Can you bootstrap your company and build a global team in the middle of the AI boom? Turns out, you can.
In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I speak with Dayana Marin Valencia, co-founder of AdaSight. She shares how she built a global company without VC funding, why she calls data a co-pilot for growth, and how mentorship and allyship shaped her journey.
3 Lessons From This Conversation
Dayana’s journey shows what happens when you mix courage with clarity. She built AdaSight during the AI boom without outside funding, and that shaped how she thought about growth, data, and people. Three lessons stood out for me:
Data as co-pilot
They say that startups need to be data-driven. But that does not mean that the data decides for you. Instead, it will be a co-pilot to guide pivots, product-market fit, and scaling decisions.
Global from day one
Building a remote-first company was both intentional and network-driven, allowing Adasight to attract brilliant talent worldwide.
Mentorship evolves
The right mentor depends on your stage in life and career. Surround yourself with people who match your current challenges.
Ready to hear Dayana’s story? Listen on your favorite podcast app. Or scroll down for magical moments, practical takeaways, and my own observations.
- 3 Lessons From This Conversation
- Highlights and timestamps
- 3 Magic Moments In The Episode
- Practical Takeaways for Founders
- The Quote From The Episode
- 3 Things That Changed The Way I Think
- A Question for You 🤔
- Coming Up On Women Disrupting Tech
- Listen to Episode 121 on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube
- Other ways to amplify the voices of Women Disrupting Tech
- About Dayana Marin Valencia
- About Adasight
- Events that Women Disrupting Tech Must-Attend
- What I Want To Leave You With
Highlights and timestamps
| Time | Highlight |
|---|---|
| 02:10 | From Colombia to Tech Entrepreneurship |
| 05:08 | The Birth of Adasight |
| 08:13 | Understanding Data’s Role in Startups |
| 10:55 | GrowthOps: Bridging Data and Marketing |
| 13:52 | The Remote Work Philosophy |
| 17:01 | Attracting and Managing Talent |
| 21:13 | Bootstrapping in the AI Boom |
| 23:59 | Case Studies: Early Client Successes |
| 27:05 | Knowledge Transfer and Team Building |
| 29:58 | The Future of Adasight |
| 31:09 | Women in AI: Role Models and Mentorship |
| 38:00 | Supporting Women in Tech |
| 41:49 | Advice for Aspiring Female Entrepreneurs |
| 43:40 | Investors and Female-Led Companies |
| 47:54 | Looking Ahead: Sustainable Growth |
3 Magic Moments In The Episode
Dayana sells data-driven solutions, yet her biggest leaps but her biggest leaps came from trusting her gut: moving abroad, starting AdaSight, and bootstrapping in the middle of the AI boom. Her story shows that building a company often requires both data to guide you and intuition to take the leap.
The origin of Adasight
Dayana and her husband used ChatGPT (then still in beta) to brainstorm names, combining the story of Ada Lovelace with insights from data. It’s a fun and very 2020s moment, with historical depth.
“In the end, we’re people working with people.”
At 16 minutes into our conversation, this simple line that softens the hard edges of data and reminds us that companies are built on relationships.
“Support translates to me like introductions. Make sure she is in the room where she was not invited in the first place.”
Dayana turns allyship from a vague idea into something concrete. Allies open doors, make introductions, and ensure women are in the conversations that matter.
👉 What was the moment that swept you off your feet? Share it in the comments.
Practical Takeaways for Founders
Dayana’s story shows how important it is to start measuring data early, even if it’s simple. Without those signals, pivots and scaling decisions become guesswork.
- Design your company with intention, like making “remote-first” a principle if you want a global team.
- Use constraints to your advantage: bootstrapping pushed Adasight to focus on early clients and refine its product.
- Build a peer circle: other founders you can call for encouragement and perspective when you’re too deep in the weeds.
👉 Know someone who can benefit from these tips? Share the episode with them.
The Quote From The Episode
“In the end, we’re people working with people.”
