GP Bullhound - What venture investors look for in subscription apps with Eric Crowley

Despite a lot of doom and gloom out there about the slowdown of VC investment and how start-ups need to brace for the impact, smart and well-disciplined investors are still looking for home runs, and funding opportunities are still available for the best subscription app companies. 

In this episode with Eric Crowley, partner at GP Bullhound, we talk about Consumer Subscription Software Flywheel, the investment north star that defines the main attributes of a successful CSS.

Then we talk about how subscription apps can maximize investors’ attention by 

• Building a paradigm-shifting Consumer Subscription Business 
• Paring UX and UI with high-quality content and proprietary data
• Targeting a niche
• Thinking as a third-party

Listen to the episode to find out more about the investor’s inside scoop.

For noteworthy quotes and key takeaways from the episode, read the article -  

What venture investors look for in subscription apps with Eric Crowley (GP Bullhound).

Episode Topics at a Glance

• Consumer Subscription Flywheel
• What GP Bullhound look for in a company
• UX and UK
• The role of premium content and proprietary data
• Success examples
• How to be the king of a niche 
• GP Bullhound’s events

More about Eric Crowley

Eric is a Partner at GP Bullhound, focusing primarily on M&A, Capital Raises, and Advisory transactions with expertise in consumer subscription software, tech-enabled agencies and ad-tech.  Over his career, he has completed transactions totaling over $3 billion in enterprise value. 

Prior to GP Bullhound, Eric served as an executive at a software start-up where he focused on financial management and driving growth. In addition, Eric worked at Lazard and Antares Capital focusing on middle market transactions.

In addition to his CPA, Eric has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a B.S. degree from Xavier University.

Eric Crowley’s Links

• Eric Crowley’s LinkedIn profile
• CSS Spinning the CSS flywheel to delight consumers.
• Medium.com articles by Eric Crowley
• Techcrunch article - Taking consumer subscription software to the great outdoors

Timestamps

00:20 Introducing Eric Crowley and GP Bullhound

01:08 Consumer subscription flywheel

03:35 What GP Bullhound looks for to invest in companies

05:13 The importance of UX and UI

06:55 The role proprietary data takes in building a business mode

08:41 Transitioning from founder-backed to venture-backed companies

11:20 Post-pandemic subscription net businesses

12:59 Examples of creative ways to engage consumers

15:01 Will the Winner-Take-All trend continue?

16:56 Best success stories

18:24 The digital to analogue transition

19:28 Should funders worry about reaching specific APIs?

21:03 Consumer subscription software conference

23:10 Where to learn more about GP Bullhound


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Episode production by Mobdesign: https://podcasts.mobdesignapps.fr