The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

20VC: Hopin, The Breakout Startup of 2020 on Scaling from 10 to 230 People and $174M in Funding in just 13 Months, The 3 Phases of Startup Scaling, How To Lead Remote Teams Effectively, The Future of Events Post-COVID and more

Dec 10, 2020

Johnny Boufarhat, Founder and CEO of Hopin, discusses his inspiring journey from overcoming health challenges to leading a successful online events platform. He delves into scaling his team from 10 to 210 employees, sharing insights on the transformative impact of remote work culture. Johnny highlights essential strategies for effective remote leadership and the pitfalls many face in this model. He also explores the future of events in a post-COVID world and offers valuable advice on fundraising, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and strategic alignment.

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ANECDOTE

Hopin's Origin

Johnny Boufarhat's health challenges, including being bedridden, inspired Hopin's creation.
He needed a better way to connect with people and attend events while housebound.

INSIGHT

Remote Work Advantage

Remote work allows faster scaling by removing geographical hiring limitations and office logistics.
It also streamlines onboarding and reduces competition for talent.

ADVICE

Remote Onboarding

Document remote onboarding processes clearly and ensure easy access for new hires.
Establish clear communication channels and reporting structures from the start.

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Johnny Boufarhat is the Founder & CEO @ Hopin, one of the fastest-growing companies on the planet, providing an online events platform where you can create engaging virtual events that connect people around the globe. In the last 13 months, Johnny has raised over $174M for Hopin from the likes of Accel, IVP, Slack, Northzone, Coatue, Salesforce and of course, 20VC Fund. With the funding, again in just 13 months, Johnny has grown the team from 10 people to over 210 people in 37 countries. In October of this year, Semil Shah awarded Hopin the label, "The Breakout Tech Startup Of 2020".

In Today’s Episode You Will Learn:

1.) How Johnny made his way into the world of startups and how severe health challenges led to his realisation and founding of Hopin?

2.) What have been Johnny's biggest lessons scaling the team from 10 to 235 in just 12 months? What starts to break and when? What does Johnny believe are the 3 stages of startup growth? What have been Johnny's learnings on what it takes to acquire the very best talent?

3.) Why does Johnny believe that remote has so fundamentally changed the game? How does remote culture differ from physical culture? What advice does Johnny have for those shifting from physical to remote? Where does Johnny see so many make mistakes with the remote model?

4.) Why does Johnny believe fundraising is a game of leverage? How does Johnny advise founders to structure their raise? Should they shop their term sheets around? Should founders always be raising? How should they think through a pre-emptive round? How does COVID change the world of fundraising?

5.) What does the world of virtual events look like in a post COVID world? What events will remain virtual? What will not? How does Hopin expand beyond purely events into the much wider "connection" space? How does that look both from M&A and product expansion?

Item’s Mentioned In Today’s Episode

Johnny’s Favourite Book: Nineteen Eighty-Four

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