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#44: Founder and CEO of Founders Live, Nick Hughes, on the 3 Principles of Organic Growth From 0 to 45,000 Members (Part 2)

Nick Hughes (@jnickhughes) is a serial entrepreneur, blogger, and founder and CEO of Founder’s Live, a social network and global venue that gives modern entrepreneurs the opportunity to earn recognition, taste fame, connect with other entrepreneurs, and become rockstars.

Prior to Founder’s Live, Nick had a series of entrepreneurial adventures starting companies in local marketing, mobile payments, and SAAS, while holding advisory roles for a cryptocurrency ATM, a customer engagement tool, and much more.

Nick also is an active blogger (you can find him at soentrepreneurial.com) talking candidly about the tumultuous journey of founding a growing company.

Founders Live is in over 30 countries, 60 cities, with over 45,000 ambitious, active monthly users.

Nick was generous with his time to talk about the growth of Founder’s Live and it’s steady rise over the past 4 years. We talk frankly about the COVID-19 crisis and how it’ll change the business landscape for many years to come (and how Founder’s Live is adapting).

This episode is particularly valuable for 1) founders who’ve started a social network and would like insights into the struggles, triumphs, and complexity required to build this type of business or 2) startup marketers who want to consider in-person or virtual event marketing channels for driving organic growth.

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Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherTuneIn, or on your favorite podcast platform. 

Show Notes

  • How many users are engaging with the platform, or Founder’s Live at large? [0:50]
  • What have been the sources of growth? [3:12]
  • The danger of dependence on paid marketing (and when to use it) [5:33]
  • Principle #1: Really understanding the brand, the why, and the full experience [6:54]
  • Principle #2: Create a system for future expansion [8:35]
  • Principle #3: Define your purpose of being, as something other’s want to identify with [11:53]
  • Have there been things that around mission or vision that have come to light? [13:01]
  • How interacting with users, tells Founders Live what to build and develop next [17:31]
  • What tracking and reporting do you have in place for Founders Live? [18:43]
  • When you look at it by city, what certain cities stand out as strong cohorts? [22:51]
  • Do you see causation with platform growth, when you hold in-person events? [25:29]
  • Did you read Viral Loops? [27:32]
  • Why not to lose the value of what you’re offering, to “the carrot” you’re offering out [30:54]
  • How can I help? [31:28]
  • Where can we find you? Any asks? [31:52]

Links from Episode

What growth marketing lesson did you learn from the episode? Comment below!

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