Why Default’s Founder Nico Ferreyra Ditched SF for NYC

In this week’s episode, Ben Sharf and Adrian Alfieri talk to Nico Ferreyra, Co-founder and CEO of Default. From Argentina to Kentucky to Silicon Valley, Nico's path to building a high-growth startup has been anything but conventional. He dropped out of college with just weeks to go, packed his bags for San Francisco, and hacked his way into the tech scene—living in hacker houses, making bets on emerging markets, and eventually launching Default, a company redefining B2B go-to-market strategies.

This episode is a deep dive into what it really takes to build in today’s startup landscape. Nico breaks down the stark differences between the ecosystems of San Francisco and New York, the importance of founder-led marketing, and why warm intros can actually hurt your startup. He also shares his thoughts on the future of AI in sales, the art of cross-selling, and how Default is positioning itself as the ‘Costco of go-to-market SaaS.’ If you're in the trenches of startup life, this one's a must-listen.

Listen to Season 3, Episode 15, on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcast. 

10 things we learned from Nico’s story:

1.  Dropping Out Can Be a Strategic Move: Nico left college just weeks before graduating because he saw more upside in moving to San Francisco and diving into the startup world.

2. San Francisco vs. New York Startups:  SF rewards founders based on how close they are to the epicenter of fast-growing companies (think OpenAI engineers), while NYC favors institutional credibility and commercial viability.

3. Warm Intros Can Kill Your Startup: Relying on investor-introduced leads can create a false sense of product-market fit. True traction comes from cold outbound and real customer demand.

4. The Power of Founder-Led Marketing: The best pre-Series B marketing strategy is storytelling. Startups are a spectator sport, and people want to follow the hero’s journey.

5. Default Is Playing the Long Game: Instead of chasing early revenue at all costs, Nico and his team spent two years building the product before launching, ensuring it could scale properly.

6. VC Fundraising Without a Deck: Nico never used a pitch deck, opting instead for long-form memos to tell Default’s story, taking inspiration from Rippling’s legendary Series A memo.

7. San Francisco’s Billion-or-Bust Mentality: SF’s culture pushes founders to swing for massive outcomes, while NYC has more founders focused on building profitable, durable businesses.

8. Hiring the Right GTM Team Is Crucial: Transitioning from founder-led sales to a structured go-to-market (GTM) process is one of the hardest yet most important steps for scaling.

9. Cross-Selling as a Growth Lever: Default isn’t just trying to sell a single product; it’s betting on its ability to expand customer accounts over time by bundling multiple solutions.

10. Every Founder Is One Slack Message Away from a Bad Day: Startup life is a rollercoaster, where one message from a customer or investor can flip a great day upside down.

Nico Ferreyra’s story is proof that there’s no straight path in startups, just smart bets, hard lessons, and a whole lot of figuring it out as you go. From dropping out of college last minute to navigating the chaos of SF and NYC’s tech scenes, he’s learned what actually moves the needle: building a real product, cutting through the noise, and not getting caught up in the hype. Whether it’s raising money without a deck, dodging the warm intro trap, or making sure your early customers actually stick, this episode is packed with insights for anyone trying to build something that lasts.

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