Build Mode is back with a holiday bonus episode. This week, Startup Battlefield editor Isabelle Johannessen is joined by the winner of this year’s competition, Kevin Damoa, CEO and founder of Glīd, a logistics infrastructure company that aims to streamline the complex container shipping process.
Damoa first discovered the challenges of shipping larger cargo as a new recruit in the U.S. Army, working on a team loading tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles onto the railroad. He learned firsthand that while railroads don’t have the same congestion as roads, they come with their own problems. The biggest ended up being the complex multi-step process of moving freight from the roads to the rails.
Cut to 2025, and Damoa is standing on the TechCrunch Disrupt stage holding the giant check, having beaten 200 other companies to win the Startup Battlefield competition. In this week’s episode of Build Mode, TechCrunch’s new postcast for builders and entrepreneurs, Damoa shares how he found the hardware and software solution to the logistics problems he had seen firsthand. And he dives deep into how the team came together to ensure the three products (launched almost simultaneously) were ready for a live demo on the Disrupt stage.
“Oh, it was crazy to make the software work,” Damoa said. “And anyone who knows software knows that it takes an army of people,” which was something Glīd currently doesn’t have. But that pressure and the very public deadline gave the team focus and drive to get their house up and running faster than ever.
In this interview, Damoa is fresh off this big win and eager to use the momentum and prize money to accelerate Glīd into their next phase. They are already launching a pilot with the Great Plains Industrial Park and their next product Glīder is about to hit the market. And the team is hiring for roles in nearly every aspect of the business. Their process is more on the relaxed end of the spectrum, with Damoa calling it “an organic process,” where an initial vibe check and resume review can turn into a new team member.
Damoa says this process has attracted people who are mission-driven, laser-focused, all while practicing mindfulness. It makes sense when the CEO is the kind of leader who reacts to the news that they’ve made the top five of the Startup Battlefield by saying, “I’m going to meditate.”
Using this human-centered approach, the Glīd team has attracted people who are mission-driven and laser-focused, all while practicing mindfulness. It makes sense when the CEO is the kind of leader who reacts to the news that they’ve made the top five of the Startup Battlefield by saying, “I’m going to meditate.”
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For the full episode and many more tips from Damoa on how other companies can position themselves to win the Startup Battlefield, check out the video below, or listen and subscribe to Build Mode wherever you like to get your favorite podcasts. And if you like what we’re doing, leave us a review — or if you have feedback about the show, contact us at podcasts@techcrunch.com.