Pawan Kumar

In this lecture, three successful founders, Stanley Tang of DoorDash, Walker Williams of Teespring, and Justin Kan of Twitch, shared their journeys and lessons on building startups. Here’s a deep dive into their insights on getting started, scaling up through personal effort, and harnessing press for growth. The lecture is available here.

Stanley Tang, DoorDash – Getting Started with Simplicity

Stanley Tang’s early experience with DoorDash highlights the power of testing ideas quickly and using low-cost, low-tech solutions to validate concepts.

• Starting Small: DoorDash started with a basic, bare-bones landing page to gauge interest in a delivery service. Without expectations, they quickly launched and got their first order, which Tang delivered himself to understand the process hands-on.

• Using Simple Tools: They began by managing orders with accessible tools like Square, Google Docs, and Find My Friends. Tang’s team focused on getting familiar with customer needs and delivery logistics by directly handling operations. This approach gave them practical insights that shaped DoorDash’s development.

• Doing Things That Don’t Scale: Instead of automating everything from the start, DoorDash founders did what larger companies wouldn’t—manual deliveries, personalized customer service, and rapid responses to feedback. This approach, although unscalable, allowed them to build trust and loyalty with early users.

• Learning Through Customer Service: By personally responding to customers, they gained valuable insights that shaped their product and customer experience. Tang noted that talking to users and addressing pain points taught them more than any market research could.

• Launching with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP): DoorDash’s MVP wasn’t fancy but functioned well enough to gather real user feedback. As Tang puts it, a fast, basic launch allows founders to test their hypothesis before making big investments in polished features.

Walker Williams, Teespring – Doing Things That Don’t Scale

Walker Williams emphasizes that in the early days of a startup, founders often need to do unscalable work to gain a foothold and build momentum.

• Building the First Customer Base: Early users are often the hardest to acquire. Williams shared how he and his team spent time reaching out directly to customers through emails, cold calls, and social networks. This kind of hustle laid the foundation for future growth.

• Avoiding Free Giveaways: Free products can give a false sense of demand. Instead, Teespring focused on offering genuine value, which helped them attract customers willing to pay and stay engaged.

• Getting Personal with Customer Support: In the beginning, they prioritized high-touch customer service, responding to queries and concerns directly. These efforts went a long way in creating loyal users who became advocates for Teespring.

• Iteration Over Perfection: Williams highlighted that the first version of a product often evolves significantly based on user feedback. Listening to users and being ready to pivot quickly were keys to aligning their product with market needs.

• Learning from Unhappy Customers: Instead of avoiding negative feedback, they sought out those who left or weren’t satisfied. By understanding their pain points, Teespring improved its offerings and even regained some lost users.

Justin Kan, Twitch – Harnessing Press and PR Effectively

Justin Kan shared invaluable advice on using press to gain visibility for a startup. But his main takeaway was that press should follow initial traction—not precede it.

• Have a Clear PR Goal: Before reaching out to the press, define what you hope to achieve. Coverage should have a specific purpose, such as user acquisition or industry recognition.

• Newsworthiness Matters: Only seek press coverage when there’s a story to tell—whether it’s a product launch, a significant milestone, or a funding round. Journalists appreciate stories with genuine news value.

• Reach the Right Audience: Tailor your outreach to the people you’re trying to reach. For local products, target local media. For industry solutions, reach out to industry publications.

• DIY PR First: Kan recommends learning to manage press yourself before considering a PR agency. Founders know their company best and are often the best people to convey its unique angle.

• Nurture Relationships with Journalists: Press can be an ongoing resource if you build strong relationships. Once a journalist covers your company, stay in touch for future updates to increase your chances of repeat coverage.

• Use Warm Introductions: Getting introduced to journalists through other founders or mutual contacts can make your pitch more effective.

• Press is a Short-Term Boost, Not Long-Term Growth: Kan cautions against relying on press for sustained user acquisition. While it’s useful for creating initial awareness, long-term growth comes from a loyal user base and word-of-mouth.

Key Takeaways

• Launch Quickly and Test: Getting an MVP out fast helps you understand market interest without investing heavily upfront.
• Do What’s Needed, Even If It Doesn’t Scale: Hands-on efforts can be valuable in building loyalty and collecting real-time insights.
• Get Close to Your Users: Talking directly to early users reveals insights about what works, what doesn’t, and what they truly need.
• Press Has Its Place: Use press strategically to build awareness, but don’t rely on it as a primary growth channel.

Building a startup is about balancing quick execution with thoughtful learning. As these founders show, staying close to users and learning from every interaction creates a strong foundation for growth and helps refine your business into something that resonates with your audience.