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About

AM

Andrew Mason

10/15/14

@ Y Combinator

In the early days, we generated Groupon vouchers using a FileMaker app, which was a makeshift solution that involved exporting data and emailing vouchers manually.

Video

YC

Andrew Mason at Startup School SV 2014

@ Y Combinator

10/15/14

Related Takeaways

AM

Andrew Mason

10/15/14

@ Y Combinator

The idea for Groupon emerged from recognizing that group buying was a viable business model, especially since people were already attempting group purchasing campaigns through 'The Point'.

AM

Andrew Mason

10/15/14

@ Y Combinator

When we launched Groupon, we started with a two-for-one pizza deal at a local bar called Motel Bar, which was a simple way to test the market's interest.

IV

Ilya Volodarsky

08/01/19

@ Y Combinator

In the early days, we used Google Sheets as a CRM and relied on email for communication, avoiding expensive tools like Asana or Trello.

OG

Ooshma Garg

09/08/18

@ Y Combinator

In the early days, I used email to experiment with pricing by sending different offers to customers, which helped us find the best price for our market.

AM

Andrew Mason

10/15/14

@ Y Combinator

After a couple of weeks, it became clear that we were onto something significant with Groupon, and we began making projections about its potential growth.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

06/20/14

@ Y Combinator

We initially tried various methods like mental tabs and spreadsheets, but they were cumbersome. Even using Venmo felt silly for small amounts exchanged frequently.

AM

Andrew Mason

10/15/14

@ Y Combinator

We launched 'The Point' in September 2006, but after floundering for about a year, we pivoted to create Groupon.

BS

Ben Silbermann

11/09/16

@ Y Combinator

Our first idea was to create an app that digitized catalogs, which we called Tote, but it faced challenges in development and approval.

OG

Ooshma Garg

04/19/16

@ Y Combinator

I manually promoted Gobble by distributing coupons in coffee shops and personally following up with new customers to encourage repeat orders.