness CEO Jyoti Bansal on simplifying the software delivery process

22/01/2020

In IVP's Hypergrowth Podcast series, IVP investors talk with CEOs from the fastest growing companies to understand the ins and outs of company building in the hypergrowth environment.

Jyoti Bansal, the Co-Founder and CEO of Harness, is on a mission to simplify the entire software delivery process. With the goal of helping companies match the level of their software deployment to companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Google, his team at Harness gives critical time and resources back to companies by allowing them to focus on core innovation instead of more tactical software deployment processes. As the founder, former CEO, and chairman of AppDynamics, acquired by Cisco for $3.7 billion on the eve of their IPO, as well as the founder of an early-stage venture firm, Unusual Ventures, and startup studio, BIG Labs, Jyoti is no stranger to birthing a business, growing it, then creating value along the way for the ecosystem.

IVP led the Series D of AppDynamics in 2013 and led the Series B for Harness in April 2019.

Some key takeaways from Jyoti:

Four questions to ask before embarking on a start-up

Can I see a visible path to $100M ARR?

Can I build a sustainable technological advantage?

Is there an opportunity to build a wider, category-defining platform beyond $100M ARR?

Is the founding team one where we can work together for the next ten years?

Bottom-up vs. top-down selling There is more power that has shifted toward the developer but it's not just the buying power it's really about the decision making power. It used to be that the CIO could make a decision on buying this product and then they will make a top-down decision, you know, an announcement that everyone has to use this product. That's just impossible these days. No CIO, no head of engineering can make a call like that, unless you get buy-in from the developers

The most important thing for most developers is something that they can try without talking to a salesperson. Something that they can use and feel themselves without, you know, having the pressure of buying or something, right? So you can do it with open source you can do it with freemium the product has to be good In this kind of space, mediocre products don't win and don't survive

At some point, you have to convince a VP or a C level person to spend half a million a year with a vendor

Tapping talent and investing in recruiting The single most important advantage is the ability to attract the right talent earlier on.

I think the main advice I would give to people is trying to hire a little bit ahead. Not too far ahead but six to twelve months before you think you would run into a wall with your management structure/management team that you have.

For any exec about forty-percent to fifty-percent time does go in recruiting and acquiring the right talent and that's the best use of your time anyone can do. But I would say at about, somewhere in the thirty to fifty people mark is good to bring in a senior recruiting person

The formula to fundraising You know, as a first-time entrepreneur when I was doing, raising my Series A for AppDynamics, I had to pitch twenty VC's and get twenty rejections before I got my first offer. For Harness, the second time entrepreneur, twenty VC's approached me to invest before I accepted one

You want to fund the company in any round for the next, eighteen to twenty four months. I do not like to fundraise more frequently than that; it's just too much overhead . You want to have some buffer, you don't want to be scrambling for funds.

More from the full conversation in the transcript is below.

To hear more, listen on iTunes or SoundCloud.

TRANSCRIPT Narrator: Welcome to IVP's Hyper-Growth Podcast. In this series, we talk with CEOs of the fastest-growing companies and discuss the ins-and-outs of company building in the hyper-growth environment. If you like what you hear, consider following us on SoundCloud or subscribing to our podcast on iTunes. Thanks, and enjoy the show.

Jason: I'm Jason, an investor at IVP and welcome to the Hyper-Growth podcast. I have as my guest on the show today, Jyoti Bansal, the CEO and co-founder of Harness.io, a continuous delivery as a service software platform. As well as the founder and former CEO and chairman of AppDynamics, an application performance monitoring company, which was acquired by Cisco for $3.7 billion on the eve of their IPO. Jyoti also founded his own early stage venture firm, Unusual Ventures, as well as his own startup studio, BIG Labs. IVP was fortunate enough to lead the Series D of AppDynamics in 2013 and recently led the Series B for Harness earlier this year. Jyoti, it's great to see you. We're so glad to have you here.

Jyoti: Thanks for having me here, Jason.

Jason: I think many people are familiar with your AppDynamics journey and so maybe we pick up the story from where that leaves off. It's 2017, the company you founded and built was just acquired in one of the most successful enterprise exits of all time and for the first time in ten years you're not working on AppDynamics. So tell us, what did you do with all that free time?

Jyoti: *Laughs* You know, when AppDynamics was acquired, my first instinct was to do nothing and retire for some time and so that's the first thing I tried, and you know running a company had a long list of things that I wanted to do so that was the first thing to get things off the list, which was doing a safari in Africa and do the hiking in the Himalayas and see Machu Picchu and to see the fjords of Norway and so there was a long list of things to achieve and so that's what I did for six months and then kind of spend a lot of time on the beach. But after about eight/nine months it occurred to me I'm not ready to retire it's just too I need to get b
LINK: https://www.ivp.com/news/podcast/ivps-hypergrowth-podcast-harness-ceo-...
See more stories from ivp

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

24/06/2026

NoiseWorks Audio add Mouth De-Click to VoiceAssist

Plus: VoiceAssist Basic now available to UA LUNA users NoiseWorks Audio have just released an update that adds a new Mouth De-Click module to the Advanced t...

