20VC: From Potato Farm to $200M in Revenue: The Never-Before-Told Story of Flo Health: Scaling to $1BN Valuation, 75M Users & Getting 100s of No's From Investors Along the Way with Dmitry Gurski

23 Sep 2024 · 1 h 26 min

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Podcast Summary: The Twenty Minute VC - Episode with Dmitry Gurski

Episode Overview Episode Title: 20VC: From Potato Farm to $200M in Revenue: The Never-Before-Told Story of Flo Health Host: Harry Stebbings Guest: Dmitry Gurski, Co-Founder and CEO of Flo Health Release Date: [Insert Release Date Here]

Episode Highlights In this episode, Harry Stebbings interviews Dmitry Gurski, the co-founder and CEO of Flo Health, a leading women's health app that has achieved significant milestones since its launch in 2015. Dmitry shares insights about his background, the journey of building Flo Health, and the lessons learned along the way.

Key Topics Discussed

  1. Startup Advice and Foundership Perspectives
  2. Skepticism Towards Conventional Wisdom
  3. Dmitry argues that "99% of startup advice is BS," emphasizing that speed isn't always the most critical factor in success.
  4. He views competition positively, believing it can lead to better products and innovation.
  5. Dmitry asserts that "craziness, not intelligence," is a vital trait in founders.
  6. He describes fundraising as a "numbers game" and highlights crucial aspects of user retention.
  1. Life Lessons from His Background
  2. Early Experiences in Agriculture
  3. Dmitry shares how growing up around potato and mushroom farming taught him about patience, leadership, and the importance of focus.
  4. He advises analyzing hard moments in life for valuable lessons, asserting that success isn't solely based on talent.
  1. Growth of Flo Health
  2. Initial Challenges
  3. Talks about the initial failures of two previous versions of the app and the vital lessons learned from those experiences.
  4. Shares the secret to success in the consumer subscription market, focusing on user satisfaction and organic growth.
  5. Discusses customer acquisition strategies, including the importance of retaining simplicity in the product.
  1. Monetization Strategies and Company Scaling
  2. Revenue Growth
  3. Dmitry outlines his monetization strategies, which helped reach $200 million in revenue.
  4. He discusses the challenges of maintaining product simplicity while scaling and the common pitfalls during rapid growth phases.
  5. Highlights the balance between brand building and product focus, expressing skepticism toward traditional marketing and PR.
  1. On Fundraising and Investor Relations
  2. Investor Experiences
  3. Dmitry recounts his experiences with raising funds, including the overwhelming number of meetings and the repetitive nature of pitches.
  4. He discusses the importance of having a supportive board and good investors who contribute meaningful advice and hold accountability.
  1. Reflections on Personal Values
  2. Philosophy on Wealth
  3. Shares his humble lifestyle and disdain for luxury, emphasizing that money holds little significance in his life compared to the work he loves.
  4. Discusses the impact of impostor syndrome on his work ethic, driving him to continuously improve and strive for success.

Key Takeaways

  • Simplicity Over Complexity: A successful product must prioritize user experience and simplicity.
  • Retention is Key: User retention metrics are critical for the longevity and growth of subscription-based products.
  • Cognitive Diversity in Teams: Differences in emotional responses and perspectives can lead to better problem-solving.
  • Building Relationships is Crucial: The value of investor relationships is paramount, particularly in navigating challenges.

Conclusion Dmitry Gurski's journey from humble beginnings to leading a billion-dollar company encapsulates the essence of perseverance, innovation, and the continuous learning that defines the entrepreneurial spirit. His insights into the complexities of building a successful tech startup provide valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and established business leaders alike.

---

For more insights and episodes, visit [The Twenty Minute VC](http://www.20vc.com).

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Transcript

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0:00«Музы,

0:24общества готовим конкурдамы,

0:30как всеinander Appreciate him. musiants Gerilim и Indianы ,gende годы Их у вас enabling So after 10 years of doing 20 VC нашли, я осцeth 괜찮아, пос coworkers Д 특히fr то, что это Sha게

0:53upon то, что это Sha게 и вы've heard their stories before. 20VC, from now, will focus on telling the best stories from technology with guests who've never been on a podcast before. That's the case for our guest today. Dimitri Gersky, founder of Flow Health. The leading women's health app and the first European Femtec Unicorn, launched in 2015. Flow has grown to 70 million monthly active users and 5 million paid subscribers with an error of over $200 million. Доллар. The app is recognized as the number one recommended tool for period and cycle tracking, and what I love most, Dimitri the founder, started life picking mushrooms.

1:24This is such an incredible story, and shows like this make me so grateful to do what I do. But before we dive in, when a promising startup files for an IPO or a venture capital firm loses its marquee partner, being the first to know gives you an advantage and time to plan your strategic response. Часызар, а информация reported it first. The information is the trusted source for that important first look at actionable news across technology and finance, driving decisions with breaking stories, proprietary data tools, and a spotlight on industry trends. With a subscription, you will join an elite community that includes leaders from the top VC firms, CEOs from Fortune 500 companies, and esteemed banking and investment professionals.

2:05atted за salmon into muzzle and audiorerthose sore geigergo are now in frontier

2:32awards Сокюрфрейм импowers businesses to build trust with customers by simplifying information security and compliance through AI and automation. Thousands of fast -grown businesses including NASDAQ, ANGELLIST, DUDELE and CODE, trust secure frame to expedite their compliance journey for global security and privacy standards such as SOC2, ISO 2701, HIPER, GDPR and more. Bat by top tier investors and corporations such as Google,

3:08Такой форб själv, minimize Jerry Poland. А в томczyке ущ Majestyа о том…. Вы eyesight 자연ов 강 Как вчитали paralyzed такppo нашим Vader на сер

3:53с простыми Кулли .com. Кулли is award winning free legal resource for entrepreneurs. You have now arrived at your destination. Demetri, I am such a fan of the incredible journey with float. So first off, thank you so much for joining me today. Well, thank you for your win, Whiten. Not at all, listen, I wanted to make this happen for a while. I would love to start. I read actually an interview a number four. And I heard that you had a single mother who worked as a librarian. You got your first job at 16.

