Mikael Cho

Mikael Cho is the co-founder and CEO of Unsplash. The world's leading image asset platform that boasts 100 million image downloads & 20 billion views per month. Unsplash is used more than Flickr, Getty, and Shutterstock combined. Let us know what you think on Twitter: @bzaidi and @mikaelcho Watch the full convo on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vtIGAEKxC0w In this conversation, you'll learn: how Mikael built Unsplash from a series of failed experiments balancing focus with experimentation how to create a growth flywheel why good ideas are still undervalued how to create a "superpower org chart" & find undiscovered talent how to get a large scale advertising business off the ground TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:32 What is Unsplash? 00:06:17 Scale 00:09:24 Failed Experiments + A Side Project 00:10:15 Starting Crew 00:13:46 When Side, Becomes Main 00:17:20 Selling Crew to Andrew Wilkinson (Dribbble) 00:18:42 Balancing Experimentation + Focus 00:21:03 Competing With Adobe + Shutterstock 00:22:55 Creator Economy's Middle Class 00:25:37 Develop A New Advertising Model 00:28:29 Unsplash = Internet Real Estate Company 00:31:51 Simplifying Product 00:34:52 Aligning Your Team 00:37:09 Product Design Changes That Surprised Mikael 00:39:39 "Wow" Moments 00:41:46 Unsplash Growth Flywheel 00:43:56 API + Partnerships 00:45:01 Future of Unsplash 00:46:18 Mikael's Business Philosophy 00:48:29 Validate With No Code 00:49:41 Ideas vs Execution 00:53:27 Knowing When to Stop A Project 00:56:18 Recruiting Key Employees 01:00:24 Finding Undiscovered Talent 01:02:32 Superpower Org Chart 01:07:04 Life Design Philosophy 01:11:23 Incorporating Physical Health into Company Culture 01:15:43 "Inbox Zero is a Waste of Time" 01:19:11 "Text Edit is One of the Greatest Apps Ever Made" 01:21:25 Writing Like You're Texting A Friend 01:24:52 Proactive Actions 01:31:33 Wrap-Up

Crew co-founder and CEO Mikael Cho shares the story of how a creative side project, Unsplash.com, saved his startup from bankruptcy. They discuss the power of side projects in driving business growth, the strength of constraints in creative projects, and the unexpected success of Unsplash in attracting customers and talent.