Interview with Kayvon Touran
Kayvon Touran
MAY 29, 2024 | 00:45 | Episode 11
The scrappy edtech innovator Kayvon Touran
Kayvon Touran, co-founder of Zal.ai, shares his journey in the ed tech industry and the development of his company. He discusses the importance of working in an ambiguous environment and the influence it had on his career path. Kayvon explains how Zal.ai aims to enhance learning and development in the workforce by measuring skills and competencies. He also talks about the challenges of finding product-market fit and the unconventional approach they took to funding their startup.
ABOUT MY GUEST
Kayvon Touran is a seasoned operator in early-stage tech startups with over a decade of diverse industry experience. Starting his career in sales and business development, he next transitioned into product management, and eventually a GM role. Kayvon eventually found himself immersed in edtech, and spent the past five years at Noodle.com, an edtech company based in New York. At Noodle Kayvon co-created and launched a platform for universities to manage their lifelong learning initiatives online. It was during this that Kayvon, and his then coworker/now cofounder Joe Rousseau, identified a significant gap in the market concerning organizations' ability to effectively contextualize, apply, and measure their Learning and Development spend. This realization inspired him to launch his latest venture, Zal.ai – a technology and services company that combines cutting-edge learning science and generative artificial intelligence to transform learning and development for the workforce.
Summary
Kayvon Touran, co-founder of Zal.ai, shares his journey in the ed tech industry and the development of his company. He discusses the importance of working in an ambiguous environment and the influence it had on his career path. Kayvon explains how Zal.ai aims to enhance learning and development in the workforce by measuring skills and competencies. He also talks about the challenges of finding product-market fit and the unconventional approach they took to funding their startup.
Takeaways
Working in an ambiguous environment can be exciting and impactful, leading to personal and professional growth.
Zol.ai aims to enhance learning and development in the workforce by measuring skills and competencies.
Finding product-market fit is an ongoing process that requires continuous evaluation and adaptation.
Bootstrapping can be a viable option for funding a startup, allowing for autonomy and control over the company's direction.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
09:39 Delving into Ed Tech
32:31 Bootstrapping and Funding