4:54У нас на elderly food henа лопpeflower При ظ旁视ал мо wre�� и это было ласанно -фармин, и ласанно -фармин с each that you just can't fake farming. Это means that you should take potato, not eat it immediately, even if you hungry, and you should put this potato to ground. And then you must empty this potato next day and even one month after, you should

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7:00налект с которыми вы не堂жи hanol пос schwierosa с братой, peoples друга, spheres constant,

7:25но kiedy бы вãy в вопрос с interestingly will Grab Island why do you invest ? яelin макшацыkom в bathing of floor 20 лет это was a long professional journey before we found it I spent Halph of my professional life in book -publishing I wrote books by myself, computer books then we worked with my brother take for publishing House и мы начали в вашем комплексе. Я спонсил на 10 лет в этом области, в области в области, и я был responsable на 2000 -м тетях в области. И я уже had a big pleasure from this work because it was so material. В этом work was something and you get material result. It's almost like you're getting your baby and you may touch it.

8:29Like, it was a very physical pleasure

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9:21для some of them successful, some of them less successful. Overall my brother and me like we participated in different projects for a different extent. We had success with this app. We had six exits up to this moment. We had access to Google, exit to Facebook. We started several companies, which has revenue in 100 млн 50 млн, it was quite a journey before floor, it was 5 -6 years of work before floor. It was not so simple than we just decided, we would create successful period tracker and we just started in immediate success, but even with our experience, good success с флоу от сетного темпа. Like the first trigger failed, the second trigger failed, and just the short term.

10:21This apps that he complicated. And what we definitely learn from experience with consumer facing products that for consumers, simplicity is the most significant, it's much more significant than number of features, it's much more significant than anything. и симпuanского корпiająции досковых ф корпорийlah. Пробенно вы electr Whit defined market alliance million are important jelly language freight colored менять не было постоянно очень речным Когда帶 머�ch не это кажется установка

11:06когдаWhenindi с проблем, что вы personally felt and can really empathize with, with respect to me, you're wonderful, but you don't empathize with period tracking. Is that bad advice to choose a problem that you know? I would say that any general advice is bad. Any general advice is bushed. Every time when you say something like any sentence is every each,

12:02motivation и что ты your pain ,於 чё его можно standpointворить, и не то чтобы moteasti teil enables ninт, онanga нужно что -то rabbins, responsable или о planetary Lightning metal , я не Chu PW но оmaster чтобы blessing , juga вytс Consult by Viewon ,opleon, Beth get bbl rcom MK companionship , broadcast on podcast , и не я очень estado вращу и были очень nonprofit имеют

13:02и все эти решения на данный и на ученый учеба, мы have done in flow almost 1000 of user researchers, we have user research in each product team, and we are talking with users all the time, then we combine this data from the app and we are making decision subjectively, and it was our way to make a good product for users звезу게요 стать. русский generation – со всеми окренних conductor, stereotypical, иск senin д disagreeный вопрос ictions? Как выzesут Yes.

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14:03то что всё видели на goodnesset, дорого of our competitors glow, it was started by Mark Slavshin like a key member of pypalmuff as I raised from Andersen Horowitz and founders found 30 million almost immediately, they started three years before flow and we had such competitors and it was rather formed market, it was not empty market but it was all the opportunity to learn from them, it was good opportunity not to be

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14:52дожовательные ходитвности знания 906 и쟁нической 쟁нической moje шлизии, вы потом можете чем -ISSA в том оружии. Здесь, когда вы насел Gibson и CBD, erect делаете怎麼辦а sunscreen. Грек 나오 идет цветы иarf seriousnessаgiliels Это провер passa, что на Госуд divergence это гronicает мне не оплодизм ..? Самplesной варианты тебе в ней велика обanzка ,immersany Minsapplause. Ск patch. Живices, продукт, более than our competitors. Мы устроили продукты, просто продукты, на этот момент 150 млн. Мы mostly had engineers in Eastern Europe, like to understand that in standards of UK or United States, you should multiply that on two.

15:44And then we created this big floor, this super app, because of this investment. And this product became so good, so much better than competitors, than it won naturally. But at the beginning, у других продуктов у нас senza чего sollte быть приост sangol на опакте, не mannequin поointироваться prey. Я уверена вот по -тяжным перпоч aussерд 돌아ovan в н Bayern. Вон на resistance —soundroom. Это мой вкус, пин 누가 eruже в свете уведомую кон Appreciération. suas наград Νосело наApp��ав gravityaj armour с т circuits по습니다 soci fut possesands, hometowns, и восхит вpowersи па Chang Stirfun

16:29в Independential ? Что вы hormone, что л в Беге, потому что продукты are better, like customers are more educated, and the total market is getting bigger. Of course, nobody wants to be in this kind of red, like, red blood ocean market, when you have tiny margin and a ton of competition, but in case if it's normal competition, it's good, it's good. So, when you first launched this V3 of Flow, having had the two, which didn't work so well, и их輕ом крас hoch decis policeman « sangум»

17:45ведет то ретеншин, и я understood that potential is tremendous by combination of these metrics. Ретеншин is really rare in health and fitness pretty naturally, because retention is not about product. Retention is about user case. What many people don't understand? Retention is not about product. Retention is about user case. It means that you make create the perfect app for gym fitness app. And perfect app for gym will have terrible ретенчен. Почему? Потому что чим с самым, как бы, ретенчен. Ты знаешь, что чим в бизнес -модле, чтобы сел 1000 membership, для чим виски пусты, в 100 -х пипл, потому что чим сно, что, как, на 100 пипл, не не видишь.

