GE246: How TeamSnap CEO David DuPont Created An App That Is Used By 20M People & Is Growing 100% YoY (podcast)

Hey, everyone! In today’s episode I share the mic with David DuPont, CEO of TeamSnap, an app that helps teams and groups manage their activities and members.

Tune in to hear David share how he went from working in the oil industry in Africa to creating TeamSnap, how they raised $47.3 million but why they don’t expect to raise any more, and how they gained their initial customers by making a product – and not a marketing strategy – that people engage with.

Download podcast transcript [PDF] here: How TeamSnap CEO David DuPont Created An App That Is Used By 20M People & Is Growing 100% YoY TRANSCRIPT

Time-Stamped Show Notes:

• [00:37]Before we begin, please leave a review and rating and subscribe to the Growth Everywhere Podcast!
• [02:09]David explains the mission of TeamSnap.
  • [03:12] TeamSnap is an integrated set of software services that comprise applications, services, and native mobile apps.
• [04:02] A typical thing that TeamSnap makes easy is organizing practices and getting the notifications out to the team members.
  • [04:45] Simply change a calendar event and everyone is notified.
  • [05:55] TeamSnap helps to streamline communications.
• [06:28] 5% of their 20 million users are not in sports-related activities (boy scouts, motorcycle clubs, etc.).
  • [07:03] 1.5 million teams and small groups using their service.
  • [07:57] TeamSnap is in 177 countries and 40% of business is outside the U.S.
• [08:35] They have raised $47.3 million and don’t expect to raise any more.
• [09:37] They make money through subscriptions, fees with any money collected, and advertising/commerce.
• [11:07] They gained their initial customers through creating a solution, self-testing, and passing it on to friends and family.
  • [12:02] Good SEO helped, as well, because people were looking for this type of product.
  • [12:30] They also got a bump from tech publications.
• [13:15] Eventually, they could predict their business based on sports seasons.
• [14:00] After noticing a spike in Calgary, they sent an email out and they discovered soccer moms were admins for Calgary-based hockey associations.
  • [14:36] These users drove their business into popularity.
• [15:30] The people who are psyched about your product (the early adopters) are the ones who help your service become more popular and successful.
• [16:55] TeamSnap has evolved since starting in 2009.
• [18:42] David believes marketing is important, but that people don’t engage with marketing, they engage with your product.
• [19:12] Half the founders live in Portland, while David lives in Boulder.
  • [19:55] They all decided to work remotely.
  • [20:30] “If you do it right, you end up with a more loyal workforce.” -David on remote working
  • [21:37] Remote work is function-specific and individual-specific.
• [22:30] Marketers tend to be more visual people, so it would make sense that they couldn’t always work remotely.
• [22:44] Even though they are remote workers, TeamSnap has company summits every six months.
  • [24:00] Entry level sales benefit from a bullpen-like environment.
  • [24:30] TeamSnap goes out of its way to level the playing field for all members of its company.
  • [25:10] Even if a majority of people are in one place, it worked out better to have everyone on an individual computer for conference calls.
  • [27:02] The summit serves to strengthen relationships and get everyone on the same page.
• [28:33] More recently, they tend to have tracks they focus on during the conference, which allows people to follow those topics from session to session.
  • [29:18] They are always looking to see what they can do better the next year.
• [31:40] David recommends the book, The Startup of You, which is a good read for everyone, not just entrepreneurs. He also recommends The Lean Startup and Shoe Dog.

Resources From This Interview:

• TeamSnap
• Must-read books:
  • The Startup of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career
    by Reid Hoffman
  • The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
    by Eric Ries
  • Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
• dave@teamsnap.com
• David on Twitter

Leave Some Feedback:

• What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.
• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, leave a short review here.
• Subscribe to Growth Everywhere on iTunes.
• Get the non-iTunes RSS feed

Connect with Eric Siu:

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Twitter @EricSiu