#141 – Bootstrapping an App to Millions Through Sheer Persistence with Cesar Kuriyama of 1 Second Everyday
Jan 2, 2020
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Cesar Kuriyama bootstrapped an app to millions through sheer persistence. He shares his journey from working in visual effects to creating One Second Everyday. The speakers discuss the value of taking a year off and pursuing creative projects. They also explore the process of building an app, launching a Kickstarter campaign, and the growth and success of the One Second Everyday app. They emphasize the importance of taking small steps towards big goals.
Persistence and seizing every opportunity are crucial for success as a founder.
The One Second Everyday app started as a personal project based on cherishing and documenting memories.
Networking and perseverance were key in finding a development team to bring the app to life.
Transitioning from a passion project to a serious business required managing workload and making difficult decisions.
Deep dives
Creating One Second Everyday: A Diary in Video Form
Cesar Kuriyama, the creator of the app One Second Everyday, shares his journey and inspiration behind the creation of the app. With a background in visual effects and animation, Cesar wanted to find a way to capture and preserve the small moments of everyday life. He was inspired by a TED talk about taking time off and realized the importance of cherishing and documenting memories. This led him to the idea of recording a one-second video each day, which would eventually be stitched together to create a year-long video diary. The app gained significant attention after Cesar's TED talk and was featured in the movie Chef. Despite starting out as a personal project, Cesar's realization of the app's potential made him shift his focus to developing it into a successful business.
Building the App and Kickstarter Success
Cesar faced challenges in finding a development team to bring his app idea to life. After much perseverance and networking, he connected with a new development shop and together they built the first version of One Second Everyday. To raise funds for further development and enhancements, Cesar launched a Kickstarter campaign. The campaign received significant support, with over 11,000 backers contributing to the project. By offering tiers that provided unique benefits, such as having their names in the app's credits or becoming a beta tester, Cesar maximized the value for backers while keeping the workload manageable for the development team.
Unexpected Attention and Impact
The launch of One Second Everyday brought unexpected attention and publicity. The app received a surge of downloads, largely due to being featured in the movie Chef and the widespread sharing on social media. Cesar's accidental tweet of appreciation to John Favreau, the director of Chef, ultimately led to the app's inclusion in the movie. The attention and feedback from users solidified the idea that One Second Everyday was more than just a personal project. It had the potential to become a lasting and impactful business.
Transition to Entrepreneurship and the Power of Social Media
Cesar's journey with One Second Everyday sparked a shift in his mindset about entrepreneurship. He realized that being an entrepreneur provided the freedom and control he desired to pursue his creative ideas. While navigating the challenges of running a business and continuously updating the app, Cesar recognized the power of social media in connecting with influencers and reaching a wider audience. He also reflected on the necessity of sharing ideas openly, rather than keeping them guarded, as it can lead to unexpected opportunities and connections.
Becoming an Entrepreneur and the Importance of Entrepreneurship Education
The speaker discusses the challenges of being an artist and the lack of preparation for becoming an entrepreneur in art schools. They highlight how a book about entrepreneurship opened their eyes to the possibilities of being in control of their time and life. The speaker emphasizes that their motivation for entrepreneurship is not driven by solely wanting to get rich, but rather by helping people and enjoying their work. They also share their experience of transitioning from a passion project to a serious business, detailing the challenges of managing the workload and making difficult decisions.
Choosing to Bootstrap Instead of Seeking Venture Capital
The speaker recounts their ignorance of traditional business practices and venture capital funding when starting their company. They describe how the advice from entrepreneur Tim Ferriss to build a prototype without relying on investors resonated with them. They discuss their lack of knowledge on how to navigate the VC ecosystem and their skepticism about the traditional venture capital model. The speaker shares their experiences of pitching to investors and highlights early challenges in timing, technology limitations, and the pressure to grow at all costs. They express gratitude for bootstrapping their company, allowing them to maintain control and focus on building a sustainable business.
Learning on the Job and Evolving Goals as a Founder
The speaker emphasizes the importance of continuous learning for founders, particularly those without a traditional business background. They describe how they consume a lot of online resources and seek knowledge from successful CEOs and entrepreneurs. They reflect on their personal transition as a founder and how their goals have evolved over time. Starting with the desire to solve their own problem and build a product for themselves, they have grown to envision a better version of social media. The speaker discusses the need to realign incentives and create a social media experience that maximizes value for users while being mindful of mental health and privacy.
Focusing on Dividing Big Problems into Bite-Sized Steps
The speaker shares their strategy of breaking down big problems into smaller, manageable steps. They exemplify their approach by recounting their personal experience of learning to ride a bike. They emphasize the importance of taking small actions and dividing problems until they become too easy not to do. The speaker encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to identify ideas they can't stop thinking about and start taking small steps to bring those ideas to life. They highlight that there are abundant online resources available to guide entrepreneurs through the process of learning and problem-solving.
When Cesar Kuriyama (@cesarkuriyama) first got started, he had nothing but a dream of freedom, an app idea, and a rapidly declining bank account. When every dev shop in New York City turned him down, things looked dire. But through sheer persistence and a penchant to seize every opportunity in front of him, Cesar managed to create an experience that people loved, give a talk on the TED main stage, launch a successful Kickstarter campaign, bootstrap his app to millions of dollars in revenue, and even get it featured in a Jon Favreau movie. In this episode we break down Cesar's improbable path to success, and in the process discover why you should never give up as a founder.
Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/141-cesar-kuriyama-of-1-second-everyday
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