18:27И почему пипл would work better than чим с? В общем, это о том, что чим с пипл, не would it so rare to see good retention and health and fitness, и when I saw that, I understood that it will be very huge. На what was it about the retention numbers that you can share that gave you such confidence. Was it the D7, which is the Day 7, the D14, the D28? Was it the Daily usage? What was it which made you go, we have something? What's about L원ité NKRum »ритFRANCEF? L 'NKRum' rit balne means that, how many users stays for 6 months and more? D180 versus 6 months? What was that? It's again retention as usually cases.

19:07like you may improve retention by good product or you may destroy retention by bad product but essence of retention is natural user case and natural user case based on natural nasty for a women's organized life around cycle what's you can't skip that you may skip gym but you can't skip period and because of that retention is very good but then our big idea was Если это очень уник, а ретенция очень хорошая, можно мы сделать что -то более более более, чем перейти на то, что у нас наиболее ретенция, why Flow became so successful, was this idea of super app? Let's take a перейтикер as a core product, and let's run this перейтикер by deeper, more valuable health features and content, and the перейтикер would become driver of your requisition, and more significant retention, но все фиши будут виллы.

20:08Это что -то символовое на Gmail ecosystem. like Gmail itself drives acquisition retention, но это для документов, а для calls и сетти, it drives value. Но если вы выбираете email, это не будет вверх. И это же пиротрейкер. Но если вы не не have this ecosystem, это не менее тазобо, потому что виллы просто не тазали. Ты знаешь это из day 1? Он как по agencies и в репки – это машина на репки بодич penetrate through regions, а б prolonged креет, и проблазать этот момент, мы не не спеет, что это будет так, и так, больше money. So then you have this moment of, wow, we actually have something, six months retention is incredible.

21:14How are you acquiring customers at that point? Customer acquisition from zero to a million is very hard. You have little brand, you have little word of mouth. How are you acquiring customers and what did that look like? The most significant was to create the best product. и надежды из продукта are that users are happy and they provide good ratings, and then system of promotion of App Store and Google Play started to work, because they have algorithms which promote good apps and they usually look on retention, average rating, other parameters, and if your app is really good, it's like you, like algris promoting your app at the top, the same as with website.

21:58And because the product was good, we got our first traffic just organically, but it was general traffic based on kind of a searchest like peer -tracker. But then, because of retention, we started to get big and big and big audience, then Valtov Mouse started to work. And Valtov Mouse is the single predictable way how to get organic traffic Если вы have big mouth, then people would advise your product and then you would start to get organic traffic. And now we have most organic traffic because of all of mouth, rather than because of such generalistic structures like periotracker. But again, if you ask me what's prerequisite of organic traffic, I would say retention is prerequisite of organic traffic because first you need to get active audience.

22:51использовались, что будет очень рад. Они будут стараться надзематься продукт, и они будут угрожать органические. И, наверное, это biggest question how to get like an initial audience. In all the cases, we got them organically, but in your reality, probably you must buy them. It's less realistic nowadays, to get initial audience organically. So that was going to be my question, which is, like, do you believe then, if you build it, they will come? Or is that not the case, owych открытиеdamn

23:43puesto дальше по медитам. 길 у домой и говорить暖omin. Аales threatened him

24:25на три миллиона .fertила подарок по Simpson,

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25:24maybe in 2021, before that it was rather a minuscule volume. Why did you decide to spend on paid then? Because we started monetization and when we got monetization, it was just like you put money and you get money back, you put money, you get money back. I spoke to some of your team and they said, not a weakness, but something interesting about митер, он не любит бран, или ПР. Это очень интересный момент, потому что на самом деле, почему не любит бран, или ПР? Я не understand what is brand, и once I tried to understand, maybe years ago, I was in the process of hiring a chief marketing officer, and I had maybe 30 different candidates to meet.

26:12I was asking the same question, what is brand, by your opinion, to 30 different семьюс, и я уйдал 30 дефинт ансверс. Я думаю, это как это makes the customer feel, how they feel when they see your logo, when they touch your product, that is your brand. What they say when you're out of the room. Yeah, I just don't feel that I understand while this topic, and we're often people, потому что они не have a few words, people use for everything and for any situation and were often without any meaning to placeholders. This is Brent and Culture. You may describe everything by Brent and you may describe everything by Culture, but usually it doesn't have any sense and you need to ask clarifying questions because you always may say, our situation is bad because we have a bad Brent or our situation is bad because we have bad Culture.

Read the full transcript

27:07Yeah, it describes everything and nothing. И уже оasting про ПИР. Я думаю, что здесь пройдет Hank C far chops Это яов residency на Integrated И они всегда д ec줄 И aqui они olduğ Nor want to see Наверное, что очень про κаюary Они как ткат все по к 추 Heil allow Они очень теплые И не riskate но и в н homemой Он was budgeted for something answer ASL several hundred thousand died intensifies I don't understandiro I bet I would spend this money for product take this money and move humanity product sometimes even up to the October stream I never use business class because all the time失т 失т Я в компании, я в 200 млн.

27:55в Ревину, это время, когда я started using Business class for the CEO. Но я не использую Business class, даже в моих репсахахах в УС, даже в Сиэтл, или в Сан -Франциске, потому что все время я думал, что 5 -10 ,000, я бы бы better to pay one month of salary to develop during Lithuania, than to raise this money for my comfort, and I was like, take this money and put this money to your product. Это оз strengths. Всем bajи, это красной ю–девей pessoal, Люан -шамуб. П92гт вор stato одну уходу в olan ГУЛ П drawers вашу мясо cholesterol ,days legs он сына на microbiобеду

28:56А, по мне, не заполняйсяoveθя Tonight. И — — — — — — « تам Gleich physicist —» — — — — « что все что выяснилось, что все что выяснилось, все чёрные все таки и не может сказать, что вы должны это делать, что вы не должны это делать. Like, вы просто должны это understand your strengths. You should understand your way, you should not do something natural, not natural for you. And then like, thousands of ways to be successful and you just should choose your way, to be successful and make your company successful.

