Glīd CEO and founder Kevin Damoa shares what it takes to win Startup Battlefield 2025 and build a company solving real infrastructure problems. Fresh off his victory, De reveals how a veteran's perspective on logistics led to an autonomous solution bridging congested roads and underutilized rail. Plus, he shares how mindfulness, mission-driven culture, and $70M in early customer commitments positioned Glīd for success. 

Chapters: 

00:00 Intro 

01:13 What Glīd does: Autonomous transloading explained 

02:40 From military logistics to founding Glīd 

04:05 Moving containers: The versatility of TEUs 

04:47 $70M in commitments and five railroad partnerships 

05:01 Why Glīd launched three products at once 

08:47 The Startup Battlefield experience and preparation 

12:15 Pitching on stage: Nerves, preparation, and execution 

15:32 The camaraderie among Startup Battlefield competitors 

19:47 Veteran founders and mission-driven companies 

25:01 Post-win momentum: Customers, investors, and talent 

27:15 Hiring on vibes: Glīd's culture of God, family, self, and commitment 

28:25 Kevin's advice: Meditate, don't freak out 

29:00 Tips for aspiring Startup Battlefield applicants 

New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Isabelle Johannessen is our host. Build Mode is produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience Development is led by Morgan Little. And a special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.