S11E6: Building the Unified API with Merge Co-Founder, Shensi Ding

Welcome back to The Room Podcast! Today, we’re thrilled to explore the fast-evolving world of B2B tech innovation with Shensi Ding, co-founder of Merge. Merge has become a leader in unified APIs, creating a category that addresses the challenges many companies face with complex integrations. Shensi’s journey is a unique one—from her coding days in Boston to Columbia, then a career at Silver Lake, all of which prepared her to tackle the 'SAAS sprawl' problem head-on. Together with her co-founder, Gil Feig, Shensi has built a powerhouse team and a product that’s essential for clients like Ramp and BambooHR. Their customer-first approach has secured $75 million in funding and a growing presence across SF and NYC. In this episode, we delve into topics like using customer insights to drive category creation, balancing skills in co-founder dynamics, and navigating fundraising from seed stage through metrics-driven growth.  For The Room Podcast in your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on TikTok  Check out our guide to podcasting here!  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music! 5:04 - Where did Shensi grow up and how did that shape her view of the world? 6:07 - Did Shensi always think she was going to become a founder? 6:29 - How were website designers making money in the early 2000’s? 7:25 - How did Shensi move from making websites to computer science? 8:19 - How has finance influenced Shensi to become a founder? 10:26 - Why did Shensi leave finance to join Xpanse? 11:35 - How did Shensi meet her co-founder, Gil, and why did they decide to find Merge? 14:20 - What was the aha moment that encouraged the start of Merge? 14:57 - What is the core product of Merge? 16:48 - Who was the first company to say yes to using Merge? 17:53 - What are some of the ways that customers are using Merge? 18:48 - How does Shensi classify the space that Merge is a part of? 19:38 - How did Shensi think about building her initial team? 21:00 - Who was the first person to say yes to investing in Merge? 21:31 - How was Shensi’s experience fundraising for Merge? 22:44 - What advice does Shensi have for fundraising? 25:37 - What is Merge's go-to-market strategy and how did Shensi build the initial sales team? 26:29 - How do you scale up after the seed round? 28:19 - How is AI disrupting the unified API space and how does Merge fit into that? 29:14 - What is a part of the founding journey that Shensi didn’t expect? 31:17 - How is the founding landscape today? Are people looking to keep building? 32:52 - What companies are a part of Merge’s tech stack? 33:38 - What’s next for Merge and for Shensi? 34:48 - Who is a woman in Shensi’s life that has had a profound impact on her and her career? Brought to you by Perkins Coie and Mercury.* *Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. WX Productions