Question 1: What is your company doing, and how did you get started?
At Odin, our mission is all about making investing simpler in today's world. We've built a user-friendly platform that empowers people around the world to invest in private companies, startups, or funds with ease.
Before we started building Odin, we realized that getting into private markets was really complicated. It needed coordinating with lawyers, bankers, accountants, and using tools like WhatsApp, email, and Slack just to set things up for investing in a company or fund. We wanted to simplify the whole process. Further, not everyone has access to the best businesses or funds because it is not always inclusive.
We wanted to build a platform that's smooth and accessible, making investing a better experience.
To check our idea, we built a Slack community. Initially, people in our network used it to look at investment chances together. Soon, we saw the need for better tools for smooth investing. There were platforms like AngelList and Carter, but they weren't as easy to use as we wanted. Also, the market was filled with platforms just for transactions, forgetting about community, communication, and relationships. We wanted to fix this.
We began by fixing the need for easier investment setup, a big challenge that pushed us ahead. We thought of our product like the Stripe of investing – a necessary foundation for a smooth investment process. But we wanted to go even further than that. We understand how important relationships are in venture capital and private equity. This is why we also wanted to introduce tools for communication and discovery, so investors can connect better. We wanted to bring together all the stakeholders in the system.
An angel investor loved our idea, and that was big validation. They were eager to use our product and invest in us. With this boost, we created a simple version of Odin in a single weekend and put it out there. This changed everything. People joined us, and our user base grew.
That journey from a small Slack group to a full platform shows how important it is to build a community for testing ideas quickly. Our path from a small Slack group to a thriving platform proves that communities can create strong solutions for real-world problems.
Question 2: How do you identify and prioritize new growth channels?
When we talk about finding new ways to grow, we're all about making our business model thrive on networks and natural growth. Our aim? Building a platform that gets stronger as more people use it. Think of it like the Odin snowball effect – one person starts a chain reaction that brings in others. It's growth that happens naturally, fueled by genuine word-of-mouth. Putting the community first is a must for us.
We really believe in content marketing. By creating and sharing content, we're not just getting the attention of possible customers; we're really connecting with them. The goal is to give our audience something valuable, and not just throw sales pitches at them. It's about building loyalty, sparking conversations, and setting off those super-valuable word-of-mouth recommendations.
Question 3: What are your top skills as a founder? How do you work on it?
I do not come from an investment background. This outsider angle lets me break away from the usual, challenge what's normal, and explore new solutions. I'm always learning, digging into all sorts of things beyond my field to find insights and ideas that others might miss.
Crafting engaging content is another thing I'm good at. I really believe content is a big deal – it has the power to grab attention and make connections. It's like a bridge that ties us to our audience and builds strong loyalty. Getting advice on my content from trusted folks has really helped me make my content and communication better.
Lastly, I am big on communities. I'm not one to watch from the sidelines; I'm right in there. I take part in events for angel investors, VCs, and fellow founders. It's about making connections, growing relationships, and making a mark in the venture community that lasts.
Question 4: What is that one opportunity that had a significant impact on your company's growth or direction?
Taking a community-first approach has truly been a game-changer for us at Odin. The way we've embraced and nurtured our community has not only shaped our growth trajectory but also steered the very course of our journey. We didn't just build a platform; we created an active community of potential angel investors, fostering a collaborative environment. This engagement wasn't just surface-level participation; it ran deep. Our users were not only engaged but also motivated to dive in and contribute actively.
Through this engagement, we uncovered the core challenges and needs that the venture community faced, offering us a powerful validation of the demand for a more accessible investment infrastructure.
This approach, where our community takes center stage, has been our secret ingredient to growth and success – an approach that values people over everything else.
Question 5: What part of your business are you most proud of? Why?
I find immense pride in our content strategy here at Odin. I firmly believe that crafting thoughtful and valuable content can truly make a difference in connecting with and engaging our target audience. By sharing insights and information that genuinely benefit our readers, our content has established Odin as a trusted resource and a respected authority. Our blog, in particular, stands out as a potent tool for reaching our audience and sharing invaluable insights.
Personally taking charge of most of the blog articles ensures that the content deeply resonates with our readers and reflects Odin's unique perspective. Moreover, nurturing and expanding our community holds a special place in my heart. The vibrant engagement within our community has played a pivotal role in understanding our audience's requirements, validating our ideas, and honing our product to better serve our users.
Collectively, these parts of our business fill me with pride, as they spotlight how Odin is actively cultivating meaningful relationships, sharing valuable insights, and making a positive impact on the investment community.
