Tools

Search

Explore

Videos Channels Figures

Atmrix

About

Tools

Search

Explore

Videos Channels Figures

Atmrix

About

KD

Kalam Dennis

12/15/18

@ Y Combinator

We never considered warehousing furniture because we believed it would cap our growth potential.

Video

YC

Starting a Startup After Business School - Reham Fagiri and Kalam Dennis of AptDeco

@ Y Combinator

Starting a Startup After Business School - Reham Fagiri and Kalam Dennis of AptDeco

12/15/18

Related Takeaways

RF

Reham Fagiri

12/15/18

@ Y Combinator

We were not traditional founders; we came from corporate backgrounds and were inspired by companies like Airbnb to create a practical solution for furniture sales.

AP

Avni Patel Thompson

01/31/19

@ Y Combinator

Even though we had a solid growth rate, it wasn't enough to sustain the business, leading me to consider shutting it down.

DM

Danielle Morrill

02/24/15

@ Y Combinator

We had a beautiful growth graph, but we realized we were running a business with only a 5% margin, which isn't sustainable for a software company.

AC

Adora Cheung

07/31/14

@ Y Combinator

We realized that to grow our business, we needed to raise capital, as we had no money in the bank after three years of operation, and we didn't want to remain a lifestyle business.

AL

Alfred Lin

07/31/14

@ Y Combinator

We were often surprised by the lack of investor interest, especially given the size of the market and the potential for e-commerce.

BC

Brian Chesky

06/02/24

@ The Social Radars Podcast

I never aimed for profitability; I aimed for efficiency. We kept our headcount flat and focused on creating a fun work environment, which allowed us to move quickly and effectively.

SB

Steve Ballmer

06/02/25

@ Acquired

We got caught in the mindset of being just a platform company, which limited our ability to innovate and adapt to new market demands.

RF

Reham Fagiri

12/15/18

@ Y Combinator

We started AptDeco out of our own frustration with selling furniture on Craigslist, realizing there was a big opportunity for improvement.

MT

Michael Truell

05/01/25

@ Lenny's Podcast

Initially, we hired too slowly, which contributed to our rapid growth from $0 to $100 million ARR in just a year and a half.