Glīd CEO and founder Kevin De 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.