Silicon Valley is fast-paced, and startups come and go at breakneck speed; few stories stand out as clearly as that of Keith Peiris, co-founder and CEO of Tome. What began as a multimodal AI storytelling platform designed for a broad audience has now evolved into one of the most innovative AI-driven tools for sales teams, all thanks to Peiris’ bold decision to zero in on highly-specific use cases. Under his leadership, Tome has transitioned from a general-purpose presentation tool into a specialized enterprise solution, revolutionizing how sales professionals work and demonstrating the power of focus in today’s competitive AI landscape.
Peiris’ experience navigating this transformation offers valuable lessons for any founder who feels the weight of customer expectations and investor pressure. In the face of resistance, staying true to your vision—even when it’s not the most popular choice—can define your company’s future. Peiris’ journey shows that while all stakeholders may not immediately embrace some decisions, they are often necessary for long-term success.
A Founder Born from Hustle
Keith Peiris’ entrepreneurial spirit ignited early—he was only 15 when he became his family’s breadwinner, co-founding a web development company that landed over 100 clients. This unexpected foray into business laid the foundation for his future endeavors. “I never thought I’d be a CEO at 15, but it taught me resilience and that nothing comes easy,” says Peiris.
After honing his skills in the tech world, including roles at Facebook, Instagram, and Oculus, Peiris transitioned to the role of entrepreneur-in-residence at Greylock Partners, where he incubated the idea for Tome alongside Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder, and Greylock partner. Initially, Tome was envisioned as an AI-powered tool to simplify complex storytelling and make presentations effortless. The company quickly found massive success, raising nearly $90 million in funding and amassing 20 million users in just two years—making it one of the fastest-growing productivity tools of all time.
But as Peiris observed how sales teams used Tome’s features, he recognized what he believes is a more significant opportunity.
From Viral Success to Strategic Focus
Tome’s initial launch was explosive, with users ranging from parents creating bedtime stories to doctors designing patient care guides. Yet Peiris saw an even more valuable niche emerging. Instead of continuing to cater to all users, he made the bold decision to focus Tome’s capabilities specifically on enterprise sales teams, a space where AI could drive measurable results.
The decision to pivot from a general-purpose tool to a sales-focused solution was not universally popular, but Peiris trusted the data. “When we started seeing sales teams using Tome to generate client-facing decks in minutes, I knew we were onto something bigger,” he reflects. As a founder, Peiris emphasizes that paying attention to user behavior is critical for long-term success. “You can’t be everything to everyone,” Peiris explains, “but you can be indispensable to the right people.”
A New Direction: Focusing on Sales-Tech
Peiris’ decision to focus Tome on enterprise sales wasn’t without its challenges. The company had to restructure its teams, including its consumer go-to-market team, while rebuilding with an enterprise sales staff and developers who could hone Tome into a powerful business-to-business tool. This new direction allowed Tome to go beyond presentation creation, evolving into a tool that helps sales teams close deals with data-driven insights and precision.
One of Peiris’ core lessons from this shift is that deep specialization often trumps broad appeal in competitive markets. By narrowing Tome’s scope, Peiris has turned the company into an indispensable tool for salespeople, leveraging AI to analyze Salesforce data, scrape SEC filings for key insights, and even rank individuals at target companies. “We’re not just building a presentation tool. We’re building a tool that helps salespeople close deals faster, with better insights and more personalization,” Peiris says.
Leveraging AI for Precision and Performance
Tome distinguishes itself in a crowded sales-tech market by offering deep contextual research and real-time intelligence. Peiris points out, “Most sales tools today give you data—but what sales teams really need is actionable insights. ” Tome’s AI processes vast amounts of information, from press releases and earnings reports to sales call transcripts, synthesizing it into tailored, strategic recommendations for salespeople.
This focus on creating value through actionable insights is another lesson Peiris highlights for other founders. Understanding customer pain points, such as the need for personalized information, has helped Tome carve out its unique space in the sales-tech world. “We’re not replacing the human element in sales; we’re enhancing it. Tome makes salespeople smarter by giving them the context they need to succeed.”
Building for Longevity in a Competitive AI Landscape
Despite the competitive AI startup ecosystem, Peiris’ vision is clear: Tome will become a foundational tool for enterprise sales teams. With Reid Hoffman as an early advisor, Peiris deliberately narrowed Tome’s focus, knowing that it would unlock even greater opportunities in the long run. “Reid told us that focus is the key to unlocking bigger opportunities later,” says Peiris.
As the company expands its features, including live AI coaching during sales calls and the ability to create business proposals, Peiris is positioning Tome as a “system of intelligence” for sales processes. Looking ahead, Tome has ambitions beyond sales, with potential applications in areas like financial analysis, recruiting, and venture capital.
Peiris’ Philosophy: No Shortcuts, Just Hard Work
Reflecting on his journey, Peiris believes there are no shortcuts to building products that people truly value. “I’ve learned that you never know exactly how people are going to use your creation,” he says, drawing from his years of experience. “But if you build something genuinely useful and stay open to where the market leads you, success follows.”
From a viral AI tool to a specialized sales powerhouse, Keith Peiris has proven that adaptability, focus, and listening to your users are key to building a lasting company. With Tome’s new direction, Peiris is not just building a product—he’s building the future of how enterprise teams will work with AI.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by cottonbro studio; Pexels
