A million users in three months. Then the hardest three months of his life.
Colin Hodge, author of Outrageous Startup Growth, walked away from Microsoft and spent the next decade learning how to build a truly sustainable business — reaching a total of 100 million users in his career. But in between came an App Store ban, a major lawsuit, a co-founder's burnout, and a 3 AM breakdown that put his resilience to the test.
In this episode, you will learn:
- Why understanding people beats better technology
- How to build empathy without becoming “soft”
- The Method Mindset technique for thinking like your customers
- How to grow through adversity and burnout
- Why removing all friction from your product can backfire
- The bias that shows up in nearly every negotiation
- How to keep your work human in the age of AI
Topics discussed:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:51) Tech Isn’t Everything
(02:24) Why He Left Microsoft
(09:23) The Taboo Founder Trait
(11:02) The Method Mindset Technique
(15:38) When Your People Burn Out
(19:54) Empathy Without Going Soft
(21:37) Bang with Friends Origin Story
(26:07) 1M Users in Three Months
(30:04) Banned By Apple & Sued By Zynga
(32:47) Surviving Rock Bottom
(37:51) Sustainable Growth
(41:00) Good Friction vs. Bad Friction
(47:26) The Bias That Saves Thousands
Connect with Colin Hodge:
https://linkedin.com/in/ckbhodge
https://colinhodge.substack.com
https://instagram.com/ckbhodge
https://facebook.com/colin.hodge
Resources Mentioned:
Outrageous Startup Growth: Uncovering the Secrets of User Psychology to Scale Your Success by Colin Hodge
About the Guest:
Colin Hodge is a startup founder and national bestselling author who has led companies and growth teams responsible for over 100 million users.
He currently is co-owner of DOWN, a top 10 dating app in the US with millions in annual revenue – built on the growth principles and lessons shared in this book.
He achieved a successful exit for DOWN (then later reacquiring it) and 17Live, the top live-streaming video company in Asia. While chief growth officer at 17Live, Colin led data-driven initiatives in growth, global expansion, and marketing, then launched the platform in the United States as the first US CEO.
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