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Bootstrapping a social networking powerhouse with 50 million users
by
Carolyn
https://www.sramanamitra.com/2011/06/10/bootstrapping-a-latin-american-social-networking-powerhouse-with-50-million-users-sonico-ceo-rodrigo-teijeiro-part-2/
The article is from 2011. Sonico is now defunct: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonico.com
Python is the best language I like
Such a cool story. I mean $ 8 billion from a calling card business?! It's definitely worth reading all 7 parts of this story. Also, it got me thinking: his business currently has a 46% profit margin - is this not huge? What kind of margins are Indie Hackers here aspiring for?
I'm glad you liked the story, I really liked it too - this guy seems like an absolute genius! The only thing about relying on advice from founders who achieved success a few years ago is that the online environment changes so so quickly. Of course, there will be generally-applicable business advice that will apply to businesses in almost any context, but you have to be careful when you rely on marketing advice especially, I think because the things he describes worked for him are much harder to achieve today (in my opinion). I doubt following his exact same approach in today's context would reap the same rewards.
"One day while my girlfriend was in Buenos Aires on a trip, she called me collect. That cost me $120. This was in 2002 and that figure really hit me. I had to either change girlfriends or I had to find a new way to communicate." <-- Haha, one of the coolest examples of how a founder came up with the problem they wanted to solve I've ever read about.