Beyond growth hacks: real stories of reaching untapped markets

Luna co-founder Jas Schembri-Stothart and Untapped Solutions founder Andre Peart share how they cracked go-to-market for audiences most startups avoid. In this episode of Build Mode, they reveal the guerrilla tactics, trust-building strategies, and creative experiments that helped them reach teenage girls and formerly incarcerated workers—from crashing Taylor Swift concerts to keynoting re-entry conferences. 

Chapters: 
00:00 Intro  

03:15 Getting Grilled by Teens: Luna's School Roadshow  

05:04 The Ambassador Army That Designed the App  

06:11 When Teen Content Goes Viral on TikTok  

07:32 Untapped's Origin: From Prison to Building Solutions  

11:03 The Power of Storytelling in B2B Sales  

14:02 Navigating Data Privacy with Sensitive Populations  

15:29 The Challenge of Dual Audiences: Teens and Parents  

17:43 Why Word of Mouth Beats Any Ad Campaign  

19:41 The Taylor Swift Concert That Almost Got Shut Down  

22:15 Key Takeaways for Any Founder  

22:41 Field Notes: Creative Go-to-Market from the Community  

New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Isabelle Johannessen is our host. Build Mode is produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience Development is led by Morgan Little. And a special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.