The video for this talk from Business of Software Conference Europe 2019 will be published here soon: http://businessofsoftware.org/videos

1. Introduction
to Mixcloud
Bootstrapping to
20 Million Monthly Active Users
MAT CLAYTON

2. A global community of 1.4 million
audio creators and 20 million listeners
Unique collection of over 15 million
radio shows, DJ mixes and podcasts
WHAT IS MIXCLOUD?

3. Bootstrapping
The minimalistic business culture approach to starting a
company – which is characterized by extreme sparseness
and simplicity.

4. HUSTLE, HUSTLE, HUSTLE
Be prepared for blood, sweat and tears,
every single day
It was worth every single moment,
10 years in, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

5. Why bootstrap a company when every
competitor has $400M+ in funding?
SoundCloud - $450M
Deezer - $531M
Pandora - $750M
Spotify - $2.6B
Apple / Amazon / Google / YouTube - Unknown

6. COMPANY BEHAVIOURS, WHAT DO WE THINK WORKED?
WE HAD VERY FEW ADVANTAGES, IF ANY

7. COMPANY BEHAVIOURS, WHAT DO WE THINK WORKED?
WE HAD VERY FEW ADVANTAGES, IF ANY
Iterated, evolved
and learned faster

8. COMPANY BEHAVIOURS, WHAT DO WE THINK WORKED?
WE HAD VERY FEW ADVANTAGES, IF ANY
Iterated, evolved
and learned faster
Stayed lean and optimised
in ways others couldn’t

9. COMPANY BEHAVIOURS, WHAT DO WE THINK WORKED?
WE HAD VERY FEW ADVANTAGES, IF ANY
Iterated, evolved
and learned faster
Stayed lean and optimised
in ways others couldn’t
We had nothing to lose,
We took bets others wouldn’t

10. Iterated, evolved and learned faster

11. ITERATION
“Move fast. Speed is one of your main
advantages over large competitors.”
“The number one predictor of success for a
startup: rate of iteration”
Sam Altman, President of YCombinator

12. Stayed lean and optimised
in ways others couldn’t

13. We had nothing to lose,
we took bets others wouldn’t

14. In order to achieve those company behaviours,
we need to talk about the people they are comprised of
People create high performing teams

15. Let’s start with some principles about
high performing teams

18. Forming Storming Norming Performing

19. Forming Storming Norming Performing
Excitement
But people haven’t
fully understood
what the team will do

20. Forming Storming Norming Performing
Excitement
But people haven’t
fully understood
what the team will do
Lack of clear
processes and roles
Conflict and
frustration
This is where many
teams fail

21. Forming Storming Norming Performing
Excitement
But people haven’t
fully understood
what the team will do
Appreciate
colleagues’ strengths
Open to providing
constructive
feedback
Good progress
towards team goals
Lack of clear
processes and roles
Conflict and
frustration
This is where many
teams fail

22. Forming Storming Norming Performing
Excitement
But people haven’t
fully understood
what the team will do
Appreciate
colleagues’ strengths
Open to providing
constructive
feedback
Good progress
towards team goals
Lack of clear
processes and roles
Conflict and
frustration
This is where many
teams fail
Achieve team goals
without friction
Structures and
processes support
this well
Feels easy to be part
of the team
People joining/
leaving don’t disrupt
performance

23. PRINCIPLE ONE
Ensure everyone is capable, motivated and
aligned

24. Are they talented?
Are they better and brighter than you?
Is something else going on outside of work?

25. OUR PURPOSE, MISSION, VISION
Purpose.
To amplify culture
through audio.
Mission.
To enable 100,000 audio
creators to take control and
meaningfully monetize their
communities of fans.
Vision.
A world where anybody can
listen deeply, create sustainably
and connect passionately.
The reason
we exist.
What we’ll
accomplish.
What the future
will look like.

26. Does everyone believe in the
Vision / Purpose?

27. Does everyone believe
in the current Mission?

28. Do they agree how to execute
on the Mission?
We’ve struggled with this

29. PRINCIPLE TWO
Behaviours drive high performance,
not motivation alone.

30. Communicate as a team
not as a group of
individuals
1

31. Challenge yourself, safely2

32. Bring optimism and
enthusiasm3

33. Relentlessly focus on outcomes,
not output, process or perfection
WARREN BUFFETT
4

34. “A good plan violently
executed today is better than
a perfect plan tomorrow.”
General George S Patton

35. Take responsibility5

36. Focus on the speed of
learning
Always ask what did we
learn?
6

37. Build the tallest freestanding
structure from a marshmallow and
spaghetti

38. WE NEED TO START MAKING NEW MISTAKES
WE CAN’T KEEP REHASHING OLD MISTAKES

39. If you can build these 6 behaviours
into the people in your business,
you’ll start to see the team perform,
and hopefully this will maximise
your odds of survival and success
IN CONCLUSION

40. Thanks
for listening
MAT@MIXCLOUD.COM