Brandel: Zebra startups must prioritize revenue over user growth from day one
Jennifer Brandel · #61 Can a Zebra Survive in a Unicorn World? · Mar 3, 2025 · at 28:33
Jennifer Brandel, founder of Hearken and co-creator of the 'zebra startup' concept, discusses operating models with host Josh Muccio.
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“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 not about quantity, it's really about quality. Can you create something quickly that people are willing to pay for and find value in? So it's really forcing founders to have revenue be their chief driver rather than user Numbers.”
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