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More from Jennifer Brandel
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Brandel: Hearken has a 70% customer retention rate
“So right now it's about 70% we retain. And what we've learned from the 30% that have been churning is actually the reason they stop working with us is because someone moves on from their job.”
Jennifer BrandelMar 3, 2025▶ 6:53#61 Can a Zebra Survive in a Unicorn World?
Insight
Brandel: Capital Markets Force Founders into a False Profit-or-Mission Binary
“Our problem, I think, is that the capital structures are set up to be either or. Either you're for maximized shareholder profit, Or maximize mission. And I think most founders actually are somewhere in between on the spectrum, but they're pushed to one side or…”
Jennifer BrandelMar 3, 2025▶ 16:13#61 Can a Zebra Survive in a Unicorn World?
Insight
Brandel: Zebra startups must prioritize revenue over user growth from day one
“Well, it means you have to focus on revenue first and foremost, which means you can't just say, oh, we have this grand vision, and once we reach 10,000 users or whatever, then we can turn on the money machine, or we're gonna be ad supported, or, you know, it's…”
Jennifer BrandelMar 3, 2025▶ 28:33#61 Can a Zebra Survive in a Unicorn World?
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Brandel: Public-sourced stories perform 11 to 15 times better than traditional stories
“And we found that these stories that are coming from the public, that are coming from ideas outside of the newsroom, perform 11 to 15 times better than traditional stories.”
Jennifer BrandelMar 3, 2025▶ 3:21#61 Can a Zebra Survive in a Unicorn World?
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Brandel: Hearken stories convert paying subscribers at two to five times normal rates
“They generate email addresses which convert to paying members or subscribers at two to five X, and they end up producing just original content that you would never find anywhere else.”
Jennifer BrandelMar 3, 2025▶ 3:30#61 Can a Zebra Survive in a Unicorn World?
Disclosure
Brandel: Hearken approaches $1M ARR across 150 newsrooms and seeks $3.5M
“So my company Harkin is about three years old now. We're in about a 150 newsrooms, and we're just about approaching a million ARR, and are here to raise 3.5 million for our next stage of growth.”
Jennifer BrandelMar 3, 2025▶ 3:39#61 Can a Zebra Survive in a Unicorn World?
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