Guy Koston

Founder & CEO, Dakota · 1 appearance on the record.

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founderexecutiveauthorhostLinkedIn ↗dakota.com ↗

Gui Costin founded Dakota in 2006 and developed Dakota Marketplace, an institutional investor database and software platform designed to streamline capital raising for asset managers. He is also the author of books on leadership and sales strategy, including The Dakota Way and Millennials Are Not Aliens.

9statements → 3claims → 0claims resolved → 3.89/5average certainty → 1.22/5average debate potential →

3 not checkable as stated how the 3 claims stand · each chip opens the sources

3 assertions · 1 insight · 5 disclosures · every statement was checked. The predictions and assertions are the 3 claims: statements the public record can support or contradict. 0 are resolved, and 3 name no date, number or outcome precise enough to check. Everything else (opinions, insights, what ifs, disclosures) can never be settled by the record, so it carries no assessment.

The record, in short

What the tape says about how Guy argues and how the claims held up. Everything they said, and everything said about them, is in the tabs below.

How they sound: not measured why? →

We measure speaking style by listening to the audio itself, and a fair number needs at least 2,000 words from one person on tape we have measured. There is too little of Guy Koston on measured tape to publish a rate. This says nothing about how they speak.

Everything Guy Koston said on Top Founders that made the record, most notable first. Filter by type, assessment or year in the ledger →

Disclosure
Why Guy Koston would reject a $40M all-cash acquisition offer for Dakota
“No. No, no. We're even, even, even one guy made a comment, like the thing that makes the product great is that we're in it and using it. And it's like this culture right now. So no plans to sell right now.”
Guy Koston Aug 24, 2021 ▶ 17:39 400 Firms pay $1k/mo For This Investor Database, Growing 100% YoY Bootstrapped
Insight
Why 'database' is a dirty word in institutional investing
“And the word database in our industry is a really dirty word because most data is stale.”
Guy Koston Aug 24, 2021 ▶ 13:15 400 Firms pay $1k/mo For This Investor Database, Growing 100% YoY Bootstrapped
Disclosure
Guy Koston owns 100% of Dakota with no outside equity investors
“Right now. Yes.”
Guy Koston Aug 24, 2021 ▶ 17:04 400 Firms pay $1k/mo For This Investor Database, Growing 100% YoY Bootstrapped
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Dakota has raised over $40 billion for investment firms since 2006
“We founded our firm in 2006 investment firms hire us to be their outsource sales and marketing team, which means we raise capital for their investment strategies. So we've raised over forty billion since that time.”
Guy Koston Aug 24, 2021 ▶ 2:05 400 Firms pay $1k/mo For This Investor Database, Growing 100% YoY Bootstrapped
Disclosure
Over 400 investment firms use Dakota's fundraising database
“And we now have over 400 investment firms and growing using our data to set up meetings to raise money.”
Guy Koston Aug 24, 2021 ▶ 2:41 400 Firms pay $1k/mo For This Investor Database, Growing 100% YoY Bootstrapped
Disclosure
Dakota charges $12,500 annually for two seats plus $1,000 per extra user
“It's 12,500 for two user licenses and then a thousand dollars for each additional user.”
Guy Koston Aug 24, 2021 ▶ 3:45 400 Firms pay $1k/mo For This Investor Database, Growing 100% YoY Bootstrapped
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Dakota launched its 2018 platform with 14 customers paying $55,750 annually
“We launched it June of 2018. 14 paying customers. Paid us 55,007 and 50 dollars a year.”
Guy Koston Aug 24, 2021 ▶ 5:28 400 Firms pay $1k/mo For This Investor Database, Growing 100% YoY Bootstrapped
Disclosure
Guy Koston: Dakota targets 70 to 100 contracts per sales rep annually
“I would say it has to be between 70 and a hundred contracts.”
Guy Koston Aug 24, 2021 ▶ 14:15 400 Firms pay $1k/mo For This Investor Database, Growing 100% YoY Bootstrapped
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Dakota maintains roughly 115% net dollar retention
“We're probably one 15.”
Guy Koston Aug 24, 2021 ▶ 16:27 400 Firms pay $1k/mo For This Investor Database, Growing 100% YoY Bootstrapped

Appearances (1)

EpisodeDateSpeaking time
400 Firms pay $1k/mo For This Investor Database, Growing 100% YoY Bootstrapped Aug 24, 2021 10m
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