Chris Frantz is the Co-founder and CEO of Loops, the email platform for software companies.
We get into why sending emails is still a big problem, his hilariously simple framework for building products, getting in to YC with a last minute application, and why they skipped raising a Series A.
We also talk through Chris decade of working in marketing, like when to lean into PLG vs Sales vs hype led growth, early stunts they did to get their first users, why they do no marketing now, and why Loops’ customer support team is all engineers.
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Timestamps:
(4:37) Email for software companies
(8:28) Why email is a big deal
(14:05) The future of email
(17:00) Product vs Sales vs Hype led growth
(24:33) Coming up with the idea for Loops
(29:36) Building one of the first GPT wrappers in 2020
(34:34) Lessons selling his first company
(37:13) Doing their YC app in 10 minutes
(40:53) Avoiding VC’s who add value
(46:58) Skipping a Series A
(51:37) Building in stealth for 18 months
(53:21) Marketing stunts to get the first waitlist sign-ups
(58:44) Four step cadence of building Loops
(1:01:58) Personally onboarding every new customer
(1:04:03) Balancing 996 with family
(1:11:11) Cleaning wasp nests with a shop vac
Referenced
Loops: https://loops.so
Careers at Loops: https://loops.so/careers
Curiosity: https://curiositystream.com
Snazzy AI / Unbounce: https://unbounce.com/product/smart-copy
Atlas customer support: https://atlas.so
Follow Chris
Twitter: https://x.com/frantzfries
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ctfrantz
Follow Turner
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TurnerNovak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnernovak
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