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Founder · ICARUS GTM Systems

Nico Cardena

I came to sales technology from the phones.

I founded ICARUS GTM Systems to make outbound sales better prepared: researched, approved and practiced before a real buyer hears it. Before ICARUS, I made thousands of B2B outbound calls and generated dozens of meetings.

  • Founder, ICARUS GTM Systems
  • B2B sales and outbound
  • University of Minnesota student
  • English and Spanish
Contact Nico How ICARUS works
Nico Cardena, Founder of ICARUS GTM Systems
Nico CardenaFounder
ICARUS GTM Systems

The background

From the phones to a platform.

I spent four years in customer-facing sales and service, then moved into B2B technology sales. There I made thousands of outbound calls and generated dozens of meetings.

Most dials never become a conversation. The conversations that turned into meetings were the ones I had prepared for: I knew the company, I knew why I was calling, and I had already practiced the hard parts.

That preparation was almost entirely manual. ICARUS is my attempt to turn it into a system that any founder and any sales professional can use.

Prepare well, then let people connect.

Why ICARUS exists

The problems I kept running into.

The first minute decides the call

Good companies with good products lost conversations in the first minute, because the person calling wasn't prepared.

Training rarely survives a real call

Most people learn to sell on live prospects. Practice that feels like the real thing, with honest feedback, is still hard to find.

Tools add activity, not preparation

Sales software is good at counting dials. It is much less helpful with knowing who to call, what is true to say and how to say it.

What I'm building

Sales technology that makes people better at the work.

I care about two things: making sales technology genuinely useful, and making sales training work. At ICARUS, software is built to handle research and preparation. People make the calls and approve what goes out.

  • A founder's intake becomes a company-specific program: target accounts and messaging built only from claims the founder approves.
  • Reps practice on a simulated buyer before a real prospect hears the pitch.
  • In invite-only workspaces, calls, follow-ups and meetings are recorded in one place.
  • We don't promise meetings or revenue. We show the work and what happened.
  • I lead every engagement personally.

The path so far

Short, and real.

  1. Four years

    Customer-facing sales and service

    Learning to listen, serve and sell, face to face.

  2. B2B technology sales

    Thousands of outbound calls

    Prospecting and outbound every day, and dozens of meetings generated.

  3. Today

    Founder, ICARUS GTM Systems

    Building the platform for founder-led B2B companies and the sales professionals who sell for them, while studying at the University of Minnesota.

  4. October 8, 2026

    Hosted Founders at Play

    An afternoon of real conversation during SF Tech Week. See the recap.

Next step

Learn about ICARUS, or talk to me directly.

If you run a founder-led B2B company and still carry most of the selling, I'd like to hear how you sell today.

Build your outbound programA short intake. No account needed.Contact NicoSend a message to the ICARUS team.About ICARUSThe company and how it works.Nico on LinkedInOpens in a new tab.

ICARUS GTM Systems is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Minnesota.