29:47На hun,

29:59что говорится, быinki прост но вы висите your resources when the way probably it's a bit advice. Если вы кормите your speed, то есть, висите на resources, и вы просто have your one million, и это достаточно, чтобы сделать 3 -4 -5 iterations rather than one, то на speed is the right word. Но я бы не думаю, что это обоих speed, это обоих right distribution of resources to have several chances for success. Я просто не уверен, что это о том, что на росте есть. Это что надо в этом siempre к Fate, где мы видим более как 10000 speculation shares. трутIX lassи". О! Большая ошибка ставила супер. Я надеюсь наiting осознать fondo с функцией.

31:10Косfunding обсл kokига и как настоящих где убд joue как это.

31:49Это просто. То есть только бизнесes вدет. będzie breathing 100 enable. и master 99но. Короче я бы говорил, тыcussи 99 становились Paradise. cuu bapet ek reconciliation тогда напомню, что с большим парнем unfair на LEGO и lizавы иiance стойбки не be crazy если you are smart И онkad 되어, topped 어머 seismическую индивидуру – sevки Acting cửов на dilemma опiar совсем чистая. О можем местной PAC - futon, местной� Modi ¿Cru arbetsbed Rocket? З dovодointed. Это не по чимманским н Ai ад, потому что не по Cher Sunday нет руссенки. Вunkt там что пройдет по нашим teaches? Кто такой кажется, что크레бы, like crazy in obsessed I'm not to dissemنت you in these ways I'm crazy in obsessed I could have been loo And paid very happily and instead I decided to a pot cost which made no money but I love what we do My worry is there's so much money in venture capital that if you're smart enough You can be a founder, play the founder game play startups get paid quite well and Try it.

33:15It's a free option itors.

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34:14Сambaighty И что -то most difficult for founders, это что он в this mindset, когда каждый день ты сгонишь, «Ну, ну, ну, ну, ну, ну, ну, и это салберя, это очень difficult, даже в Лайофс, это просто, потому что в Лайофсах, это как птиц, и ты просто в 3 веке, и ты продолжаешь в вашу работаю, но в любом случае, это как как просто, и каждый день ты сгонишь, «Ну, ну, ну, ну, ну, ну, ну, Он большейся соб Yongang.

34:52И 84 лет перевернули его все. Она хотела увидеть мои Princeton ung start mini мин qué

35:41militar hireтик��오, анеликтиίας и spectral deine Горяткие竵и. А теперь людиnine יるт вид черой Гар плохо ски

36:13и я understand like such like as I'm when you're talking about this problem that mean it's so difficult minorities of any kind raised and I may say that it's it's the true it's true because you just sort it out at this level of right people. So I'm gonna get in trouble for this. I think you are much less fundable than a minority woman from Stanford, of course, of course. И это очень easier. Первые воз Nathan had proven that our products are very profitable and we險 to success, but it was an out of hand I had blessed.] And all the combinations of the seedling itself to more потому что мы не должны быть в бедшпорхе, чтобы шоу вытащить.

37:10Так это как... Сакцесса, и мы будем делать это same -сакцесса, потому что это первый продукт of such kind, и nobody believes that it's possible to build something magnetizable or successful. Я хочу, чтобы мы понимали, что вы были fundraising и below a billion dollars. Моя question to you is, okay, мы не будем монетизировать. Это новый игрок. Мы будем проверить, что мы можем иметь money now. Мы будем, что мы готовы, что вы любите. Как вы монетизировали? оningerприк. Мы institute it on. Как пор respeпл. Всёу, интересный работа, и спасибо спасибо тебе за данным��ени Д operate powdered. Д certoнем

37:52gigglesа, ноmumblingная длюдаedia, wollen но мы должны сцелить, мы должны explancer product, мы должны explancer. Мы начали сделать это и просто один номер. В конверсии premium on unboarding у нас в несколько лет сцелить 800 % потому что оптимизации, потому что сцелить 100 % и потому что это опрошение, что мы не должны кладем, мы должны explancer, потому что мы должны сцелить и это был очень хороший шифт в сцел, потому что, before that, it's significant to create the best product and people will see by no -no. You also should explain why they should, by even Apple, spend much resources to explain that you're not like arriving to shop and you're getting your iPhone in grey box.

38:42It should be beautiful, it should be very attractive and the same as the monetization, и как вы селятся, и вы должны finding the proper balance between that you may be too focused on selling, like over -promise, or you may be like us, we did at the beginning, you may create value, but you may undersell, and everything should be right, it should be right balance. I think you consistently undersell. I spoke to many of your investors, and they said that you're the best founder, но ты дыхал со Waarой себе. Чтоб вы думаете о что хотелось Вам .ERO по Bogganio в refuses. и pandaя. что Secret to salad?

39:26правду город! и переравить что Dis volunteer History TasMe и customer иesty имиanger что видел. ведуежую unhealthy ведуежую unhealthy superpower, потому что я всегда так, я могу инсекью о моем позиции, позиции of the company that I am always trying to do my job the best, because I never feel comfortable, and it's my pretty natural state, and I believe that big part of my success is just because of my impostor syndrome, and it's like strange weight you get your superpower, Хотя это sufficient concrete money, way to money! Могете тебе такую область много в manufacturers?

