Written by Lidia Vijga
I recently jumped on a plane to Tulsa, Oklahoma. My mission was to experience Tulsa through the eyes of George Suarez and Dylan Smith, the co-founders of OpnBx. I wanted to understand why they decided to leave Silicon Valley and learn more about their startup journey.
George and Dylan aren’t your typical founders. They’re long-time friends turned business partners. Their journey from the tech scene of the Bay Area to the growing startup ecosystem of Tulsa is as unique as their friendship.
I knew this was the story I needed to share with the rest of the startup world. How does a friendship survive the pressures of startup life? What made them leave Silicon Valley for Tulsa? And most importantly, how did they build a tech startup without a technical co-founder?
What is OpnBx today?
I asked George to give me his elevator pitch and explain the problem they are solving with OpnBx. In just 18 seconds, I was amazed by how much this resonates with me as a B2B founder who is looking to grow a company.
Most companies know what their ideal customer looks like. But their sales teams struggle to find enough information about potential customers to have meaningful conversations with them. OpnBx solves this problem. It helps sales teams quickly find the right data about potential customers who are likely to need their product or service. This way, sales teams can have more relevant conversations with the right people, helping the company reach its sales targets.
Advice to Sales Reps for Closing More Deals
Given the current climate of overwhelmed buyers and the high number of sales activities competing for buyers’ attention, I had to ask Dylan for his advice. How can SDRs differentiate themselves in such a competitive market when equipped with the right data?
From SDR to Startup Founder
Like many great startup stories, the journey of Opnbx started with a problem experienced firsthand.
George’s journey began as an SDR (Sales Development Representative). It was there, George started shaping the idea that would later become OpnBx.
“I felt like a workhorse,” George told me. His days were filled with cold calls. No emails. No personalization. Just generic, pre-built sequences. Fun times!
I’ve been there. Many of us have.
George then made a decisive move: he enrolled in a product management bootcamp. This wasn’t just another course on his resume. It was the catalyst for OpnBx.
The bootcamp taught George to build products closely following customer feedback. It shifted his perspective. He began to see his SDR struggles through a new lens.
“I wondered if this was a problem only I was dealing with or if other people were facing it too,” George explained.
What he did next impressed me. George interviewed about 300 people to validate the problem. Three hundred conversations. That’s the kind of thorough research that often separates successful startups from the rest.
Through these conversations, George realized that while many sales reps didn’t struggle with writing itself, they did struggle with connecting ideas and tailoring their messaging to different personas. And so, the first version of OpnBx was born.
From Friends to Co-Founders
Sitting across from Dylan and George in their shared Tulsa workspace, I couldn’t help but smile at the irony of their partnership. Dylan, now fully invested in OpnBx, once told George he never wanted to go into business with him.
“I literally said that to him,” Dylan admitted with a hint of embarrassment in his voice. “It wasn’t anything personal. I just didn’t want business to get in the way of friendships.”
I totally understand his initial hesitation. As a founder myself who co-founded two startups with my husband and our friend. I know the strain a startup can put on relationships.
Their plans, however, took an unexpected turn. Dylan found himself at a low point in his career. The job market was flooded. His confidence was shaken. Interviews weren’t going well.
That’s when George stepped in. Not as a potential co-founder, but as a friend.
“George was just being a good friend,” Dylan explained. “He had finally developed a product after all his trials and tribulations. He thought it would be mutually beneficial if I helped out with sales.”
The idea was simple: Dylan would help George for a few months, then go back to job hunting. But something unexpected happened.
As Dylan got more involved, George started asking for his input on product vision and direction. One thing led to another. They moved to Chico, CA with the remaining budget of the company. Then Dylan helped with the application for the Tulsa accelerator program.
It was a gradual transition. From friend to founding account executive to co-founder.
“Before we flew out to Tulsa, I asked George if I should just stay home and sell while he attended the founder events,” Dylan recalled. “That’s when George told me I was a founder too.”
Their business partnership emerged naturally from their friendship. It wasn’t planned or forced.
