Founding Journey
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From 0 to 1,000 Signups per Day

From 0 to 1,000 Signups per Day

And how purposely losing customers propelled Pangea's growth

Michael Houck
December 05, 2024

Hey y’all — there’s nothing better than the moment when you know for sure that the years of pushing forward were worth it.

Adam Alpert knows it well. While studying at Brown, he started a company... only to see his classmates

After multiple pivots and attempts at getting into Y Combinator, Adam built Pangea.app — a marketplace for hiring fractional marketers and designers.

It caught fire and reached 1,000 signups per day, and helped Adam make it into YC.

We chatted about why you shouldn’t build a traditional MVP, how to successfully niche down and execute pivots, and much more.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or your podcast platform of choice.

As a reminder, each Thursday I interview a world-class founder about their unique paths to uncover tactical insights they've learned about how to fundraise, grow, validate, hire, scale, and lead teams.

Also, after each conversation I write up my candid takeaways. Become a member and grab them ✨ here ✨ along with lifetime access to my private founder community and more.

A big thanks to our partner for this episode, Marek Health.

When you’re building something it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself. Marek helps you optimize your wellness and performance through their wide array of specialized lab tests — including everything from metabolic to cardiovascular panels.

These help you uncover critical health markers that traditional care might miss.

By identifying potential issues early, Marek helps you take proactive steps towards optimal health.

You can use the code “HOUCK” to get 10% off your first lab order.

In our chat we discuss:

Accelerators & Fundraising

(01:10) — Incubators/accelerators
(05:56) — YC application experience
(1:03:11) — Fundraising isn't the goal
(1:07:02) — When you don’t get immediate funding

Founder Mode

(09:42) — The founder mindset & validation
(38:19) — Tough decisions & losing customers
(43:22) — Knowing when to change course
(46:07) — When you're too niched down
(59:01) — What gave Adam conviction to go all in
(1:10:51) — Why founders should explore stoicism

Product Development

(14:55) — MVP versus SVP
(20:53) — Getting to #1 on Product Hunt

Community & Growth

(22:14) — Product Hunt launch impact
(25:18) — Long-term growth strategies
(26:45) — Getting customers through ChatGPT
(30:17) — SEO & AI/LLMs
(34:49) — Growth channels & niching down
(49:27) — Why community is key

Founding & Leadership Insights

(50:48) — NYC Founders Club
(52:17) — Vision for the future
(55:46) — Focus areas when hiring

Rapid Fire

(1:12:29) — Who's an investor you'd recommend?
(1:13:40) — One thing you'd change about startups?
(1:14:22) — Advice for first-time founders?
(1:14:35) — Something you believe that most disagree with?

Where you can find Adam and Pangea:

Listen now on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or your podcast platform of choice.

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