Brad Gessler

Yo, have you heard of Brad Gessler? The dude’s a straight-up legend in the startup world. He’s one of those guys who jumped into something big and actually crushed it. So, here’s the deal, Brad was part of YC’s S08 batch, which is like the OG class of founders, right? He’s got this killer background, worked at Deloitte, then jumped into the startup scene, and ended up co-founding Poll Everywhere back in 2007 in San Francisco.

Now, Poll Everywhere? That’s not your average app. It’s this audience response tech that totally changed how people do presentations. Think about it, interactive meetings, real-time polls, stuff that makes conferences way more alive. Brad wrote the first lines of code for it, which is a big deal. He’s not just a guy with a good idea; he’s the one who built the tech from scratch, played a huge role in shaping it. He was CTO for nearly 14 years, managing product, engineering, security, you name it. That’s a serious grind, showing he’s not just about the idea but actually rolling up his sleeves and making it happen.

And get this, he didn’t just build something that worked; Poll Everywhere grew like crazy. They hit over $10 million ARR and got featured on the Inc 5000 list in 2018. Millions of people worldwide use it now. That’s no small feat. It’s clear Brad’s got that entrepreneurial fire, he saw a problem, built a killer solution, and kept pushing it to the top.

What’s really cool is that before all this, he was at Deloitte Consulting, which is where the seed for Poll Everywhere actually started. That experience probably gave him the business smarts and discipline needed to turn a crazy idea into a real company. And after nearly 14 years leading the tech side of things, he stepped back in March 2022 to join the Board. Honestly, that move shows he’s all about building something sustainable, not just riding the hype train.

So, what does this tell you about Brad? To me, it’s all about hustle and vision. The guy saw an opportunity to make meetings more interactive when most people probably just accepted boring presentations. Instead of just dreaming, he built the tech himself. That’s the real deal, taking your skills, working your ass off, and making a product that’s used worldwide. It’s about sticking with it, changing, and knowing when to step back and let new leadership take it even further.

Bottom line? Brad Gessler is one of those founders who proves that if you’re passionate, smart, and willing to get your hands dirty, you can actually change the game. He’s a great example of how a solid background, a killer idea, and relentless hustle can turn into something that’s not just successful but makes a real impact.