40:26Тше

40:31moyenной ошибки Я как -то и тому, что, к этому, я imaginав, что… Какcrates prostк Bike Д И когда вы прогрессы, вы сжимаете your bar high and high. И в один момент, my bar became one meter high. И я смотрю, что this bar is boring. Like a good age champ, so high, good not high. At least I will make the best attempt. I love it. It's just so right. You know, we interview a lot of American founders to meet you. And the humility that you have is not shared by a lot of them. What were the biggest challenges then as you started to scale monetization? Что уже было? Что -то действительно было, что мы не understand when we started monetization 7 years ago, что хотелось бы петь на фоне сочетки.

41:21Потому что когда мы started monetization, мы бы наше 5 % of American audience because that time it was quite a bar. Теперь мы наше 20 % of American audience И неληс Barnesageddon seemed to slow down Но это посмотреть не просто чем о том, что этот проект и это самая решность что ты не об Bulgarian기는 будет больше неforceдante мне И все эти параметры, вы должны взаимонтировать их. Потому что вы должны оптимать функционные варюболы. Если вы talk about mathematics, потому что это не просто about optimizing of price, это about optimizing of 5 -6 variables simultaneously. И вы должны оптимать их и find the best combination when you are getting the most revenue from your product.

43:01— can I on the freemium versus premium split? — what have been some big lessons in how to provide enough value in freemium — where they retain and they love your product, but also keep enough value in premium — where they're willing to pay for it and make that transition. — some just experimentation. — Usually we decide on that based on experiments. — When we're creating something and they decide Он справаiu поч Wind Powall . Мы наш foundations Сечаемся, что будет рейвине ,opa надаваегоную Albanitation Когда greetings мы baueniron feel И раньше это былihuэто Потому что это жеpos Instrument Это он опять былчивым Но Lipить Гай �ргопда Гай Reaper И был 콘ем fundamental grooming этот нему Партик.

43:50The best is like when retention is the same, but Raven used growing. So when did we know monetization was working? When did you like it even go, okay, we've got a kid machine here. So subcription monetization, the most significant is retention, because if you are very good in selling, you may convince people to pay for almost anything. Но Мачма complementary он стараетсяabularyить лучшеüreку и famine transparenз такие лучшие стрелы Вы сцентиваете лейтам с user, потому что user only when you create long -term value и it motivates you to create long -term value. Потому что если, например, вы монетаете your product я не знаю, на одном уровне, то вы сфотографируете мастер -конверсию.

44:47Если вы монетаете your product с адвертайзем, то вы должны пытаться устроить устроение то, что мы видим в медиа. Но в случае of subscription вы реально монетаете your value потому что your model works в джанст, когда users stay and continue to pay for years, or it would be just a trade meal, and you would exhaust gross very, very fast. So we have that monetization engine working. How long did it take to get to a million in revenue? Millen? Millen is very simple. Millen is very simple. Like 100 millions, much more difficult. Millen is very, very simple. How long did it take to get to 100 million in revenue?

45:23For years, maybe. Wow. Но мы с обстанцией с областьем, когда мы начали с Монитизацией, потому что мы начали с Монитизацией в 2018 год, и проекты existен для 3 -х годов. — А как многое время вы делаете, когда вы начали с Монитизацией? — Может, 15 -20 млн. — На. — На. — На. — Это интересно. — А что вы делаете, что вы делаете, о том, как вы делаете Монитизацией, теперь вы знаете все, что вы делаете. — Я бы это очень сильно делаю, Потому что с помощью монетизации он локает флайвилл в аэллокрейсин. И это очень очень просто. Когда ты с помощью монетизации, ты сзади ревеню. И ты можешь сзади ревеню, чтобы сделать продукт или чтобы ревеню.

46:04И потом ты сзади ревеню, чтобы ревеню. И флайвилл starts to work, but then invest more and more and more and distance between you and competitors is getting bigger and bigger. И когда ты не сзади ревеню, —auc سے брать, д vocalsหนат, д competенно punching. Потому что ребята, боюсь, чтобы верить и escrilangку – — 우리� hopping тебя совсем скоро иран pigeons are fast, Как сказать у всех advantageants authentication – их н Beibit подorryный hinausets� Grass оп Sea contributing to education is OrlyingByecho не было, что вы не вырекли. В инхасе и фитнес, это важно to find the cases with good retention.

46:52Взрослые cases, например, в первых девайсах, они have very good retention just because you have physically them. And have you thought about doing devices? No, no, no, no, because you always should be focused. You always should be focused. Once I got a very good lesson from Vinnat Hostler, like founder of Hostler Ventures. Монярсого. И в that moment our company was big enough and we had many ideas about how to build our product and many ideas for monetization. Like because audience was big and I was peeing to him described and we were doing my do that, that and that and that. And at the end of my pitch I asked him like, did you ever experience, could you give me just one advice, but like the most valuable, you think for me.

47:40And he said, Yan, my business and product building is very милотюмерич. У меня есть many opportunities before your marriage, but to be happy you should choose one and really focus. And my advice to you, choose one business model and be really focused. And I learned this lesson and I was very focused since and I had a huge resistance to all proposals to take any other opportunities. I love that and we're not fantastic. Моя question to is does the super app not go against focus? Because with the superat mentality you are building multiple products in the same time simultaneously versus purely focusing on one product at a time.

48:24And they paradoxical. Yeah, for some extent, but you may solve this problem by org structure. You may create teams which solely focused on own part of the product и за их это первый продукт. И они have full focus on this product. И наш компонент, каждый 팀 has own part of product own, then you have like a difficulty to combine all these parts to the single experience, and it's not easy, it's very challenging, but it's the way how she have focused in the case of SuperApp. What have been the biggest lessons in how to create that synchronicity between the different parts? It's extremely difficult.

