Daniel Saks: Leveraging AI to Redefine Lead Generation with Landbase

Building something that changes an industry takes more than just good timing – it takes the vision to see what others might miss. Tech companies come and go, but the ones that stick around usually have something special: they spot shifts in technology that others overlook. That’s exactly what Daniel Saks did when he co-founded AppDirect, scaling it to handle over $3 billion in annual merchandise value and a thousand-strong team. Now as CEO of Landbase, he’s tackling a new challenge: helping businesses generate better leads through AI. His journey offers valuable insights for anyone looking to build more than just another company.

Spotting the Right Tech Shift

Sometimes the best business idea in the world shows up at the wrong time. Daniel learned this firsthand when AppDirect caught the software-as-a-service (SaaS) wave back in 2009. “One of the insights I’ve gleaned on how to create a category defining company is ensuring that there’s a technology shift that gives you as a startup the right to compete with an incumbent,” he says. The timing worked. They built a new way to sell cloud services that wouldn’t have made sense even a few years earlier.

Now he’s doing it again with Landbase, riding the AI wave this time. “We’re leveraging agentic AI which is the next generation of AI that takes action based on data,” Daniel explains. It’s not rocket science – it’s about spotting the moment when new technology lets you shake up old ways of doing business.

Building Defensible Advantages

Want to know what keeps tech founders up at night? It’s not just competition – it’s building something others can’t copy. “If you want to start a unicorn or a company that can go public and have a huge impact, you need to make sure that you have a competitive moat that differentiates you from others in the space,” Daniel points out. Look at Google or DoorDash – they didn’t just build better products. They built systems that got stronger as they grew. Some companies protect themselves with brands, others with cash. But Daniel’s got a different take. “What’s important when building a massive company is you need to think very hard about how you can create a differentiated moat,” he says. The real gold? Building technology nobody else has figured out yet. When your R&D team hits on something new, that’s when things get interesting.

Building Teams for Exponential Growth

Most individuals try to build something 10% better than what’s out there. Daniel thinks that’s playing it safe. “One of the things I like to think of when creating a new business concept or feature is not how this can be 10% better than what exists today but how it can be 10 times better than what it is today,” he says. It’s not just talk – it’s about getting your whole team to think differently. The culture you build early on sticks around. Want big results? Build a team that thinks big. You can have the best idea in Silicon Valley, but without the right team, it’s just an idea. Daniel cuts through the noise: “Ultimately growth is all about the people and it’s all about the team you build.” But here’s what most people miss – it’s not just about hiring smart folks. You need to think about how they’ll grow, learn, and stick around when things get tough.

Embracing Failure

Here’s something interesting – failure happens a lot more than success. “We all like to see headlines of Forbes billionaires or these companies that got a million users effortlessly, but the reality of being an entrepreneur is that you face far more rejection and failure than you face success,” Daniel shares. The trick isn’t avoiding failure – it’s using it. Smart teams don’t just accept failure, they learn from it. More shots on goal mean more chances to score.

Want to build something that lasts? Daniel’s playbook is pretty clear: find your moment, build something others can’t copy, think bigger than what seems reasonable, and get comfortable with failure. As he puts it, that’s how you build “a durable unicorn and even more a public independent company that will thrive.” 

To learn more about Daniel Saks and his approach, checkout his LinkedIn profile and website

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