Episode 43 How Commander AI is Automating the $100B Waste Industry

What if the secret to closing a massive B2B deal wasn't a complex digital funnel, but a simple text message and a "phantom" flight? In this episode of The Funded, Now What?!, host Andrew Lee Miller (@growthexpertz) sits down with David Berg, the founder of Commander AI. David is a former waste hauler who traded the driver's seat for the CEO's chair to solve a massive problem: one of the world’s last "pen and paper" industries is desperately looking for technology it doesn't even know exists. Fresh off a $5 million seed round, David reveals how he built a CRM that is winning head-to-head against Salesforce by keeping things "simple" for an old-school workforce. The "Reverse-Flight" Sales Hack: How David gets a 100% meeting rate with top-tier prospects by leveraging "relentless fortitude." Fundraising from Giants: The behind-the-scenes story of how David raised $5M after hundreds of "nos" and how a relationship with Adam Neumann shaped his mindset. Engineering as Marketing: Why Commander AI launched Hauler Central (a Yelp-style marketplace) to dominate SEO and capture inbound demand. The @growthexpertz "Anti-AI" Brand Hack: Why Andrew advises startups in old-school niches to avoid using ".ai" or ".io" domains to increase conversion. Google Maps Lead Generation: Andrew’s strategy for scraping 30,000+ locations to fuel hyper-targeted direct mail and AI-agent outreach. David is the CEO of Commander AI, a specialized intelligence layer for waste haulers. His platform helps haulers manage pipelines, invoicing, and quoting, generating over $34M in revenue for his customers to date. Connect with David: LinkedIn Profile Learn more: Commander.com | HaulerCentral.com Funded, Now What?! is the world’s only startup marketing podcast that interviews recently funded founders to uncover how they raised millions—and gives them tactical advice from @growthexpertz on how to spend it. Master your growth at: www.growthexpertz.com 🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Featured Guest: David Berg💡 About the Show 00:00 Introduction to Commander AI and Its Mission 03:08 The Fundraising Journey: Overcoming Challenges 06:05 Building Relationships with Investors 09:02 Current Traction and Product Development 12:00 Customer Acquisition Strategies and Marketing Insights 14:56 Leveraging LinkedIn for Growth 18:00 Future Directions and Closing Thoughts 19:15 Leveraging Ads for Effective Outreach 22:02 Hacking Google Maps for Business Intelligence 25:20 Simplifying Onboarding for Customer Success 30:01 Maximizing Conference Opportunities 35:08 Crafting Compelling PR Strategies 38:28 POD OUTRO.mp4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices