Data Gravity
Jake Cohen grew up in a household of ad agency executives, which shaped his deep understanding of marketing as an extension of sales. This perspective would guide his entire career. After building significant success at CBS—where he was responsible for $62 million in annual sales as Director of Strategy—Jake identified a critical market gap around 2010: local businesses were increasingly moving online but lacked the tools to track how their digital marketing efforts drove in-store sales.
Jake left CBS to co-found Privy with a CEO co-founder. The transition wasn't entirely smooth—he took a 55% pay cut from his CBS salary and worked for free for roughly three months while building the product at night (from 7:30 PM to midnight) while maintaining his day job. The pair raised approximately $150,000 in initial funding and eventually grew to $2 million raised. Rather than paying themselves substantial salaries early on, Jake and his co-founder prioritized putting capital into the product and company growth, reflecting Jake's philosophy that founders shouldn't take large salaries until the company is profitable or generating significant revenue.
Jake's background in understanding how sales and marketing intersect proved invaluable. He spent time interviewing potential customers and refining the product story to ensure it addressed real pain points for brick-and-mortar businesses struggling to connect online marketing activities (Facebook posts, Google ad buys) to offline sales.
Privy operated successfully in the market and continued operating even after Jake's departure. However, when Jake returned from his honeymoon, he learned his wife was pregnant with their first child. Given the reduced income he'd been taking for an extended period, the financial reality of supporting a growing family required a shift. He needed more stable, higher income.
Jake transitioned to Data Gravity as Director of Customer Marketing, a position that provided greater financial stability while allowing him to apply his deep expertise in marketing strategy and sales alignment. His journey demonstrates the practical realities of startup entrepreneurship—sometimes founders must balance their vision with household responsibilities and make strategic career moves accordingly.
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