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Launching the Founding Journey Podcast
And our chats with the founders of Cameo and beehiiv
Michael Houck
October 10, 2024
Hey y’all — today I’m launching the Founding Journey podcast!
Each Thursday I’ll 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.
The first two episodes are live right now, with Tyler Denk from beehiiv…
…and Steven Galanis from Cameo.
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.
Tyler is the co-founder and CEO of beehiiv, the newsletter platform I’m sending you this email from. They’ve raised over $50 million from VCs including NEA and Lightspeed, and have become the market leader despite launching after competing platforms had raised tens of millions.
In the episode, we discuss:
Launching & Competing
(02:17) — Launching in a competitive market
(04:36) — Tyler’s billion-dollar insight
(08:12) — Pitching investors on beehiiv
(09:54) — Creating a scalable roadmap
Fundraising
(12:22) — Early investor pushback
(14:41) — Tyler's venture funding decision
(20:38) — Funding plans after $33M Series B
(40:19) — Gaining leverage for fundraising
Company Culture
(21:58) — Advantages of high shipping velocity
(24:45) — beehiiv's unique meeting culture
(31:24) — Why beehiiv is remote-first
Founder Mode
(28:48) — Finding focus and piece of mind
(33:49) — Building in public for easier fundraising
(38:30) — Addressing building in public concerns
Here’s where to find Tyler:
Newsletter → bigdeskenergy.com
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/tyler-denk
Startup → beehiiv.com
Steven is the co-founder and CEO of Cameo. He grew the company from 0 into a $1 billion unicorn pursued by every top VC firm. Millions of Cameos have been sent since the company was founded and they recently raised fresh capital after a few rounds of layoffs. Steven was open and candid with me about that journey.
In the episode, we discuss:
The Journey to Cameo
(01:33) — Steven's 1st business: Spartan Entertainment
(04:26) — Steven's pre-Cameo work experience
(06:33) — Starting Cameo with Co-founder Martin Blencowe
(11:14) — Cameo's founding story
Founder Mode
(18:43) — Steven’s early insight on “cameos”
(23:48) — Overcoming the cold start problem
(25:46) — Cameo's growth tactics
(27:28) — Cameo's eureka moment
Challenges & Opportunities
(31:39) — Changing Cameo's idea of success
(36:30) — Navigating headcount reductions
(38:57) — Joining the 1871 incubator
(40:57) — Building alongside other founders
Investor Relations & Communication
(42:26) — How to interact with investors
(44:02) — Co-founder communication
(46:39) — Attracting investors without fundraising
(49:00) — Fundraising without a pitch deck
(50:33) — Benefits of creating an unused pitch deck
(53:32) — Cameo's Series A experience
And here's where to find Steven:
X → x.com/Mr312
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/stevengalanis
Instagram → instagram.com/cameo
Startup → cameo.com
How We Can Help
Become a member to join the community, get access to all 90+ deep dives, and fireside chats with experts.
Content CreationLet my team and I ghostwrite for your newsletter, X, or LinkedIn. | GrowthGrow your audience + generate leads with my growth service. |
FundraisingShare your round with hundreds of investors in my personal network. | AdvisingI’ll help solve a specific challenge you’re facing with your startup. |
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