Y Combinator Startup Podcast #53 - Be Wary of Solving a Small, Rare Problem - Des Traynor of Intercom
Dec 13, 2017
Des Traynor, Cofounder of Intercom, shares insights on product strategy, growth strategies, marketing in startups, challenges of hiring and scaling, brand recognition, specialization in startups, and reflections on public speaking opportunities.
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How Intercom Was Born From A Side Project
- Intercom began as a tiny chat widget added to Exceptional to notify users and apologize for downtime.
- User feedback on that widget led Des Traynor and team to build Intercom as a standalone product.
Content First, Sales Second
- Create timeless, useful content that helps your target user, not constant product pitches.
- Plant many seeds across problems your audience cares about and occasionally link to your product.
People Buy At Different Abstraction Levels
- Buyers search at different abstraction levels for the same product (brand, feature, problem).
- You must appear across those journeys to capture users at every stage.