49:04We still struggle. И Mehrко스타 для keyless ,是啊, что вы ущете? А мне кажется, что они имеют неправильность, чувство -нсти края привыч防та. Когда Bevölkerежу нашейудьи, то есть然ы родители. sewing market, но чем -нибудь нетeen на letztу. В Hawthouse у него больше GPN3 для него. Все Credсли было это М struct

49:52— И país. с монотизацией. Now we get to, like, the series A and the B. How are the series A and Bs? It was always difficult. And did you enjoy the meetings or not, Rene? No, because you need to meet hundreds of investors and repeat the same, and at some moment it's just boring. Like, you just repeating the same. The same again, again, again, again. It's just boring. Was there one or two that stood out? Я не censCause they should so much bet understanding of our business model and show this so deep пошли по напр액у, и ониוןesch thank you through the fury. Ты очень chatok, неongoensa меня сам нашеürlich место, что я absolut spells för его...

50:55Как Medicare? Потому что contributing на нас Европейанина в SR Boot, как sagte Аdistки внутриAh, или Bolam, в Корбях да,

51:34раз stuck с т. е. и эта идея, что ретенция should be very high, because if you lose your customer, you lose it forever. And it's the fact for B2B, but it's not the fact for B2C, because in B2C, in case of consumer face -naps, customers go, customers come back, customers go, we already have maybe 40 % of installs from users who used our app previously. And because of that, you should analyze прOTH are retention itself, but retention of revenue. For example, you should analyze how cohort behave in time. And what you're retrieving is getting. Because of this behavior, that people are coming back and force, they stop Subhibitions, they start Subhibition, and you just can't apply this very simplistic logic of business as that if people pay and then they charge, they will never come back, or they will never start paying again.

52:27ать.

52:31Но засти грунту, сейчас М standartative

53:20моргать, я рассчитывал это умер, но Не не есть в 2021 -2040 мальчиков, и в 2022 -2022 мальчиков. На этом же компоненте. Like, market is not rational. It's market, but market is a brilliant statement, which is that market can stay irrational. Longer than your company can stay solvent. Yeah, yeah, it's a, because of that, even kind of conversation about what's fair price

54:00ơi вении 초ested и тол natomiast ayer exceptionally пора какие - brotherry до кymки есть которые по分тольны творога. Какое лиabo Initiative в Новом Response и в CRYие в веевнете 거지 welcomeize и вместо рейт очень приятного а как soortи для чём черейта он не как наш хар BLACK? Compared mais thanedsięforce schwак будет одосРЕ Możarm как Turbo компания как Turbo компания

54:56С uncovered в Простите, мы уже have them because this business model is growing and you may just check numbers of Apple and you may see that Apple got from consumer subscription in 2017 or 5 billion and it's projected that we will get maybe 100 billion or so next year. This model is growing and because model is growing then we'll have huge companies. Что вы думаете, что это предвсёдно? Ну, конечно. Что предвсёдно? Мы имеем вон... Может, я не могу сказать, потому что он играл в твиттер. У него есть инвестор, Никита Бюр. Очень хороший продукт. У вас есть инвестор? Да, такой хороший инвестор, но он играл в твиттер.

55:56он, я же, интерпорнер, и, then, интерпорнер, я have the full energy to prove investors that he's wrong. And of course, it's a joke, but this is partly true. But I would say that a good investor may create ton of value by proper work in the board. And good board brings ton of value, and the biggest value from the board that you just accountable. And you have moments of truth like board meetings когда нужно делать запрессу, запрессу материал и explenate a few, explenate a past without a board meeting you would never have a patience or energy to do that. But when you have such moments of reflection, then your business is getting better because you're just reflecting all the time.

56:41And good investors, they've been part of the board, they may provide good advice, they may make you better. It's almost kind of if you have like a like coach, like what's the difference between having a coach pumping competition,

57:19accountability ,τούothes , стр거를 , стр거를 ,

57:52а в доме я сп triangular with dynamic, это for a very significant driving life of many people это regardez заимного страна я по взапрочиж himself и у меня с Muk new с выходной у неё тоже инв mustacheitime investors это anos нет не have any understanding of our vision and any support. And then when we proved that our ideas are worse and this is a good sustainable business, then it became easy. Do you feel vindicated now for everyone who didn't believe in you? Do you feel? No, because I'm just trying to look like being just like a rational, like some like a weird folks from Belarus starting a period traker and promising that it will become unicron and there are no examples of that and why would you believe in that?

58:58Like nobody who is rational would believe in that. It was now it's so evident but at that moment it was pretty irrational not to believe. I get you, it's just sad. Our job is to believe in the outliers. It's to believe the best in people. That's how I view our job. Это самый шоупый из Эллистейсии Вестер, для стенды, в which cases with 100 % of fail, with 99 % of fail, и в which cases with small potential outcome and big potential outcome. И вы должны find cases when fail is not 100 % guaranteed, и potential outcome is big. В Festival惜 стоит heraus explanation – этоgua 보ор на publish. них sabe, что значатся, и на этом ты will reduce your chances of failure from ninety -nine percent to ninety -five percent, но著 pumpkin market should be big, because it's impossible you getators.

59:57Просимой yereści отcomes from small market big market. U have a huge market. I speech Jessie Ghab before this. She said, asking how this slide gave me $1 бihinт. $10 бINт stumbled. компрессивала. А я могу сказать, что это вопрос, просто в Беншморке, например, что -то сземпленно в Доллингу. В Патчале, в Калуфреи, мы have 200 миллионов, they have 600 миллионов, and it's achievable in several years for us to be in the range of 600 миллионов. We have approximately the same. Why is that mouthful so much better than yours? Because it's a public company, which simultaneously is growing very fast, top line and bottom в том линии.

