Taking Companies to the Next Level: Nine Questions with “Unicorn Whisperer” Madhavan Ramanujam

Once, a private company with a $1B+ valuation was such a rarity it earned the name of a mythical being. However, in recent years, unicorns have become far more abundant. Rather than fairytale creatures, these hypergrowth companies are now a regular feature in popular business discourse and are rapidly growing in number from year to year.

We interview product monetization expert Madhavan Ramanujam, partner and board member at Simon-Kucher & Partners, on what it is like getting up close and personal with some of the most important brands in business today.

How many unicorns has your firm worked with? Can you name some?

Madhavan Ramanujam: Simon-Kucher & Partners has helped 32 unicorns so far. It is a number that keeps on growing. Our clients range from some of the biggest unicorns, like Uber, to some of the latest additions to the list, such as Asana and Segment.

Is this experience with unicorns unique…