What if the biggest startup opportunities aren’t in the hottest markets, but in the “old, clunky” industries everyone else ignores?

In this episode of The Learn-It-All™ Podcast, Damon sits down with Garrett Larsson, founder and CEO of Rhombus, to unpack how founders can build massive B2B companies by looking where the hype isn’t. Garrett shares why industries that don’t attract the most venture capital or media attention can still produce category-defining businesses, especially when there is a major shift in technology, go-to-market strategy, or customer behavior.

Garrett also breaks down the lessons he learned across three startups, including why great products alone don’t win, why distribution may matter even more than product in the early days, and why founders must learn to sell before hiring a sales team. Damon and Garrett dig into founder-led sales, product-market fit, startup mistakes, board accountability, and how to build a leadership team that can challenge each other without letting ego wreck the company.

From AI security cameras and cloud physical security to robotics, computer vision, B2B go-to-market strategy, startup culture, and the future of engineering in the age of AI, Garrett brings a practical, no-fluff perspective on what it really takes to scale. His core message is simple: the best startups are not perfect. They are the ones that learn the fastest, move on from mistakes, and stay curious long enough to keep getting better.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why founders should pay attention to “unsexy” industries that don’t get all the venture money, but can still become massive companies
Why Tesla’s direct-to-consumer model is a powerful example of go-to-market disruption, not just product innovation
How Garrett and the Rhombus team used founder-market fit, old customer relationships, and direct outreach to land their first 10 to 20 customers
Why B2B founders should personally sell to 10 to 20 unrelated companies before hiring a single salesperson
How to tell the difference between smart startup risks and risks that can cause real damage, especially in security, data, and hardware businesses
Why every startup is “a different version of a shit show” and how the best teams learn from mistakes without blaming, dwelling, or repeating them
How Garrett thinks about founder relationships, open communication, letting go of grudges, and building trust across a long-term leadership team
Why curiosity, hunger, and lifelong learning may become even more important as AI makes great engineers dramatically more productive

Timestamps

00:00 Episode preview and introduction
01:09 The hidden upside of overlooked industries
02:35 How to spot an industry ready to break
04:05 The go-to-market lesson founders miss
05:14 Why the fastest learners win
06:37 How one founding team survived three startups
08:38 The founder conflict advice no one likes hearing
10:58 Every startup is a different version of chaos
12:51 When moving fast becomes dangerous
15:42 What Rhombus is really building
18:17 The hardware lessons software founders never expect
22:12 How Garrett landed his first customers
24:19 What good investors actually do
26:22 The VC advantage beyond the check
28:16 Should every founder stay CEO?
30:11 Why founders must sell before hiring sales
32:27 The warning signs inside sales and support
34:35 How bureaucracy quietly kills momentum
35:32 Will AI replace software engineers?
37:50 The culture Garrett refuses to compromise
42:10 Why busy founders cannot stop learning
44:38 Rhombus’ next big bet: robotics
46:46 Where AI-powered security matters most

About Garrett Larsson

Garrett Larsson is the founder and CEO of Rhombus, a cloud physical security company building AI security cameras, access control, IoT sensors, alarm monitoring, and guest management tools for businesses and large organizations. A computer science engineer by background, Garrett has started three companies and brings deep experience in B2B software, cybersecurity, hardware, AI, go-to-market strategy, and founder-led sales.

At Rhombus, Garrett and his team are helping modern organizations rethink physical security with cloud-based systems, computer vision, and AI-driven insights. Before Rhombus, Garrett built companies in mobile and cybersecurity, including Mojave Networks, and learned firsthand that product matters, but distribution, customer traction, and fast learning are what separate good ideas from scalable companies.

Resources and Mentions

Garrett Larsson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettlarsson/

Rhombus website: https://www.rhombus.com/

Podcast Contact Information:

Website: www.learnit.com

Email: podcast@learnit.com