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SpotHero's Mark Lawrence on Building a Marketplace Business, Meditation, & Why If It's Not a Fuck Yes, It's a Fuck No
Mark Lawrence is the CEO and Co-Founder of SpotHero, an on-demand parking app and website that makes drivers’ lives easier by helping them find and reserve a parking for up to 50% off. Mark along with his co-founders started the company after managing to rack up thousands of dollars in parking tickets. SpotHero is now one of Chicago's bigger consumer startup success stories. They raised $20 million in Series B funding last year, are in 15 cities, and have a team of 120 now.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
- Why he and his co-founders started SpotHero
- How the product has evolved from the initial idea
- How they got their first customers
- What was going through his head when competitors were raising massive rounds
- Keys to growing a marketplace business
- How SpotHero approaches launching in a new city
- Why "If it's not a fuck yes, it's a fuck no" when hiring
- The benefits of meditation and floatation tanks
- Keys to keeping the culture as company grows
Selected Links From The Episode:
- TechNexus
- Ezra Galston, VC at Chicago Ventures
Favorite Books:
- Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time by Howard Schultz
- Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way by Richard Branson
- The Virgin Way: If It's Not Fun, It's Not Worth Doing by Richard Branson
- Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman
- Shogun by James Clavell
Sponsored By:
- Propllr: a Chicago public relations firm that helps startups and innovators build credibility and awareness for their companies, people, products and services.
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By Colin Keeley
4.9
8686 ratings
Mark Lawrence is the CEO and Co-Founder of SpotHero, an on-demand parking app and website that makes drivers’ lives easier by helping them find and reserve a parking for up to 50% off. Mark along with his co-founders started the company after managing to rack up thousands of dollars in parking tickets. SpotHero is now one of Chicago's bigger consumer startup success stories. They raised $20 million in Series B funding last year, are in 15 cities, and have a team of 120 now.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
- Why he and his co-founders started SpotHero
- How the product has evolved from the initial idea
- How they got their first customers
- What was going through his head when competitors were raising massive rounds
- Keys to growing a marketplace business
- How SpotHero approaches launching in a new city
- Why "If it's not a fuck yes, it's a fuck no" when hiring
- The benefits of meditation and floatation tanks
- Keys to keeping the culture as company grows
Selected Links From The Episode:
- TechNexus
- Ezra Galston, VC at Chicago Ventures
Favorite Books:
- Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time by Howard Schultz
- Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way by Richard Branson
- The Virgin Way: If It's Not Fun, It's Not Worth Doing by Richard Branson
- Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman
- Shogun by James Clavell
Sponsored By:
- Propllr: a Chicago public relations firm that helps startups and innovators build credibility and awareness for their companies, people, products and services.