Brisk
Brisk was a "prescriptive intelligence" AI tool for sales teams. It analyzed data from Salesforce, calendars, and emails to recommend the "next best action" for a salesperson to close a deal. Despite raising $2M and having high-profile founders, the startup failed due to extreme platform dependency on Salesforce and a lack of product focus.
The Autopsy
| Section | Details |
|---|---|
| Startup Profile | Founders: Hampus Jakobsson Funding: $2,000,000 (VC & Angel) |
| Cause of Death | Financing Failure: Yes Market Fit: Yes |
| The Critical Mistake | Platform Dependency: Brisk was a "layer" on top of Salesforce. Customers often believed Salesforce would eventually build the same feature themselves, and many IT managers refused to "pollute" their Salesforce setup with 3rd party plugins. Lack of Focus: The product tried to handle too many data sources and use cases. They were "flexible" on what data to use, which led to an unfocused, "half-assed" product rather than a simple, elegant solution for one specific problem. Technical Fragmentation: Because Salesforce instances are highly customized, Brisk spent more time building custom integrations than improving their core AI recommendations. |
| Key Lessons |
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Deep Dive
In his interview with Failory, Hampus Jakobsson reflected on the psychological difference between his first successful exit and his second failure. The $150M Mirage: Hampus previously founded The Astonishing Tribe, which was sold to Blackberry for $150M. This success made him (and his investors) confident. However, that confidence led to a "go big" mentality that skipped the crucial step of solving a small problem elegantly. At Brisk, they tried to build the "brain of sales" before they had even mastered the "nervous system." The "Clean Infrastructure" Objection: Hampus found a cultural barrier he didn't expect: Enterprise IT departments are territorial. Even if the sales team loved Brisk, the "Gatekeepers" of the CRM infrastructure saw any external tool as a security risk or a clutter problem. The Legacy: Brisk is a classic case of "The Layer Startup Risk." It serves as a reminder that being a 'value-add' to a giant (like Salesforce) means you are at the mercy of their roadmap. Hampus now spends his time as an angel investor in NordicMakers, using his "$2M tuition" to help founders focus on solving one critical, focused problem.
Key Lessons
The Layer Startup Risk: Being a "value-add" to a giant (like Salesforce) means you are at the mercy of their roadmap.
The "Blackberry" Pedigree Trap: Previous success can lead to "go big" mentality that skips solving a small problem elegantly.
The "Clean Infrastructure" Objection: Enterprise IT departments are territorial and see external tools as security risks.