Welcome back to Lessons from Exited Founders, a series where we talk to entrepreneurs who’ve built, scaled, and successfully exited their startups—and ask them what they wish they’d known earlier.
Today, we’re hearing from Tamara Berg, founder of Shopagon, an AI-driven platform that personalized the online shopping experience and was acquired by Meta in 2019.
Here are her top three lessons for other founders:
1. Being a founder can feel isolating—but you don’t have to go it alone
“The best thing you can do is surround yourself with other founders who know exactly what you’re going through.”
Tamara emphasized the importance of building a cohort—a trusted circle of other founders who understand the unique rollercoaster of startup life.
Launching and growing a company brings constant challenges, and having peers who “get it” can be incredibly grounding. These are the people you lean on when things get tough, the ones you share lessons with, and the ones who help you keep perspective when everything feels like it’s on fire (because sometimes it is).
2. Your best hires probably won’t come from a job board
“Most early hires come from your network—former classmates, colleagues, friends who know and trust you.”
Tamara built much of her early team from personal connections—people she had worked with before, who shared her values and bought into the kind of culture she wanted to create: one based on mutual respect, hard work, and yes, laughter.
In those early days, your team isn’t just executing your vision—they’re shaping it alongside you. Culture matters. Chemistry matters. And trust is everything.
3. Fundraising is not the end goal
“Some startups raise massive rounds and fail, while others build great businesses on way less capital.”
It’s easy to get distracted by the headlines—who’s raising how much, how fast. But Tamara reminds us that fundraising is just a means to an end, not the goal itself.
Stay focused on building something valuable. If you’re solving a real problem in a meaningful way, the capital will come. Don’t measure your success against someone else’s press release.
So… what’s next for Tamara?
“I’m back in the startup world again.”
Tamara is currently working on her next venture: an AI video assistant built to help real estate professionals, businesses, and creators craft authentic, engaging video content.
You heard it here first. And we can’t wait to see what she builds next.
If you want to hear more real talk and startup lessons from exited founders, hit follow or subscribe. There’s plenty more to come.
Until next time,
Michelle
Share this post