How AI Changes Governments & Business Models, From $11 to $187M Exit | Mike Vichich, Pursuit

Mike Vichich is the Co-founder and CEO of Pursuit, which helps companies generate more revenue from the public sector.

We talk about how AI is changing Helmer’s 7 Powers, how it’s impacting the government, if DOGE is actually working, building a startup in the Midwest, and how to disagree with your team.

We also get into Mike’s prior company Wisely, and how they went from $11 in the bank account and unable to pay payroll for six months, to over $10 million ARR and a $187 million exit to Olo, a public company.

Thanks to Jack Altman and Blake Robbins for their help brainstorming topics for Mike!

Timestamps:

(3:21) How AI changes Helmer’s 7 Powers

(17:06) What becomes important in AI-first economy

(21:02) How AI interfaces with the government

(24:02) “The rules intended to save taxpayer money ironically cause taxpayer money to be wasted”

(29:34) How change orders impact public sector costs

(33:20) Why DOGE has not impacted US government spending yet

(38:15) Three pieces of wisdom from 2nd-time founders

(41:44) Starting Pursuit to make selling to the public sector as easy as the private sector

(45:35) Why cities grow expenses 5x faster than tax revenue

(51:42) Pros + Cons of building startups in Ann Arbor, MI

(57:43) Hiring talent density in the Midwest

(59:30) Starting his first company to fix consumer credit cards

(1:08:50) Pivoting Wisely to restaurant loyalty

(1:12:49) $11 in the bank, missing payroll for six months

(1:15:21) Embarrassing demo at an Ann Arbor tech meetup

(1:18:18) Why CEOs don’t always have to be right

(1:20:54) How to disagree

(1:25:48) Hiring at Pursuit

(1:28:30) “A bad day with customers is better than the best day in the office”

(1:31:33) Crashing their first customer’s PoS on Labor Day Weekend

(1:35:55) Using “The Cadence” to hit $10M ARR

(1:41:55) Selling Wisely to Olo for $187M

Referenced

• Check out Pursuit: https://www.pursuit.us/
• The Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Steps-Epiphany-Steve-Blank/dp/0989200507
• Ann Arbor New Tech Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/a2newtech/
• How to Disagree: https://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html
• The Cadence by David Sacks: https://sacks.substack.com/p/the-cadence-how-to-operate-a-saas-startup-436aa8099e8

Follow Mike

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikevichich

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnernovak

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