The 5 stagesof Xobni’s growth & 5 pivots along the way Matt Brezina Co-founder, Xobni Twitter: @brezina mattbrezina.com/blog
The Big Idea Googleorganized the world’s public data But, personal data is different 2
The Big Idea Googleorganized the world’s public data But, personal data is different + There is no Google of personal information 2
The Big Idea Googleorganized the world’s public data But, personal data is different + There is no Google of personal information + 10x more personal data in the world than public info 2
The Big Idea Googleorganized the world’s public data But, personal data is different + There is no Google of personal information + 10x more personal data in the world than public info + Most personal data is trapped in email 2
The Big Idea Googleorganized the world’s public data But, personal data is different + There is no Google of personal information + 10x more personal data in the world than public info + Most personal data is trapped in email = Foundation for Xobni 2
The Situation • 22& 25 years old • Never had a “real job” • $12k in the bank 3
The Result • Alean startup was our only option • We had a lot to learn about email 4
5 stages ofXobni Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
1. Stealth 1.5 years 50 users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
1. Stealth • Knew the vision, but not the product • Lots of pivots in early years • Pivot 1: Choosing Outlook • Pivot 2: Analytics to sidebar • Pivot 3: Raise $4M & hire 6 employees 1.5 years 50 users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
Pivot 1: Outlook •We wanted to build our own email client • However, surveys & research showed Outlook was biggest among people with $ 7
Pivot 1: Outlook •We wanted to build our own email client • However, surveys & research showed Outlook was biggest among people with $ • Our own email client would take huge marketing budget to get people to try 7
Pivot 1: Outlook •We wanted to build our own email client • However, surveys & research showed Outlook was biggest among people with $ • Our own email client would take huge marketing budget to get people to try • Lower user adoption risk on Outlook 7
Xobni Analytics Analyticswas our 6 week project to understand email better and establish thought leadership. 8
Xobni Analytics Analyticswas our 6 week project to understand email better and establish thought leadership. 8
Xobni Analytics Analyticswas our 6 week project to understand email better and establish thought leadership. That took over 4 months to build 8
Xobni Analytics Analyticswas our 6 week project to understand email better and establish thought leadership. That took over 4 months to build 8
Xobni Analytics Analytics was our 6 week project to understand email better and establish thought leadership. That took over 4 months to build And wasn’t a product people would use on a daily basis 8
Xobni Analytics Analytics was our 6 week project to understand email better and establish thought leadership. That took over 4 months to build And wasn’t a product people would use on a daily basis 8
Xobni Analytics Analytics was our 6 week project to understand email better and establish thought leadership. That took over 4 months to build And wasn’t a product people would use on a daily basis But gave us the understanding for our next pivot 8
Pivot 2: Movedfrom analytics to sidebar How we came to this realization 12
Pivot 2: Movedfrom analytics to sidebar How we came to this realization • Selling Xobni Analytics to investors; best pitch was what we could tell them about people 12
Pivot 2: Movedfrom analytics to sidebar How we came to this realization • Selling Xobni Analytics to investors; best pitch was what we could tell them about people •Dog fooding on our own email 12
Pivot 3: RaiseVC to hire • Building product for enterprise users was more work than we thought 13
Pivot 3: RaiseVC to hire • Building product for enterprise users was more work than we thought • Couldn’t hire with $80k in bank 13
Pivot 3: RaiseVC to hire • Building product for enterprise users was more work than we thought • Couldn’t hire with $80k in bank • Potential employees got away 13
Pivot 3: RaiseVC to hire • Building product for enterprise users was more work than we thought • Couldn’t hire with $80k in bank • Potential employees got away • Raised $4M and hired 6 people 13
2. Private Beta 1.5 9 years months 50 60k users users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
2. Private Beta •Worked towards product/market fit • Heavy focus on performance • Most surveying, user studies, starbucks testing in company history • Cut 1/2 of features • Pivot 4: People profiles 1.5 9 years months 50 60k users users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
Pivot 4: Doone thing, and do it right: People profiles 15
3. Public Beta 1.5 9 1 year years months 2M 50 60k users users users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
3. Public Beta •Business will be dual prong: direct to consumer & enterprise • Raise $10M from Cisco & BlackBerry • Pivot 5 - Search not relationships for 1st premium 1.5 9 1 year years months 2M 50 60k users users users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
Pivot 5: Searchnot relationships for 1st premium • Xobni stands on two pillars: search & relationship management 17
Pivot 5: Searchnot relationships for 1st premium • Xobni stands on two pillars: search & relationship management • Planned on monetizing relationship features first 17
Pivot 5: Searchnot relationships for 1st premium • Xobni stands on two pillars: search & relationship management • Planned on monetizing relationship features first • However, one engineer convinced me to sell a search product first – something we needed to build anyway – low market risk – low execution risk for team 17
Pivot 5: Searchnot relationships for 1st premium • Xobni stands on two pillars: search & relationship management • Planned on monetizing relationship features first • However, one engineer convinced me to sell a search product first – something we needed to build anyway – low market risk – low execution risk for team • The birth of Xobni Plus 17
4. GA &Biz model 1.5 9 1 year 6 years months months 2M 50 60k users users users 3M users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
4. GA &Biz model • Came out of beta - enterprise adoption • Needed business model to fund paid growth • Rev line 1: Xobni Plus • Rev line 2: Xobni Enterprise • Rev line 3: Xobni BlackBerry • Rev line 4: Xobni One 1.5 9 1 year 6 years months months 2M 50 60k users users users 3M users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
Free Premium Xobni Free for Outlook
Free Premium Xobni Plus Xobni Free $29.95 for Outlook
Free Premium Xobni Plus Xobni Free $29.95 for Outlook Xobni Enterprise $36/user/yr
Free Premium Xobni Blackberry $9.99 Xobni Plus Xobni Free $29.95 for Outlook Xobni Enterprise $36/user/yr
Free Premium Xobni Blackberry $9.99 Xobni One $3.99/mo Xobni Plus Xobni Free $29.95 for Outlook Xobni Enterprise $36/user/yr
Free Premium Xobni Blackberry $9.99 Xobni One $3.99/mo New mobile & email Xobni platforms Plus Xobni Free $29.95 for Outlook Xobni Enterprise $36/user/yr
5. Growth 1.5 9 1 year 6 years months months 2M 6 50 50 users months users users 3M 5M users users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
5. Growth • TakingXobni experience to new mobile & email platforms 1.5 9 1 year 6 years months months 2M 6 50 50 users months users users 3M 5M users users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
5. Growth • TakingXobni experience to new mobile & email platforms • Aggressively acquiring new Outlook users 1.5 9 1 year 6 years months months 2M 6 50 50 users months users users 3M 5M users users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
5. Growth • TakingXobni experience to new mobile & email platforms • Aggressively acquiring new Outlook users • Sales team adding new enterprise accounts 1.5 9 1 year 6 years months months 2M 6 50 50 users months users users 3M 5M users users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
5. Growth • TakingXobni experience to new mobile & email platforms • Aggressively acquiring new Outlook users • Sales team adding new enterprise accounts • Building new products to monetize Outlook, mobile & web users 1.5 9 1 year 6 years months months 2M 6 50 50 users months users users 3M 5M users users Private Public GA & Biz Stealth Growth Beta Beta model
The 5 stagesof Xobni’s growth & 5 pivots along the way Matt Brezina Co-founder, Xobni Twitter: @brezina mattbrezina.com/blog