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Karthik Chakkarapani

22 statements across 2 episodes · 4 bullish · 4 bearish · 1 people on the record · first statement Jul 11, 2025 by Karthik Chakkarapani · across every show →

On the record as a speaker too: Karthik Chakkarapani's record, appearances and statements → this page counts the times other people say the name.

Everything said about Karthik Chakkarapani, oldest first

Jul 11, 2025
Disclosure
Zuora CIO aims to close startup software purchases within six weeks
“So I like to go from the initial pitch to closing the sales in less than six weeks.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Jul 11, 2025 ▶ 24:29 What Startups Can Learn from a $1.7B Co. Chief Information Officer | Karthik Chakkarapani
Jul 11, 2025 neutral
Insight
Chakkarapani: Enterprise success metrics will not change in the AI era
“Those metrics are not going to change because all the business drivers are still the same, right? It's only the enablers and the variables to do that is changing. So we should still focus on the actual value.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Jul 11, 2025 ▶ 15:36 What Startups Can Learn from a $1.7B Co. Chief Information Officer | Karthik Chakkarapani
Jul 11, 2025 negative
Opinion
Zuora CIO: AI tools will make enterprises rethink hiring entry-level engineers
“If I have to hire an entry level analyst or an engineer or a designer, I will think twice. Because investing in these tools, whether it is Vercel or Windsurf or Cursor, I will be thinking twice, okay, do I need an entry level software engineer? Do I need an en…”
Karthik Chakkarapani Jul 11, 2025 ▶ 14:00 What Startups Can Learn from a $1.7B Co. Chief Information Officer | Karthik Chakkarapani
Jul 11, 2025 positive
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Zuora CIO: Atomicwork's AI agent resolves up to 50% of service requests
“Almost 40 to 50% of the employee incidents and requests were addressed by the AI agent.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Jul 11, 2025 ▶ 19:37 What Startups Can Learn from a $1.7B Co. Chief Information Officer | Karthik Chakkarapani
Jul 11, 2025 neutral
Insight
Chakkarapani: Enterprise pitches should lead with value and capabilities, not AI
“I tell the founders and whoever is coming and pitching, I give them some advice. Talk more about the value. Because a year ago, we were not very familiar with Agent TKI. I think people are not familiar what Agent TKI can do. Right? You may want to do a subtle …”
Karthik Chakkarapani Jul 11, 2025 ▶ 27:42 What Startups Can Learn from a $1.7B Co. Chief Information Officer | Karthik Chakkarapani
Jul 11, 2025 neutral
Disclosure
Zuora only signs one-year AI software contracts due to rapid obsolescence
“We are only signing one-year contracts, because the technology is changing so fast, and that's why I'm somewhere in the middle.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Jul 11, 2025 ▶ 20:01 What Startups Can Learn from a $1.7B Co. Chief Information Officer | Karthik Chakkarapani
Jul 11, 2025 neutral
Opinion
Chakkarapani: Roughly one-third of the general workforce understands AI capabilities
“Talking to general population, I would say less, maybe one third of it understand what's possible in AI.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Jul 11, 2025 ▶ 30:49 What Startups Can Learn from a $1.7B Co. Chief Information Officer | Karthik Chakkarapani
Jul 11, 2025 neutral
Disclosure
Zuora purchased 10 to 12 tools after evaluating 50 startup pitches
“I would say maybe 40 to 50 pitches. Personally, I go to many of these events, I use these events, so I get to get the elevator pitches and all those things. Some, sometimes it resonates, sometimes it doesn't resonate. And I would say what till date we have alm…”
Karthik Chakkarapani Jul 11, 2025 ▶ 24:00 What Startups Can Learn from a $1.7B Co. Chief Information Officer | Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025
Disclosure
Zuora's Startup Vendor Evaluation Averages Two to Three Months to Contract
“So ideally I would say two to three months is average. For entire thing, and then the implementation begins, right? And ideally I want to see the value in the first three months, not like six months or nine months.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 17:40 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025
Insight
Chakkarapani: Enterprise Buyers Evaluate Startup Team Rapport Beyond Product Viability
“Because if it is an established company, we don't have much of a say, we just test the value on the, of the product. But if it is a startup, this is almost like I treat them, I want to treat them as an extension of my team, like a thought partner. How do you g…”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 14:50 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025 negative
Disclosure
Zuora CIO Chakkarapani refuses to pay vendors for enterprise POCs
“I would never pay because we need some skin in the game from the vendor who's supporting us.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 8:09 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025 neutral
Insight
Chakkarapani: Buy core IT from established vendors, only overlay tools from startups
“Usually I stay away from startups, like the core zero trust foundation, and identity management, and like the data loss prevention and all those things. I stick with the core established companies, but anything a layer on top of it that is going to help us wit…”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 33:03 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025 positive
Insight
Chakkarapani: Ideal IT budget splits 60% for growth, 40% for operations
“So I would say like, ideally, 60% in change the business and 40% in run and operate the business.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 35:18 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025 neutral
Disclosure
Chakkarapani: One-fifth of Zuora's software stack is early-stage startups
“I would say almost like one fifth of our portfolio, or like zero to five years kind of in the startup ecosystem.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 29:45 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025 positive
Disclosure
Zuora decommissioned over 40 SaaS apps in two years
“So we decommissioned almost like, 40 plus apps in the last two years, and we consulted it with existing apps, and we moved into new apps, so now we have a very healthy set of apps, and the machine is not running, the engine is running now.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 6:55 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025
Disclosure
Zuora CIO: 80% of vendor discovery is outbound, only 10-20% inbound
“So inbound is very less, I would say, maybe 10 to 20% that we pay attention, but 80% is Outbound because it makes it easy for us.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 10:04 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025 positive
Insight
Chakkarapani: Enterprises should bring business teams into initial vendor meetings alongside IT
“When we talk to the vendor, in the first meeting, we have the business teams in front of us. It's not like IT goes first and business comes. So we have a cross-functional team. That represents an AI, at least in the AI focus. And we keep them updated. We keep …”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 38:08 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025 negative
Opinion
Zuora CIO: Non-VC-backed software startups are a procurement red flag
“If I come across a startup which is not backed by VCs, I typically, for me, it's a red flag. Typically, it's a red flag for me.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 31:16 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025
Disclosure
Zuora Caps Startup Software Experimentation Phases at Four Weeks
“But once the terms and conditions are met, then we come with a four week plan. I don't go beyond four weeks, right, because there's no point in it.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 13:59 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025 negative
Insight
Chakkarapani: Founders Cut Off from Hubs Risk Missing Critical Innovation
“If the founders or none of, if the founder or the co-founder is not even close to the innovation circle, innovation area, I feel like they may be cut out from what is going on.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 58:49 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025 neutral
Disclosure
Zuora CIO: Sales and marketing tools make up 30% to 35% of software spend
“Yeah, sales and marketing are the biggest spend. I would say it almost like, 30, 35% in that I don't have the numbers top of my head.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 22:55 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
Nov 28, 2025 neutral
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Chakkarapani: 80% of Employees at US-Based Startups Are Located Offshore
“I say majority of them, the companies, even though they're based in the US, 80% of their employee base is not in the US.”
Karthik Chakkarapani Nov 28, 2025 ▶ 56:26 3 Steps on How Large Companies Decide to Buy From a Startup or Not | CIO Karthik Chakkarapani
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