Alexa Is Paperless (1)
Alexa Is Paperless (2)
Deploying the basic product meant people started sending cards out to people in their network. Everyone who received the cards were potential new users. Many of them did come along as users. And when these new users sent out cards, the circle only widened.
That is how PaperlessPost found all its investors. That is how PaperlessPost grew like it grew. Word of mouth did it. Digital cards are a visual medium. You can't really put out Google ads or Facebook ads for them.
She made an important point about investors. Money is important, but more important is the relationship. You should only take money from people you would be willing to hire, she emphasized. A relationship with an investor is like a marriage. You are going to have to listen to them. You are going to have to seek their input and advice. Once you gain traction and a user base, investors come after you like lemmings. You have to get selective. If an investor gives you hell negotiating the term sheet, you will get hell later on as well.
The same applies to recruiting/hiring. You have to find the right people, people who will fit into the culture of the company. She gets a new person to work for a week to a month on a contract basis before she actually goes ahead and hires them.
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Alexa's PaperlessPost
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