top of page
All Posts


From Side Project to $12 Billion: Lessons from Mailchimp’s Founder
Ben Chestnut didn’t plan to build a $12 billion company. He ran a small web-design agency and built an email tool on the side to help clients. That side project became Mailchimp. Listening to his How I Built This interview with Guy Raz, a few lessons stood out: Start with what you have. Mailchimp grew organically by solving a real customer problem, not by chasing funding. Differentiate through identity. The playful branding wasn’t cosmetic—it made the product approachable
Armen Rostamian
Oct 22, 20251 min read
bottom of page