How I Built This with Guy Raz
(July 2021) Ben Chestnut: From Side Business to $12 Billion – The Accidental Triumph of Mailchimp
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Show notes
In 2001, three web designers built a quirky email tool called Mailchimp.
It wasn’t their main business.
It wasn’t even meant to make real money.
For years, Ben Chestnut and his partners survived on web-design gigs, while Mailchimp earned just enough to cover lunch.
Then…one surprising spreadsheet changed everything.
In this episode, Ben reveals:
The decision that tripled their revenue overnight
How a mispronunciation on the world's biggest podcast turned into a marketing masterstroke
How a painful wake-up call about leadership reshaped the company’s culture
Listen now to hear how guerrilla billboards, a monkey logo, and a string of improbable breaks built one of the most recognizable names in tech.
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