Sometimes, the best business partnerships aren’t the ones we seek out. They’re the ones that find us when we’re busy supporting each other.
Tips for Finding the Perfect Co-Founder Match
Listening to George and Dylan’s story, I couldn’t help but think of all the solo founders out there desperately searching for their other half.
George didn’t pull any punches:
“I think this is probably one of the most sensitive topics any business person can ever think of. It changes the whole dynamic and trajectory of your company between either working or not working. One of the biggest reasons why startups fail is because they partner with the wrong person.”
So I asked George and Dylan – what advice would they give to solo founders looking for a co-founder? Their insights were spot-on:
- Align on vision and values: Make sure you’re on the same page about where you want to take the company.
- Look for complementary skill sets. Find someone whose strengths fill in your weaknesses.
- Test the waters: Work on a small project together before committing to a full partnership.
- Prepare for the worst: Have honest conversations about what happens if things don’t work out.
- Put the company first: Be willing to set aside egos and do what’s best for the business.
Complementary Strengths
Spending time with George and Dylan, I quickly noticed their complementary strengths. It’s a dynamic I’ve seen in successful startups before, but rarely executed this well.
George excels in three areas: vision, team-building, and resource management. He is good at understanding the market, analyzing competition, and identifying opportunities. He got this holistic approach that many founders overlook.
Dylan, on the other hand, is the execution powerhouse. “Dylan can execute as if he’s been doing something for 10 years, even if he just started,” George explained.
This ability to adapt and execute quickly is invaluable for startup founders. I’ve seen many startups fail because they couldn’t execute fast enough.
But what truly sets them apart is how their decade-long friendship enhances their working relationship. They finish each other’s sentences and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
“We’re almost in each other’s heads at this point,” Dylan said. “Especially when it comes to business.”
George added, “We know what projects we can work on together to speed things up, and what projects we don’t need to work together on.”
Their long-standing friendship has created a level of trust and understanding that’s rare in business partnerships. I can say for sure that they can be brutally honest without fear of damaging their relationship.
From Silicon Valley to Tulsa
When George and Dylan decided to relocate OpnBx from Silicon Valley to Tulsa, Oklahoma, it raised some eyebrows. Why leave the startup Mecca for, well, Oklahoma?
But after spending time with them in Tulsa, I kinda started to see the appeal.
It all started with their application to the ACT Accelerator. This wasn’t just another program – it was a chance to immerse themselves in a new ecosystem.
George saw it as an opportunity to elevate Dylan to co-founder status. “I knew putting him in this environment would bring out the best in him,” George explained.
The move was transformative. Dylan reflected, “George has mentored me into this thing. He’s always studied entrepreneurship, while I haven’t.”
Suddenly surrounded by ambitious founders and self-learners, they were pushed out of their comfort zones. George beamed as he described Dylan’s growth: “Now, he’s levels ahead of everyone.”
But it wasn’t just about personal development. Tulsa’s ecosystem offered unique accessibility.
“Here, I can talk to a VC, a VP of sales, a chief product officer,” George said. “They’ll make time because the ecosystem is still growing.”
As they spoke, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own journey. How often do we overlook the impact of our surroundings on our success?
Oftentimes, the best thing we can do for our startups is to put ourselves in an environment that challenges us, supports us, and helps us grow.
The Tulsa Experience
During my week in Tulsa with George and Dylan, I got a firsthand look at their startup journey in this emerging tech hub. Their experience has been a mix of pros and cons, each shaping their path uniquely.
The pros stood out immediately. “There are no distractions,” George said. “You can concentrate and get things done.” Dylan added, “It’s accessible. We’ve had conversations with different types of folks.”
The supportive ecosystem was evident. People here are friendly and want to see you succeed. As a founder myself, I know how valuable that can be.
Coming from small town California, Dylan appreciates the balance Tulsa offers:
“This gives me kind of small town vibe. Yes, it’s a good place to focus, but you can also go out and have fun. Like we went out the other night, it was great. It’s not super extensive and you can’t get lost in the club scene, but it’s enough for me. Which is good, because then you’re focusing and working.”
