Meet the founder of Cuvama
I’m Mrinal (MG) Gurbaxani, the CEO & Co-Founder of cuvama. Over the last 17 years, I’ve helped over 80 global B2B customers across manufacturing, distribution, high-tech and software realise their monetisation potential. As the software industry moved to SaaS, I recognised that the shift of power to the customer was inevitable. In response, I built a boutique consultancy, mgpricing, dedicated to this new and growing market need.
After many years of solving the same problem set, the consulting knowhow was codified, into a tech platform, and cuvama was born.
Tell us about the core team behind the brand?
cuvama was born from a boutique management consultancy. The core team is Alex Smith, Alessandre Naro, Edgar Ngwenya, Leyre Iniguez and MG Gurbaxani. We are an eclectic group that have come together from the UK, Brazil, US, Spain and India. We speak over a dozen languages between us and have a shared appreciation for “connecting.”
There’s always a lightbulb moment before the beginning of a new venture. What was that moment for you?
There wasn’t one moment as such. As a consultancy focused on the software industry, we kept seeing the same problems surface. And the impact of the problems kept growing. There was clearly a gap in the market that we were addressing, but there was technology infrastructure needed to solve at scale. We won a £100k grant from Innovate UK, quickly got our first customer and the cuvama platform was born!
Do you prioritise self-care as an entrepreneur?
Yes. My wife has a big career, and we have young kids -so there is a lot to juggle. To bring my best self for my family and cuvama, I need to insert the right mix of exercise and fun in my week. Yoga in the morning helps with keeping me grounded for the rest of the day. And I try and squeeze in a round of golf with friends over the weekend – banter, friendly competition and being out in nature is rejuvenating.
Tell us about your experience prior to launching your business?
I spent a large chunk of my career in San Francisco, working for successful tech start-ups where I learnt a lot about executing on big ambitions through building a collaborative team culture. My wife and I then left the US, did our MBA together in France and Singapore, before moving to London where we continued to work for US tech companies expanding into the UK and Europe. With cuvama, the aim is to reverse that – by building a UK based unicorn that expands state-side!
What’s the most common problem your customers approach you with?
We have built a really cool product, but our average salesperson can’t communicate the business value to every individual customer. So, our sales cycles are long, our customers ask for big discounts and we don’t do a good job expanding our relationship at renewal.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?
Imagine you have decided to swim from A to B, and while you are swimming to B, there is a strong current that is pulling you in a different direction. You can keep swimming against the current towards B. This will be a fight, tiring, and take a lot out of you. Or you can swim along with the current and see where that takes you. Go with the flow.
And what tips would you give to early-stage founders getting ready to take the same path?
Don’t go too far alone. Having a truly supportive spouse/partner that believes in your vision, but can also keep you honest is a huge asset. Find co-founders that inspire you, that are your yin-yang and bring them along on the journey.
Is word of mouth working to your advantage?
Our business has grown exclusively from word-of-mouth. Customer delight has been the #1 guiding principle, and I am most proud of our average CSAT score of 9.7 out of 10. The referrals have saved marketing costs, shortened sales cycles and opened doors to prestigious private equity and venture capital networks where we go in as a trusted partner.
Any moments where you thought you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?
Yes. In my early days as a solo entrepreneur, quite new to selling – I went by the rule of 3. Go all in on 3 opportunities and expect 1 to close. If 2 projects came through, it would have meant working nights and weekends. In my second month as an entrepreneur, 3 contracts came through at the same time, and saying no to any of them would have meant reputational damage. I remember cancelling Christmas holiday, flying to NYC on New Year’s Eve in a snowstorm to deliver a workshop, and pulling 100+ hour weeks. That was the evidence I needed to grow a team!
What impact would you like to have on women around the world through your business?
As a proud husband of a senior executive in tech, and a Dad of 2 young daughters, gender equality is a topic I am passionate about. We believe that cuvama works as an equaliser across an organisation. In its current state, the B2B software industry is driven largely by a high-touch, in-person sales processes that tends to favour salespeople with pre-existing and oftentimes exclusionary networks. With the technology, cuvama will empower all sales and customer-facing teams to have meaningful discussions with their customers, improving performance regardless of pre-existing networks and pedigrees.
Describe your business in three words.
Collaborate. Illuminate. Share success.
