Key insights

• 💭 Reflection on personal journey and the bigger mission behind entrepreneurship
• 🚀 IndieGoGo co-founder's journey from finance to starting the largest online funding platform
• 🎯 Lessons learned: know your 'why', it drives success and partnership; 'why' gets you out of your way, leading to innovation and pivots
• 🔥 Passionate pursuit of the 'why' can help overcome obstacles, inform strategy, attract talent, and engage customers
• 💡 IndieGoGo helped raise millions for innovative ideas
• 🌟 Understanding and defining core values and behaviors is crucial for a company's success
• 🏢 Building a strong company culture through intentional behaviors, measuring engagement and happiness, technology as a means to an end

Q&A

• What are the key elements in building a strong company culture?

  Key elements in building a strong company culture include intentional behaviors, measuring engagement and happiness, using technology as a tool for making change, the impact of meaningful problem-solving, and attracting people who think differently.

• How important is defining core values and behaviors for a company's success?

  Defining core values and behaviors is crucial for a company's success. It involves self-reflection, distillation of values, and operationalizing those values in hiring, operational processes, and reward systems. Revisiting and redefining behaviors as the company grows is essential for cultural alignment and success.

• What is the significance of the 'five why' exercise in identifying purpose?

  The 'five why' exercise helps entrepreneurs identify the deeper purpose of their company, guiding them to be intentional about the company culture, prioritize diversity, and seek team members with different perspectives for success.

• How did IndieGoGo's 'why' shape its impact as a global funding platform?

  IndieGoGo's 'why' led to the creation of an open platform, global presence, focus on customer happiness, diverse funding options, and the attraction of talented employees and customers who align with the company's mission and 'why'.

• What are the key lessons learned from the speaker's journey?

  The key lessons learned include the importance of knowing your 'why' for success and finding partners, adaptability and innovation driven by 'why', and the passionate pursuit of the 'why' to overcome obstacles, inform strategy, attract talent, and engage customers.

• What motivated the speaker to start IndieGoGo?

  The speaker was inspired by her parents' struggles as small business owners and her own experience in corporate finance. She was disillusioned by the inequality in opportunities and the challenge of accessing capital, which led her to venture into democratizing access to capital with IndieGoGo.

• 00:02 The speaker reflects on starting IndieGoGo, realizing the challenge of accessing capital, and being disillusioned by the inequality in opportunities. The journey began with her parents' struggles as small business owners and her experience in corporate finance.
• 04:55 IndieGoGo co-founder's journey from finance to starting the largest online funding platform. Lessons learned: know your 'why', it drives success and partnership; 'why' gets you out of your way, leading to innovation and pivots.
• 09:29 Passionate pursuit of the 'why' can help overcome obstacles, inform strategy, attract talent, and engage customers. Company's 'why' led to open platform, global presence, customer happiness focus, diverse funding options, talent attraction, and customer diversity.
• 14:02 IndieGoGo helped raise millions for innovative ideas. Use the 'five why' exercise to identify your purpose. Be intentional about your company culture, prioritize diversity, and seek team members with different perspectives for success.
• 18:26 Understanding and defining core values and behaviors is crucial for a company's success. It involves self-reflection, distillation of values, and operationalizing those values in hiring, operational processes, and reward systems.
• 23:07 Building a strong company culture through intentional behaviors, measuring engagement and happiness, technology as a means to an end, the impact of meaningful problem-solving, and the significance of building something important for the world.