ApplyBoard co-founder Martin Basiri explains why partnering with local education agents was debated internally despite lower margins compared to serving international students directly.
“Economically, when we were helping the students, we were making all the money. When we work with agents, we have to share something with them. So it's way more profitable for us to not work with agents, right?”
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More from Martin Basiri
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Basiri: ApplyBoard became the largest immigration company in the world
“It became the largest technology, the largest immigration company on planet earth.”
Martin BasiriDec 16, 2024▶ 7:01He built a $4B unicorn & crossed $100M ARR—here's why it took 10 years of 100-hour weeks. | Marti... · PMF Show
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Basiri: ApplyBoard brought 0.5% of Canada's population, generating 0.6% of GDP
“To give you a sense, like .5% of population of Canada, we brought to Canada. Not population of immigrants, population of Canada. Like all the students that we brought are producing more than .6% GDP of this country.”
Martin BasiriDec 16, 2024▶ 7:07He built a $4B unicorn & crossed $100M ARR—here's why it took 10 years of 100-hour weeks. | Marti... · PMF Show
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Basiri: ApplyBoard Never Had Trouble Pitching Immigrant VCs
“We never have problem with immigrant VCs. Which there are not that many immigrant VCs. That's why the fire racing was hard. But like, any immigrant VCs, right away, they were getting it. I didn't even have to tell them about problems.”
Martin BasiriJul 3, 2023▶ 16:21Martin Basiri, Founder of Applyboard | How to Find Product Market Fit · PMF Show
Disclosure
Basiri: Passage requires employees in-office five days a week
“We are five days a week in office, which is like, I still like get questioned.”
Martin BasiriDec 16, 2024▶ 19:42He built a $4B unicorn & crossed $100M ARR—here's why it took 10 years of 100-hour weeks. | Marti... · PMF Show
Insight
Basiri: Burnout comes from lack of progress, not long hours
“I think when you do a lot of work and you don't see progress, it feels hard, but when you see progress, you actually become, it's addiction. It's actually very addictive.”
Martin BasiriDec 16, 2024▶ 22:37He built a $4B unicorn & crossed $100M ARR—here's why it took 10 years of 100-hour weeks. | Marti... · PMF Show
Opinion
Basiri: Elite VCs failed to grasp demand for tier-two universities
“The fundraising for the first couple of years was extremely hard. Because a lot of the VCs, they go to very top schools like Harvard, Sanford, Yale, Columbia, and those schools, UPenn, and the fact that someone's like, sell their home and belongings in India t…”
Martin BasiriJul 3, 2023▶ 11:51Martin Basiri, Founder of Applyboard | How to Find Product Market Fit · PMF Show
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