The Driving Force of a Startup's Success with Aydin Mirzaee @ Fellow.app - Escape Velocity Show #50

About this video

Dan Martell interviews Aydin, founder of Fellow.app and previously FluidSurveys, which he built for six and a half years before selling to SurveyMonkey and staying just over two years. He started Fellow in February 2017. Fellow helps managers and teams collaborate on agendas, prepare for one-on-ones and team meetings, track action items, and keep private notes. Aydin argues 10x individual contributors do not exist; the 10x effect comes from well-orchestrated teams led by managers acting as coaches who understand each person. He cites a study of a thousand star analysts who took up to five years to regain star status after moving alone, but not when they moved with their team, and says 70% of employee engagement is directly correlated to who your manager is. He describes co-developing Fellow with Shopify, growing there from 15 people to 100, then 200, then 400, Shopify’s feedback culture, raising 6 and 1/2 million US dollars led by Inovia with Felicis participating, and a freemium, per-user-per-month pricing model similar to Slack.

Key takeaways

• Aydin claims 10x individual contributors do not exist; great managers create the 10x effect by orchestrating teams so strengths cover weaknesses
• Managers are coaches who must understand each person individually — strengths, weaknesses, and what makes them tick — to help the team gel
• Fellow structures recurring meetings with shared agendas, preparation, and action items carried forward so nothing discussed is lost
• Aydin says 70% of employee engagement is directly correlated to the direct manager, and people leave managers, not companies
• Fellow was bootstrapped initially, co-developed with Shopify, and later raised 6 and 1/2 million US dollars led by Inovia with Felicis participating

Episode details: published March 25, 2021 · 41:29 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dan Martell’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

← Previous: How To Create a Limited-Time Offer To Boost Cash (5 Key Strategies for SaaS) · Next: 5 Strategic Steps To Shorten The Sales Cycle for Enterprise Clients →

All Dan Martell videos · Dan Martell profile · Dan Martell (official site)