Rose Punkunus
CEO & Founder, Sudozi
GET TO KNOW ROSE...
Hometown:
Long Island, NY | Currently resides in Austin, TX
Alma Mater:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UCLA
Hobbies:
These days it’s all about spending my free time with my husband and two young boys (1- and 3-year-old), and I love it!
Q: Why did you start Sudozi and what problem were you trying to solve?
A: As a former CFO of several growing tech companies, I was looking for a solution to solve my problems around vendor approvals and budget management. I was disappointed at what I found available on the market - point solutions that cost too much and required long implementation timelines. That’s when I started thinking about Sudozi, and how I could leverage my finance and product background to build a new type of strategic finance solution.
Q: Why is the company called Sudozi?
A: The name Sudozi is a play on 数豆子 (Chinese for counting beans). The spirit of the software is to make something that is manual and bureaucratic more automated and playful. Also, the website domain was available!
Q: What are the biggest life lessons you’ve learned so far as an entrepreneur?
A: There’s an endless amount of work to be done, so it’s important to prioritize and draw the line on what you can do, what others can do, and what needs to wait until later. That being said, I think most entrepreneurs will agree that customers typically come first followed by your team and family.
Q: What is the best business advice you have received that you would like to share with others?
A: There’s a ton of great advice I’ve received, but one that comes to mind is finding your blue ocean. Think about how the markets will evolve and how the product you’re creating today can play in those future markets. While it’s important to be aware of the red oceans and industries in existence today, understand how things are evolving and how quickly they’re evolving.
Q: Do you have tips to share about balancing motherhood with starting a company?
A: Accept there’s no such thing as a perfect balance and be okay with that. Try to carve out time each day to spend with your family and friends, whether you have kids or not, and be present during that time. I do drop-offs in the morning, and I try to do dinner and bedtime with my boys most nights during the week. It certainly helps to have a partner with a more flexible schedule and/or having help at home (e.g., nanny or parents), so try to get yourself some of that as well! When I’m traveling and not at home, I try not to stress about those moments too much.
Q: What is your favorite thing about doing business in Texas?
A: There is so much to love about doing business here. For starters, Texas, especially Austin, is such an operator’s community. The people in the startup ecosystem are smart, innovative, and hard working — true business operators who like to make progress. I’ve found people here to be extremely genuine and excited by new technology, which is essential when starting a new software business. Finally, there are so many great coffee and food places in town — there’s no bad place to have a business meeting!
Q: What has been your most satisfying moment in your business journey so far?
A: There are lots of ups and downs on this entrepreneurial journey, but the most satisfying experience overall is the team I get to work with. I get to work with some of the most talented product and business professionals every day. In addition to my team, I have the privilege of working with some of the best investors, which makes this extremely rewarding.
Q: What has been the most beneficial support you’ve received from S3?
A: My entire experience with S3 from the initial introductory call to where we are today has WAY exceeded my expectations. While the investment was great, the strength of the S3 network and wealth of knowledge within S3 has absolutely accelerated my progress. I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of the S3 team and finance professionals in the S3 network.
Q: What was your very first job?
A: Either babysitting or coaching volleyball in high school – can’t remember which came first! I’m grateful for my early experiences working with younger kids. Those experiences were great opportunities to start building my communication and leadership skills.
Q: Do you have a personal motto?
A: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” When you have a bad day (which will certainly happen as an entrepreneur), learn from that experience to help strengthen your leadership for future decision making.
Q: If you were to write a book about yourself, how would you name it?
A: From Shanghai to Austin, and Beyond. Sharing adventures from my early days being born in Shanghai, coming to the US with my parents, and my educational and professional endeavors leading me to multiple cities in the US.
Q: What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
A: Dress the kids and put sunscreen on them (during the summer).
Headquartered in Austin, Sudozi is a strategic finance HQ helping companies save time and money by automating workflows and surfacing visibility to the data that matters most — from approvals to budget management. Truly enable real-time finance for your team.
“There’s an endless amount of work to be done, so it’s important to prioritize and draw the line on what you can do, what others can do, and what needs to wait until later.”