Social Currency with Sammi Cohen Grant LaFontaine (Whatnot) on Building a Unicorn, Scaling with a Cofounder, and the Future of Shopping
Jun 17, 2025
Grant LaFontaine, co-founder and CEO of Whatnot, shares insights into revolutionizing online shopping through live streams. He discusses the significance of Y Combinator in shaping his entrepreneurial journey and emphasizes the importance of user feedback in product evolution. Grant dives into the unique customer interactions that make Whatnot stand out, the challenges of scaling while maintaining quality, and the potential future of social commerce. He even highlights how a little paranoia can be a powerful asset for founders.
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Whatnot Is Live Social Shopping
- Whatnot recreates the in-person retail experience online by enabling live, social shopping.
- Users enjoy discovering new items, interacting with sellers, and enjoying shopping as entertainment.
First Live Sell Proved Concept
- Grant's first live sales show sold $5,000 worth of Funko Pops in 2.5 hours, proving live shopping's promise.
- This success was the initial validation that live shopping had strong market potential.
Y Combinator Taught Value Focus
- Build a business anchored on creating value by obsessively talking to customers.
- Move fast and use a strong network to accelerate learning and execution.