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