Grant LaFontaine (Whatnot) on Building a Unicorn, Scaling with a Cofounder, and the Future of Shopping
Description
Grant LaFontaine says the future of shopping is here— and it’s live. Literally.
Grant is the cofounder and CEO of Whatnot—a $5 billion live shopping brand that’s shaking up the traditional retail playbook and betting big on the future of social commerce.
Sammi sits down with Grant to unpack what it takes to build a unicorn; from the lesson Y Combinator taught him about working with a cofounder, to the unique way he thinks about hiring, and why user feedback is his North Star. He shares what he’s learned building in tech, what AI can and can’t do, and why a little paranoia is good for founders.
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00:00 Grant LaFontaine’s Social Currency
01:40 Understanding Whatnot and the Live Shopping Opportunity
02:48 Who Is the Whatnot Customer
04:38 Social Interactions as a Secret Weapon
11:33 The Value of Y Combinator
13:42 Finding Product-Market Fit with Funko Pop
17:29 Scaling Whatnot and Entering New Markets
19:13 The Importance of Hiring and Company Culture
26:13 Fixing Breaks and Providing User Value
26:41 Why Paranoia is an Asset in Business
29:25 Using Mistakes as Data Points
31:32 User Feedback and Product Evolution
33:39 Co-Founder Dynamics and Decision Making
37:06 Social Currency Corner
48:59 How to Show Social Currency Some Love
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