24/06/2026

Gator introduce the Frameworks Studio Mic Boom 2000

New heavy-duty mic stand joins range The latest arrival to Gator's Frameworks family introduces a new heavy-duty boom stand that's been designed for...

24/06/2026

Waves V17 now available

Latest major plug-in update goes live Waves have just announced that the latest major update for their hugely popular plug-in range is now officially availa...

24/06/2026

Why Four Bars of Signal Doesn't Always Mean Good Performance

When assessing cellular coverage, many people look at the signal bars displayed on a smartphone, router or modem. More bars are often assumed to mean better per...

24/06/2026

Rohde & Schwarz THORIS sets new standard for counterUAS defense

Rohde & Schwarz THORIS sets new standard for counter UAS defense At Eurosatory 2026, Rohde & Schwarz is unveiling THORIS, a German engineered, sovereign count...

24/06/2026

Rohde & Schwarz expands voice communications modernization program for Egyptian air traffic control

Rohde & Schwarz expands voice communications modernization program for Egyptian ...

24/06/2026

Clear-Com FreeSpeak Cell Successfully Tested by RTL Deutschland in 5G Network at...

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...

24/06/2026

Nielsen's Q1 2026 Ad Supported Gauge

Streaming sets record high of 46.6% of ad supported TV viewing, driven by Super Bowl and Winter Olympics; overall share of ad supported TV remains steady NEW Y...

24/06/2026

FCC Flooded with Nearly 28K Comments Regarding Its Probe of 'The View'

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

24/06/2026

Hearst Television Brings Ad Addressability to Local Broadcast TV

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

24/06/2026

FCC Raises $3.5 Billion in AWS-3 Wireless Auction

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

24/06/2026

RE:Vision Effects Announces Twixtor Standalone v 8.1 and a Sale!

RE:Vision Effects Announces Twixtor Standalone v 8.1 and a Sale! Brie Clayton June 24, 2026 0 Comments Twixtor v8.1 Standalone adds support for variab...

24/06/2026

Dreamtek Uses Full Blackmagic Workflow for Vercel Next JS Event

Dreamtek Uses Full Blackmagic Workflow for Vercel Next JS Event Brie Clayton June 24, 2026 0 Comments Blackmagic cameras, switchers, routers, recorder...

24/06/2026

Chyron LIVE Unveils New Features: Haivision StreamHub Integration, SCTE-35 Ad Insertion, and Refined Switching Tools

Chyron LIVE Unveils New Features: Haivision StreamHub Integration, SCTE-35 Ad In...

24/06/2026

Mapping an Education

Mapping an Education How composer Chloe Clarke Smith navigated her Boston Conservatory experience and brought new meaning to her work June 24, 2026 By Sara...

24/06/2026

The Next Act

The Next Act Dean Krisha Marcano's vision for a connected Theater Division, and the fund making it possible June 24, 2026 Photo by Eric Antoniou The Or...

24/06/2026

Announcing STAGES Magazine 2026

Announcing STAGES Magazine 2026 Marking a decade since Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music joined forces, this issue spotlights some of the groun...

24/06/2026

Rede Legislativa Chooses Appear to Support Brazil TV Ver...

In Brazil's TV 3.0 Trials, Appear's X5 is transporting live signals from Bras lia to S o Paulo over the public internet using secure, reliable next-gene...

24/06/2026

Mediaproxy partners with HVS for US broadcast market

Melbourne, Australia - 24 June 2026: Mediaproxy, the global standard for software-based IP compliance monitoring and multiviewing solutions, has named Heartland...

24/06/2026

Gray Media Launches Political 360 Digital Advertising Solution

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

24/06/2026

Walmart to Pay $1.4 Billion to Acquire Ad Tech Firm Vibe.co

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

24/06/2026

FCC Flooded with Nearly 28K Comments on 'The View'

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

24/06/2026

First Rush Brings SDI Multicam ProRes Recording to Apple Silicon Macs

First Rush Brings SDI Multicam ProRes Recording to Apple Silicon Macs Brie Clayton June 23, 2026 0 Comments First Rush is a native macOS application d...

24/06/2026

Vertical Drama Beneath Crimson Sails Created with Blackmagic Design

Vertical Drama Beneath Crimson Sails Created with Blackmagic Design Brie Clayton June 23, 2026 0 Comments Thunder Child Productions relies on cameras&...

