00052. How Andrea Loubier Co-Founded Mailbird and Built an Email Software Empire from the Tropical Island of Bali

10/25/19 • 58 min

On today's episode of Gritty Founder, Andrea Loubier talks about how she built and grew Mailbird. Andrea shares valuable advice on finding cofounders, running a remote company, and creating work-life balance.

Andrea Loubier is the CEO of Mailbird and among the top tech leaders in Southeast Asia. She's passionate about the future of work, building a healthy relationship with technology.

Some Questions Andrea Answers:

How did you come up with the idea for Mailbird? (10:47)
- What’s the biggest change to the product since you started? (13:43)
- How did you meet your cofounders and decide to build a company together? (14:40)
- What do you think is the most important ingredient for a founder? (20:39)
- When did you realize you were gritty? (22:18)
- Do you think grittiness and determination are in someone’s DNA or can they be developed? (23:02)
- If you could go back in time to when you just started Mailbird, what advice would you give yourself? (27:46)
- What is the entrepreneurial ecosystem like in Bali? (31:07)
- How do you manage work-life balance? (35:42)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Andrea’s background and how she became an entrepreneur (4:21)
- How Andrea started Mailbird (10:56)
- Advice when looking for cofounders (18:32)
- The importance of determination and finding a way to make it happen no matter what (20:51)
- Do the necessary research before executing (28:02)
- The importance of learning when to say no to things (28:44)
- Advice on prioritization and work-life balance, especially when working remotely (29:15)
- Tips on running a remote company (42:00)
- There are times when you need to make decisions based on a gut feeling and not just data (43:26)
- The importance of team culture and advice for hiring (45:57)

Connect with Andrea Loubier:

Twitter
Mailbird

Also Mentioned on This Show...

Andrea’s favorite quote:
“Balance is the ultimate goal.”

Andrea’s book recommendation:
Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

Andrea Loubier is the CEO of Mailbird and among the top tech leaders in Southeast Asia. She's passionate about the future of work, building a healthy relationship with technology.

Some Questions Andrea Answers:

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Connect with Andrea Loubier:

Twitter
Mailbird

Also Mentioned on This Show...

Andrea’s favorite quote:
“Balance is the ultimate goal.”

Andrea’s book recommendation:
Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

Previous Episode

00051. How Greg Mercer Ditched His Dream Job to Build Jungle Scout and All His Entrepreneurial Lessons in Between

On today's episode of Gritty Founder, Greg Mercer talks about how he built and grew Jungle Scout. Greg shares valuable advice on building a product, as well as tips for those interested in becoming Amazon sellers.

Greg Mercer is the Founder and CEO of Jungle Scout, the leading software for Amazon sellers. Greg is a leader in the Amazon selling community, who built Jungle Scout from a Chrome extension into a robust suite of SaaS solutions. Greg is a graduate of Auburn University who loves big data, coffee, and traveling the world with his wife, Elizabeth.

Some Questions Greg Answers:

What does selling on Amazon mean, and how do people make money? (13:04)
- How do you get started selling on Amazon, and where does Jungle Scout come in? (15:30)
- What is the most success you’ve had selling on Amazon, and what was the product? (19:48)
- If someone was gettings started today on Amazon, what do they need to learn or be good at? (21:54)
- What do you think is the most important ingredient for a founder who is starting out today? (34:42)
- What kind of company might disrupt Amazon? (46:04)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Greg’s background and how he became an entrepreneur (4:23)
- How Greg got started selling on Amazon (13:16)
- Why and how Greg started Jungle Scout (15:47)
- Decrease the scope and increase the simplicity of your project (34:51)
- Don’t take no for an answer (36:10)
- How Greg initially promoted Jungle Scout (38:40)
- Why Greg thinks social proof is becoming more important than brands (43:31)

Connect with Greg Mercer:

Twitter

Personal Website
Jungle Scout

Also Mentioned on This Show...

Greg’s favorite quote:
“The reality is great highs, terrible lows and unrelenting stress. Don't think people want to hear about the last two.” ―Elon Musk

Greg’s book recommendation:
Radical Candor by Kim Scott

More resources
The Million Dollar Case Study

Next Episode

00053. How Former US Marine Anthony Vennare Built Fitt, the Discovery Platform for Health and Fitness Experiences

On today's episode of Gritty Founder, Anthony Vennare talks about how he built Fitt. Anthony shares terrific advice on staying focused and true to your mission as well as tips for building a business in the fitness space.

A 2018 honoree of Forbes 30 Under 30 and United States Marine, Anthony is a sales- and product-driven CEO who has closed $10M-plus in partnerships and successfully exited a media startup.

Some Questions Anthony Answers:

What went wrong with your first business and what would you have done differently? (13:08)
- Do you have any specific advice for entrepreneurs in the fitness business? (16:16)
- Who are your biggest competitors? (20:13)
- What are you focused on right now in terms of growing the business? (21:59)
- What have you found that motivates people to live a healthy lifestyle? (23:23)
- Did you make any mistakes when raising capital that you would change if you could go back? (23:02)
- How do you take care of your health and wellness as an entrepreneur? (38:35)
- If you could go back in time before you just started Fitt, what advice would you tell yourself? (45:25)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Anthony’s background and how he became an entrepreneur (4:19)
- About Fitt (10:41)
- Lessons Anthony learned from the first gym he opened with his brother (13:08)
- Don’t rush what you’re doing, and don’t compare what you’re doing to overnight success stories (15:29)
- Your passion isn’t enough to build a business on (16:29)
- Focus on what you do best and what you do better than anyone else (17:00)
- Advice on raising capital (28:08)
- The importance of having a fitness/health accountability partner or group (38:59)
- Trust your gut and don’t get distracted by what’s going on around you (45:37)