We prioritize a scrappy approach to marketing, often shifting our budget based on where advertising costs are most effective, allowing us to operate efficiently across various markets.

Our advertising business has grown significantly, from 40 million AR in ad revenue last year to over 200 million AR this year, indicating strong market demand.

We chose not to spend money on marketing but focused on public relations, which resulted in significant media coverage, including an article in the Wall Street Journal.

In the early days, we invested heavily in sales and marketing, but now we increase our R&D spending by 50% a year to improve our product.

Last year, our gross ticket sales reached $1 billion, but that only represents 30% of our business; the other 70% comes from free events, which drive growth through a cycle where attendees become organizers.

Our revenue primarily comes from advertising and a small amount from transaction fees, as we focus on building a large user base of small businesses.

Advertising often works through costly signaling, where the investment in marketing reflects confidence in a product's long-term appeal.

The internet allows small businesses to gain a marketing advantage without a lot of money, enabling them to grow without needing to buy ads.

Many founders mistakenly believe that spending on marketing, especially through ads, will guarantee growth, but this often leads to wasted resources without learning valuable lessons.