Dayana Marín Valencia, CEO and co-founder of AdaSight
3 Things That Changed The Way I Think
This episode is a beautiful conversation that combines the precision of data with intuitive courage. But the conversation also shifted my perspective on the founder journey. Here are three ways it did:
Entrepreneurship as a purpose
I never considered entrepreneurship by itself a purpose. But for Dayana, entrepreneurship is indeed more than a career. It’s her way to build something meaningful and help others do the same.
The paradox of risk
Coming from risk management, you’re tempted to avoid risk. But Dayana points out that, as a founder, you sometimes need to be “blind” to the risks you’re taking in order to keep moving forward.
Mentorship isn’t fixed
We’re all looking for that ideal mentor. The person who can guide us through life. During our conversation, I discovered that different phases of life demand different mentors, and the people who supported you in one role may not be right for the next.
👉 What were moments in the episode that changed your thinking? Let me know in the comments.
And if you’re ready to discover what else Dayana and I cover, listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
A Question for You 🤔
So, can you be too data-driven as a startup founder?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments or message me directly. I’d love to hear your take.
Coming Up On Women Disrupting Tech
In episode 122, this podcast closes the funding circle with Arosha Brouwer. She is the first founder who joined us before to share her company story, and to return to talk about her exit.
And that’s not all. As you’ll discover, funding comes with responsibility. And I don’t mean those towards investors. Here’s a hint of what’s ahead.
Want to be the first to hear the full episode? Subscribe and get it in your inbox before anyone else.
Until the next episode, as always, Keep Being Awesome!
Listen to Episode 121 on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube
How Dayana Marin Valencia Bootstrapped Adasight to Global Growth | Ep. 121 – Women Disrupting Tech
Other ways to amplify the voices of Women Disrupting Tech
Want to make inclusion in tech the new normal by 2032? Here’s how you can help:
Follow the Women Disrupting Tech Podcast
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Send this episode to a friend, a colleague, or someone who needs to hear it. Every share helps to build a more inclusive tech future and supports my guests in getting the stage they deserve.
So when you know someone who should hear it, pass it on when you’re done.
About Dayana Marin Valencia
Dayana Marín Valencia is the co-founder of Adasight, where she helps ambitious tech companies turn data into a driver for growth. Originally from Colombia and now based in Amsterdam, she brings over a decade of experience in business growth and market expansion. Before starting Adasight, she led international marketing campaigns at Booking.com, managing multimillion-euro budgets across global markets. Today, alongside building her company, she mentors at Endeavor.org and advises at Portermetrics, supporting founders in scaling their products and go-to-market strategies.
You can connect with Dayana on LinkedIn.
About Adasight
Adasight is a growth partner for startups and scale-ups that want to unlock the full potential of their data. Founded during the AI boom, the company helps marketing and product teams eliminate data bottlenecks, set up reliable analytics, scale experimentation, and build AI-powered workflows. With a global team and clients including Personio, Proof, Rutter API, Candis, Prewave, and Sift, Adasight is known for combining technical expertise with a hands-on approach that helps companies grow with clarity and confidence.
You can learn more about Adasight on their website or by following Adasight on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Events that Women Disrupting Tech Must-Attend
October is loaded with great events, and I’ve found some cool ones. Below is one event you definitely want to check out. For a full overview of all events, including links to buy tickets, please check the events page.
Diverse Leaders in Tech Events
If you like being in the know about what is happening in the DEI space, Diverse Leaders in Tech is the place to be.
Every last Thursday of the month, they have monthly in-person meetups for tech people, HR leaders and supporters of diversity to exchange insights, tackle challenges, and take action. It’s a vibrant, safe space where diversity is celebrated.
You can register for events on the DLiT website. Did I mention that joining your first event is free?
FemHealth: women-friendly healthcare in 2040
Hear from the experts on female health what the future of Female Health in the Netherlands should look like.
Date: 7 October 2025
Location: Dauphine, Amsterdam
Time: 15:00 – 18:00 hours
Tickets: on Eventbrite
What I Want To Leave You With
Dayana’s journey shows what it means to build with conviction. She left Colombia to find the skills she needed, built Adasight with her husband during the AI boom, and turned constraints into strengths.
It’s a story about data, yes. But even more, it’s about purpose, resilience, and the people who help us along the way.
👉 Listen to the full conversation on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
Women Disrupting Tech | The Podcast 