Adam Alpert knows it well. While studying at Brown, he started a company... only to see his classmates
After multiple pivots and attempts at getting into Y Combinator, Adam built Pangea.app, a marketplace for hiring fractional marketers and designers.
It caught fire and reached 1,000 signups per day, and helped Adam make it into YC.
We chatted about why you shouldn’t build a traditional MVP, how to successfully niche down and execute pivots, and much more.
In our chat we discuss:
Accelerators & Fundraising
(01:10), Incubators/accelerators
(05:56), YC application experience
(1:03:11), Fundraising isn't the goal
(1:07:02), When you don’t get immediate funding
Founder Mode
(09:42), The founder mindset & validation
(38:19), Tough decisions & losing customers
(43:22), Knowing when to change course
(46:07), When you're too niched down
(59:01), What gave Adam conviction to go all in
(1:10:51), Why founders should explore stoicism
Product Development
(14:55), MVP versus SVP
(20:53), Getting to #1 on Product Hunt
Community & Growth
(22:14), Product Hunt launch impact
(25:18), Long-term growth strategies
(26:45), Getting customers through ChatGPT
(30:17), SEO & AI/LLMs
(34:49), Growth channels & niching down
(49:27), Why community is key
Founding & Leadership Insights
(50:48), NYC Founders Club
(52:17), Vision for the future
(55:46), Focus areas when hiring
Rapid Fire
(1:12:29), Who's an investor you'd recommend?
(1:13:40), One thing you'd change about startups?
(1:14:22), Advice for first-time founders?
(1:14:35), Something you believe that most disagree with?
Where you can find Adam and Pangea:
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/adamalp
Startup → pangea.app