Of course, no place is perfect. When I pressed them for downsides, their biggest complaint was… a lack of good burritos.
As someone who has suffered through many subpar burritos myself, I feel their pain. Maybe there’s a business opportunity there? 😉
But beyond Mexican food cravings, they both spoke about adapting to a new environment. The weather was an adjustment. “There was straight-up ice on the roads for two or three days,” Dylan recalled. “I’m glad we went grocery shopping because we couldn’t go anywhere.”
Despite challenges, both have grown tremendously. They’ve learned to navigate a new business landscape and find joy in building their company here.
Their Tulsa experience serves as a reminder: sometimes, the perfect environment for your startup isn’t where you’d expect. It’s where you can focus, access resources, and grow – both as entrepreneurs and individuals.
Overcoming Challenges
During our chat, George and Dylan opened up about the major challenges they’ve faced.
Building a tech startup without a technical co-founder:
“It’s about communication,” George explained. “Learn to define user stories, create wireframes, and find the right advisors.”
Dylan added, “I learned to code a bit. It helps me understand our CTO’s explanations better.”
Navigating the noisy AI market
“Before ChatGPT, sales leaders were skeptical about AI in sales,” Dylan recalled. “Now, everyone’s tried something and thinks AI doesn’t work.”
George chimed in, “We’re re-educating them. AI can help, but the products they’ve used are horrible.”
Evolving their product and positioning
Building a startup is hard. Doing it without a technical co-founder, in a noisy market, while constantly evolving your product? That’s incredibly challenging.
“We’ve had to reposition our identity as a company,” George admitted. “It’s like going back to zero and learning how to best demonstrate our value.”
Dylan nodded, “We built an email writer, but the market signal showed that research signals were more important.”
Their willingness to pivot based on market feedback is refreshing. Too many founders get stuck on their initial vision and refuse to adapt.
As they continue refining their offering, George is getting back on the phones:
“Now, because this is so important, I have to be on the phones to understand the market, understand how to improve the product, how to best position it. So that’s why I’m on it now. As much as the goal is to book meetings, I have other agendas, I want to understand the market better.”
It’s this kind of hands-on, customer-centric approach that often separates successful startups from those that flame out.
The Road Ahead for OpnBx
As our interview wrapped up, it was clear that George and Dylan are just getting started with OpnBx. They’re in the midst of refining their positioning and go-to-market strategy, adapting to the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
George teased a unique acquisition story, hinting at a bold move that sets them apart from typical early-stage startups.
Currently, their focus is razor-sharp: understanding the market and refining their positioning.
Dylan added, “We’ve realized that companies are looking for a product that makes things more targeted. They need to do more with less resources.”
Their ability to pivot based on market needs is impressive. It’s a skill that will serve them well in the ever-changing tech landscape.
Looking forward, George and Dylan envision OpnBx as more than just a product. They see it as a vehicle for change in people’s lives.
“We take our team’s ‘whys’ and tie them to company milestones,” George shared. “As we hit our milestones, their ‘whys’ are being achieved.”
This approach resonates with me. Building a successful company isn’t just about the bottom line. It’s about creating value for your team, customers, and community.
The Takeaway: It’s All About the Journey
As I left Tulsa, I felt inspired. George and Dylan’s journey with OpnBx is far from over. In fact, it feels like it’s just beginning. And I, for one, can’t wait to see where it leads.
From reluctant friends to committed co-founders, they’ve navigated the ups and downs of startup life with humor, grace, and an unwavering commitment to learning and growth.
Their story is a reminder that the path of entrepreneurship is rarely linear. It’s filled with unexpected turns, moments of doubt, and constant evolution. But with the right partner by your side and a willingness to adapt, amazing things can happen.
Who knows – maybe the next big tech unicorn will come not from Silicon Valley, but from Tulsa, Oklahoma. And it might just start with two friends, a shared vision, and a whole lot of hustle.
Just don’t ask them where to find a good burrito.
