Public co-founder Jannick Malling shares exactly how he grew his startup from a tiny beta to millions of users—and hundreds of millions raised. He reveals why fractional shares changed the game for user acquisition, how the company cleverly seized on the GameStop moment to explode growth, and why relentless product focus was critical to scaling quickly.
He explains the mindset shift needed to nail product-market fit multiple times and why you should only tackle timeless problems if you want your startup to last.
Why You Should Listen
• Learn how Public went from 1K beta users to millions in just 18 months by flipping the playbook.
• Discover how to capture viral growth moments like GameStop and turning them into sustained growth.
• Understand how intense product focus can drive massive results even with limited resources.
• Hear why you need to solve timeless problems, not trendy ones.
Keywords
startup growth, product market fit, fractional shares, viral growth, Public investing app, fintech startup, user acquisition, scaling startups, startup advice, founder interview
(00:00:00) How Public Went from 1K Users to Millions
(00:09:41) Jannick’s Path from Teen Designer to Fintech Founder
(00:19:03) Fractional Shares Unlock Explosive Growth
(00:26:31) Why Community was Key (and How it Actually Worked)
(00:31:36) Launch Day Metrics Go Off the Charts
(00:35:38) Unusual Strategy Behind Public’s Word-of-Mouth Success
(00:42:38) How Public Increased Average Deposits by 30x
(00:49:12) How GameStop Doubled Public’s User Base in 48 Hours
(00:53:00) Jannick’s Real Advice on Picking Problems That Matter
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