Arjun Mahadevan (Founder and CEO, doola) shares how one pitch changed everything. Now with two INBOUND experiences in the books and HubSpot as a strategic advisor, he shares why INBOUND continues to be part of his journey as a founder.
When Arjun Mahadevan first heard about the Million Dollar Pitch Competition at INBOUND 2023, he was skeptical. "I thought it was too good to be true," he recalls. But the opportunity was impossible to ignore: a high-profile conference featuring speakers like Reese Witherspoon, an audience of entrepreneurs, and a chance to win capital that could fuel his startup's next phase.
That startup was doola, a "business in a box" for e-commerce founders. Born from Arjun's own frustrating and expensive experience trying to launch a company, doola helps founders form LLCs, set up banking and bookkeeping, and handle taxes all in one streamlined platform.
"I wish we started using HubSpot earlier," he says, noting how early operations relied on Airtable and memory. Today, doola uses HubSpot for everything from lead tracking to post-purchase workflows, bookkeeping fulfillment, tax filings, and Arjun even creates personal workflows like investor communication and podcast scheduling.
But it was INBOUND that marked a turning point.
Pitching at INBOUND: A Strategic Bet
"There’s asymmetric upside," Arjun explains. “There wasn't much of a cost, just the time of going and all of that upside: really cool conference, incredible speakers, opportunity to learn about HubSpot and share doola's story, and potentially earn a million dollars for the business."
That bet paid off. doola was named co-winner of the 2023 Million Dollar Pitch Competition. Even more impactful: HubSpot became a strategic investor. "We're now blessed to have HubSpot as one of our strategic investors," Arjun says. "And what that has allowed us to do is just really better understand the inner workings of how HubSpot actually scaled."
The following year, Arjun returned to INBOUND but this time, as a judge. Sitting on the other side gave him a new appreciation for the difficulty of both investing and saying no. "I had a newfound respect for both sides of the equation," he says.
He also got the opportunity to join a data quality session as a guest panel speaker in 2024. At the end of the session, Arjun recreated Oprah's famous giveaway moment. Channeling her iconic "You get a car!" energy, he told the audience, "You get a free LLC!" Anyone who posted a picture from the session could redeem a free company setup through doola.
"A few people reached out saying, 'Hey, I'd like to start a business with doola.' And naturally that leads to word of mouth," Arjun shares. It was a lighthearted moment that turned into meaningful leads and amplified brand awareness organically.
Three Ways INBOUND Raised the Bar
The INBOUND experience delivered lasting value, offering practical insights and resets that continue to impact how he leads and grows doola today. Arjun points to three standout takeaways:
- “It raised my ambitions.” Seeing HubSpot’s journey and how co-founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah have built up the company was inspirational and gave Arjun a vision for the future of doola.
- “The quality of the speakers.” Sessions on AI, content strategy, and community building offered tactical value in addition to being motivational.
- “Breeze.” Since learning about HubSpot’s built-in AI features at INBOUND 2024, doola’s CS team has been adopting the tools to level up their work.
These takeaways became turning points that continue to influence doola’s path forward.
INBOUND Advice for Founders
INBOUND, Arjun says, is what you make of it but if you’re intentional, it can offer an outsized return. He and a team member split up to cover more ground: one focused on data tools, the other on strategy and content. "There's so many different types of speakers on topics that run the gamut… You probably can't cover everything. So maybe go with four people and you can actually cover everything then."
He emphasizes the versatility of the experience, no matter where you are in your HubSpot journey. Whether you're already using HubSpot or just curious, he recommends attending. "If you're not using HubSpot, I think you can learn a lot about the tool and the ecosystem.” And if you’re already using HubSpot, “there's a ton of tactical workshops and sessions, how to level up using HubSpot, which is huge." he adds.
Why INBOUND in San Francisco Matters
With INBOUND doing a one-time-only move to the west coast in 2025, Arjun sees even more potential. "San Francisco is special just given the history and the concentration of people all obsessed with tech. I think that that's the highest density you'll find anywhere in the world."
He believes talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn't. "Places like this are a really good opportunity to get rid of those coastal halos... you're just surrounded by a bunch of different founders doing different things."
Full Circle and Forward
Today, Arjun continues to use HubSpot to streamline everything from fundraising to content strategy. And he credits INBOUND and the pitch competition as a key lever in doola’s journey.
"If there's a founder who is considering attending as a participant… I say, a hundred percent do it... The downside is you get to tell your story. The best case is you potentially get to win a huge prize."
Catch more from Arjun’s INBOUND experiences below:
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