24/06/2026

X-Rite Pantone Adds MSI PRO MAX Displays to Pantone Validated Program for Proven Color Fidelity for Real World Colors

X-Rite Pantone Adds MSI PRO MAX Displays to Pantone Validated Program for Proven...

24/06/2026

Dara Briain forms Dara's Dull Appreciation Society for U

24th June 2026, London: Dara Briain will host brand new comedy entertainment series Dara's Dull Appreciation Society (4x40') celebrating members of th...

24/06/2026

Sky reveals wild new trailer and images for Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom

Wednesday 24 June 2026 Sky reveals wild new trailer and images for Shaun the Sh...

24/06/2026

Seven paradoxes shaping the next era of media production - Episode 1

Why Dynamic Media Facilities Matter In this series, we explore the technologies, architectures and operational realities shaping modern media operations. Along ...

24/06/2026

Comscore Announces Partnership with Amazon DSP to Expand Content Addressability to Drive Campaign Performance

Comscore Announces Partnership with Amazon DSP to Expand Content Addressability ...

24/06/2026

RT is supporting 21 Arts and Cultural Events all over Ireland this July

From Cork to Limerick to Earagail: RT is supporting 21 Arts and Cultural Events all over Ireland this July RT Supporting the Arts is delighted to spotlight...

23/06/2026

Case Study: YES Networks IP Transition Expands Production Possibilities and Redefines Workflows

When we began planning our transition from an SDI-based infrastructure to a new ...

23/06/2026

Imagine Communications Appoints Greg Garmon as SVP, Americas Video Sales

Imagine Communications has announced the appointment of Greg Garmon as Senior Vice President, Americas Video Sales. Garmon will oversee account growth and busin...

23/06/2026

Snap Promotes Emma Wakely to Head of Sports and Media Partnerships, Americas

Snap has promoted Emma Wakely to Head of Sports and Media Partnerships, Americas, succeeding Anmol Malhotra, who has been elevated to Global Head of Content and...

23/06/2026

YES Network and Gotham Sports App to Air MI New York Major League Cricket Matches

YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air MI New York's Major League Cr...

23/06/2026

HAND Issues Persistent Digital IDs to 2026 NBA Draft Class

The Universal Talent Identifier (HAND) has issued HAND IDs to 34 top projected prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft class, including AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and...

23/06/2026

World Boxing Launches World Boxing TV Streaming Platform

World Boxing has announced the launch of World Boxing TV, a subscription-based streaming platform built on the Joymo platform, offering live events, on-demand c...

23/06/2026

FloRacing to Stream 32 Off-Road Motorcycle Racing Events Including AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship

FloSports will stream 32 off-road motorcycle racing events on FloRacing, includi...

23/06/2026

SES Adds 14 Regional Channels and New Set-Top Boxes to ASTRA TV in Spain

SES has announced the expansion of its ASTRA TV platform in Spain with the addition of 14 regional channels in HD and UHD quality and the launch of new hybrid s...

23/06/2026

Appear Supports Rede Legislativas Contribution Workflow for Brazils TV 3.0 Trials

Appear ASA has announced its role in Rede Legislativa de R dio e TV's contri...

23/06/2026

PBS Selects LTN for Nationwide IP Video Network Across 330 Member Stations

LTN has announced that PBS has selected it as its IP video partner to modernize content distribution and contribution across more than 330 public television sta...

23/06/2026

Ease Live Powers Interactive Experience on Rally.TV for WRC

Ease Live has announced that its graphics overlay platform is powering an interactive fan experience on Rally.TV, the official streaming platform of the FIA Wor...

23/06/2026

Chyron LIVE Adds Haivision StreamHub Integration, SCTE-35 Ad Insertion, and Switcher Updates

Chyron has announced updates to Chyron LIVE, its cloud-native live production pl...

23/06/2026

ESPN Announces ESPN Fan House, Fan Engagement Hub Powered by Flowcode

ESPN has announced ESPN Fan House, a fan engagement hub powered by Flowcode, launching in August ahead of the 2026 college football season. Publicis Sports will...

23/06/2026

Sennheiser Relocates Americas Regional Hub to Nashville

The city's solid position in broadcast, entertainment, and sports attracted the major microphone manufacturer Sennheiser Group is moving its Americas Regio...

23/06/2026

Violet Audio's dMix 128 now shipping

128 channels of signal routing & DSP Announced just before the NAMM Show 2026, Violet Audio's latest digital audio matrix offers 128 channels of signal ...

23/06/2026

Minimal Audio launch Memory Rites

Latest Current expansion created by EPROM Minimal Audio have just launched the latest Current Expansion, Memory Rites. Designed in collaboration with renown...