Beyond the Finish Line

Episode 3: Ed Baker, CPO at Whoop

Sep 5, 2024
Ed Baker, Chief Product Officer at Whoop and former exec at Facebook and Uber, shares his journey from a Harvard track star to a Silicon Valley innovator. He reveals how endurance sports shape productivity and mental clarity. Ed discusses the secrets to building viral products, emphasizing the importance of quality engagement over mere sharing. Hear him draw parallels between competitive running and startups, with insights on goal setting and self-competition that can drive personal growth and business success.
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ADVICE

Routine Boosts Productivity

  • Having regular endurance sports routines forces efficient use of time and boosts overall productivity.
  • Structured schedules help prevent procrastination and enhance mental clarity.
ANECDOTE

Original Tinder Beginnings

  • Ed Baker and his roommates built datesite.com in 1999 at Harvard, an email-based crush site with viral campus adoption.
  • It matched two people if both entered each other's email, an early precursor to swipe-matching apps like Tinder.
INSIGHT

Virality Measured by K Factor

  • The K factor measures virality: average new users invited by one user.
  • Getting a K factor above one enables exponential growth through viral loops.
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