3 Keys to a Successful Startup
What we’ve learned from multiple launches, iterations and exits.
Some Background
Over our 16-year history, we’ve worked with a number of startups.
We certainly aren’t startup focused — in fact, we work with some of the largest brands in the world. But sometimes we are a good fit for startups that want to work with a more seasoned product agency, particularly when they’re looking for long-term partnership.
We’ve been fortunate to collaborate with some truly incredible founders, and have been part of many success stories. Looking back, there are a few repeating themes that we think lead to these brands seeing either an acquisition or sustained profitability.
Why listen to us? Below are the biggest startup successes we’ve had the privilege to be a part of.
Songza
Songza became a Fuzz client in 2011. Fuzz built the first several versions of Songza for Android, including one of the first ChromeCast apps. We also helped with smaller updates to their iPhone app, supporting and augmenting the work of their internal team of engineers.
Songza was acquired by Google in July of 2014 for tens of millions of dollars, and eventually merged into Google Play Music.
Panna
Panna started as a Kickstarter project in 2012, promising home cooks the opportunity to learn from master chefs through step-by-step video recipes. Successfully funded, Panna turned to Fuzz (their first backer!) to lead the design and development for Panna’s first app on iPad, a subsequent iPhone app, and portions of its website.
Selected multiple times as ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Apple’s App Store, Panna saw tremendous revenue from the popularity of their subscription service. In 2015, A&E Networks (a division of Disney) took a large stake in Panna, which is continuing to see strong growth.
Foodler
Foodler was one of the largest independent online restaurant ordering services, with cross-restaurant loyalty and rewards. They tapped Fuzz in 2013 to design and develop Foodler for Android. Fuzz also gave them support with with iOS development, including implementing Apple Pay.
In the summer of 2017, Grubhub announced an all-cash acquisition of Foodler — a move that would add an additional $80m in annualized revenue to the industry leader.
PrePlay
PrePlay was an international game studio, with a focus on predictive gaming. Fuzz helped develop their initial iOS and Android prototypes, in addition to helping with creating their MLB and NHL versions.
PrePlay received heavy investment by RSE Ventures, owners of the Miami Dolphins, and was eventually acquired and merged with FanVision to create the ultimate augmented sports entertainment group in 2014.
WeightTraining [dot] com
WT already had a successful website, where members could follow curated workout plans and log their exercises. They hired Fuzz to bring that experience to mobile. Fuzz did the design and development for their iOS and Android apps, and released several versions over the years working together.
Eventually WT brought app development in-house, and the company has since rebranded as exercise.com. They’re still experiencing tremendous growth and have retained complete ownership by the founders.
Flux
Fuzz began working with Flux in Fall of 2014. We led design and development for their skip-the-line iPhone app and marketing website.
This was one of the fastest success stories we’ve seen. The app launched in Spring of 2015, and was acquired by lifestyle brand Hooch after seeing tremendous success in its first year of service.
What We’ve Learned
Build something for yourself.
This seems obvious, but if you are trying to fulfill your own needs, chances are others have the same problems as you.
“Man, I wish there was an app for…” was said by many of the founders we’ve worked with. Some products create markets, but serving an existing market better is often the key to mass adoption and retention.
Don’t be afraid to admit you were wrong.
Pivot, pivot, pivot. Especially when your users are telling you they want something different, or are doing things with your app that you weren’t expecting.
Songza’s now famous “music concierge” was central to the app’s success, but it started as an afterthought. The buried feature was getting some traction with users, so a later iteration brought it front-and-center — and the rest is history.
Work with an expert.
It can be scary to calculate the investment required to get your MVP to market. Depending on complexity, founders may need to commit hundreds of thousands of dollars before their first app goes live.
If you believe in the product vision, it’s worth it to do it right. A cheaper development partner might be appealing in the short term, but will often result in wasted time, code and, obviously, money in the long run. You don’t want to find out that you need to start over after six months and $60,000.
Additionally, a seasoned partner can help with defining your value proposition, and has the skills required to do critical market research and conduct invaluable usability testing.
Want to talk more about any of these great brands, or your own startup? Drop us a line any time: hello@fuzzpro.com