1:00:39Они have some ultimately 40 -50 % of top line growth and they have very nice profitability growth and it's extremely rare to see such companies as a public company. It's like just old rule of 40 and you rarely see like rule of 40, like 50 -60 at the public markets and all the like people believe that they still have good potential наningar, потому что можно бытьạnhим, чтобы неacionahlenmond... Я думаю на конбination из -за факта — этоначная herramientа — если прохавела за пуск, то есть за город с великолimportantший прохав consultant от Politics …

1:01:29Я знаю, что им нужно дарить узких загрузников. Это квадратное спכ�문о, что вы его делаете. Прог hotsМан Заполков impacting QD preced автомобили jest самая больш CHAN claimа на компьютерах.

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1:02:43по各owej Perry Pizza of Goethe Викнессы, вы должны understand why you are useful and you should make your proper work as good as you can. What is your biggest strength? The biggest strength that I may analyze, I may make like a rather good conclusions in a very simple manner. это значит, подтвержденыぐольчики по Classic and Simplicity, потому что я именно могу бcause Tailivity Simplicity я не собираю в революциюningar от Information, я might take much of information on myself ,mmm ,but then, я способаю им нальше мое сов Rotations в см знаешь

1:03:40в см знаешь в этом сентябре, они understand and believe and follow. И в моем веке, sometimes I may be too slow for change. The biggest events in my life happened when the life burned my bridges, but now I understand that I should have burned my bridges by myself. For example, I started to make apps, very significant reason, because it was the crisis of 2008 in the like book publishing was an terrible situation. I started to focus just on for because my old portfolio decline because of political situation in region and when everything was good I was just delaying the February overtime change Ок berry was just widened this crisis like forever to warned my it was a restructuring happenS Я started to move fast and I didn't on this one.

1:04:26You've been very successful in the last 10 years. What does money mean to you, Dimitri? Honestly, not so much. Because I have rather humble lifestyle. only only I despise luxurious brands. I despise luxury. I even don't have car, and I don't have any expensive items. I don't have anything like the brand that, or luxurious, ПрирPro闔 해지 미국 моей признаки版dess EE Я nunca люблю тестиров 욕NIE не últimos Это не Site не неприятия Самаются Бейсория

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1:06:18réal не тебе нужно shuffle. Но это Wyoming dogs. Фге ، П plasticsицors Обязательно .不好意思. Хорошо. Я Political & Social Security пейнсорь .ом. я tutorialed my professional life my biggest regret that when I was young but instead of lessons sup the first people without a knowledge through their useful players my 10 -15 years ago and I still fell guilty cos of 10 years after просто потому что ты чувствуешь импоте, ты должны спринять за себя и then you start to feel pain of other people and it's just like a trait of age and trait of a difficult journey. I was not like that when I was young. You also work with your brother, Yiri.

1:07:36Not many people know this, but my work with my brother. He's sitting upstairs now. I love it, but everyone says don't work with family. Что ты biggest advice to me on how to make it work so successfully with your brother? Again, I repeat my advice, never take general advice. General advice is always bullshit and everything is nuanced. I worked with my brother for 30 years or so if he starts considering how I work from mushroom gathering or potato field work feeds me в совет чтоб что тою bildить. И я detector, что все вwyngве

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1:10:02ЯQueen, можно покажу это из Kazakh. У меня была raftа ф mestПинка. Я на меняfounder былstyевый и ninety Aixòси. Хочу тебя в виде этих радио했습니다? like you know there are a lot of four types of people based on level of negative and positive emotions like people who have low emotions in case of bad situation and like slow low high high low high high low like like it depends on your emotions high or low in case of problems and in Например, если у нас оп bandwidthа, то, как одно хитмически sharby ... уп uda, в свойıyı, то, наверное, della слафера Aiibo за certains kalau я unre participatingeman, то, что не убеж вам кол�оки Это ер chưa Это ер chưa не было так много стресса.

1:11:06И потому что я просто, в случае of all our calamities, я был очень -вторым и я не было много стресса, я просто играл в мою дюте. Что было в чем -то большая calamity, ты думаешь, когда ты его делал, что, то, что, то, что было, то, что было. В этот момент, когда политика, стабилотия в Белросян, то, что вы в Украине, и мы хотели ее relocать Élой Александр cămachine์, Велик Communist собойPhолос, ironicом, иниcot Seventeen, вые б saborом его, и наше какое -то dobrze и всё, в Emобод dreadен его на overhead. Стоят действительно все, что происходит в домах и reci συνоприятия riμф underscore oft, в то время нен Sudan theorykek, и будет mansion « acresommeный».

1:12:01Сейчас уights на Я уверен, что when we started in 22 we had 70 % of all employees in Biliwice, it was more than 200 and 90 % of them were relocated with families in several days. How was that process? Very difficult because borders were closed, it was impossible to get papers and we had no flights and we had to organize Charter's Armenia and the Turk and then organize the Uri chances. Да, потому что он не потенculus träufи бой Meris Г Coordinе который Ф tedики от п 시작а .adsUTlya в этот SUV по сути в таком цены polarizedcos над бьет safer бьет safer и как этот компонент не existен без людей. И все это было our responsibility to provide the opportunity to our people because it was quite a big chance that Belarus would engage to the world.

1:13:45And it would mean that men would be drafted and borders would be closed and it was a real risk for life for men. And we had to organize this process. Борьор онаondenе, много?.. Вот подаете лицем Marchality bags в Spanish ?ального трасбкращfehя бы не дам Эти директории жестокоголей obras во времене Соwr mainland. Lydia, вы не остается

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1:14:33делал меня в соинговую, лапа оseaAm6Ar bab7 matог что там так ghosts здесь была, хорошо? Так, %ё то что вы believe mining frightened? Я не stall was telling, я beliefs that all people, approximately the same, we have the same processor, what makes people different is the diesen just hours of hard work. Hard -focused work. And when people say to me that I can't accomplish something, I propose a very simple question. How many hours of hard work have you spent for that? и если уже нет�ougatide tablespoons, это надо сколько жд своим видом не дошему priestару, а трю crew of our software peoples Blasting does not bother us in what it means.

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1:16:46Последний день. З unsuccessfulness. needle д Последне, чтобы установить то, чем forwards и порт био Я очень много, потому что я очень интересная история о моих books. Возможно, что sometimes you need to see many things in prospects and you need to put many dots on the map of your life. В 2004 я wrote like a big book about action script. It's a program language of mercurimedia flash. И в that time I didn't even much from that. Но, approximately next year in 2005, this book was gifted to one young boy. He was maybe 12 years old, but his brother, and he said, if you learn programming from this book, you will become a big person.

1:17:37And he learned programming from this book. He started to practice flash programming, and then, 10 years after, 15 years after, Он был в МСКРД, он был в Фейсбук. И он был в файанах Флор. Если я не знал, что он был в 2004 году, то он не был в файанах, и в МСКРД не был в Файанах, и в Флор не был в файанах. Но в этом сады были 10 лет. И в your life you were often just need much time to see how all lines will be connected, but you have dots to be connected, you need to have dots, you need to do something, you need to move forward. What's the idea you most? My, my them. I'm against globalization and of COS and making them heroes, и даже не для одной квартиры.

1:18:38Очень приказ الكлига очень часто tracking. Потому что даже когда к компании первые, ведь еще неktion как уYouGradical seed ,ος, ος, от бизнес Brothers, и вы видите, что어, что его у наше им indeedOfficial sponsor trabajandocup, занят ПК 1980 год gras in all his decisions и наuminБИ Он не входил все вместе. А если бы зима доброго shifted или продолжили на центр, müssen показать學 savoir наверное, и ещё в 부분이, jewels! Вот например 있으면 «げи то не перелtrack solvent в rehearsalぁ пинул الز FaAT» grocerеть гибруidir tourism они

1:19:41делают вelliогу Одна из моих предстоятельств, это мне, в тот раз, последний раз в жизни не был ян, но был бы наше десистинство. Да, да, да. И sometimes people, who are trying to find a perfect solution but the truth of life that nobody knows future and nobody might make perfect decisions just based on information or analysis because if it were the case, then Макинзиорбанкс would be perfect business creators, но, как вы не можете видеть, что это было, но как бы макинзиорбанкс. Почему? Потому что у нас есть футбол, и если футбол не предъектовал, то что -то самое. Просто make any decision and move forward.

1:20:27Просто не stay as the place. Decide something and move forward. Что вы думаете о 12 -м году? Я был более оптимистик об этом время, wäre начать bertел even рабочие ADA, это intimidating,

1:21:00но если listener неuntoшевый shades shredded stock, бизнес, у which are business models or город -пнев bottles frrawes, because of juniorct rewarded, and I had hope that the chance would happen much faster. Who do you not have on the board? You would most like to have on your board. Let's say merinda geets, because merinda geets is a person who is doing nowadays the most female house. Does it hurt you, when people criticize a male CEO Я understand why they criticize me, although I feel that our success was so beneficial for the industry because you know that we see making decisions based on benchmarks.

1:21:49And now all PCs will start believing that it's possible to have a great success in this industry and all founders will have much easier journey than I had. Я застарда my best copy and deshrlich who I was anders, raison чтобыполне просто, но тут забзал Hahn Lakes to see Mick Верные они были dictionов и Greeks. Я забыла сomics инду apologized потому что extrem grass из веб - mue bacon и яús я в гости, я очень chuин interpret my life, сколько бы я ничего favore it ,breadwers, яאת не знаю, что вы говорили, а Guessy пево -хам zakрыв! choir когда зап 열�� поздно, я думаю ,なんです с one asoo - как это может быть, целый бар McDonald's.

1:22:41что это бессенство?

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From the publisher

Dmitry Gurski is the Co-Founder and CEO of Flo Health, the leading women's health app and the first European femtech unicorn. Launched in 2015, Flo Health has grown to over 70 million monthly active users and 5 million paid subscribers. The app is recognized as the #1 recommended tool for period and cycle tracking, and it recently achieved a valuation exceeding $1 billion. Beyond Flo, Dmitry is a partner at Palta, a co-founding company with a portfolio of successful startups including Simple App, MSQRD (acquired by Facebook), AIMatter (acquired by Google), and Wannaby (acquired by Farfetch).

In Today's Episode with Dmitry Gurski We Discuss:

1. Why 99% of Startup Advice is BS:

  • Why does Dmitry believe that speed is not the most important thing?
  • Why does Dmitry believe that competition is actually a good thing?
  • Why does Dmitry believe that craziness not intelligence is the most important trait in founders?
  • Why does Dmitry believe that fundraising is simply a numbers game?
  • What does no one understand about retention that everyone should know?

2. From Potato Farms to Billion Dollar Apps:

  • What a childhood in potato farming taught Dmitry about leadership and technology?
  • How mushroom farming taught Dmitry about diversification and focus?
  • How does Dmitry advise people analyse the hardest moments in their life?
  • Why Dmitry does not believe in talent? What else is there?

3. Scaling to Flo's First 1M Users:

  • What were Dmitry's biggest lessons from two failed prior versions of Flo?
  • What is the secret to success in consumer subscription?
  • How did Flo acquire their first customers? What worked? What did not work?
  • Why does Dmitry not believe in brand and PR?

4. Building a $200M Revenue Market Leader:

  • What have been Dmitry's biggest lessons on monetisation?
  • How does Dmitry think about retaining product simplicity with time?
  • What are the first things to break in the scaling of a company?
  • What did they do with Flo that he wishes they had not done?

More from The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

All 521 episodes
20VC: From Potato Farm to $200M in Revenue: The Never-Before-Told Story of Flo Health: Scaling to $1BN Valuation, 75M Users & Getting 100s of No's From Investors Along the Way with Dmitry GurskiThe Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch · 1 h 26 min
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