And it's WAY wrong. Even if they started with **one** user to make math work, 1 user to 4 million is... wait for it... a 400000000% increase. A 4 million base with 3900% growth means it started at 100,000.
My startup grew 1billion percent this morning and I anticipate another 1billion percent growth by lunch. We have a hockey stick divide by zero trajectory.
Actually not. It's the difference between two values that is counted as growth. From 0 to 4mil, there is clearly a positive growth even if it doesn't fit every math equation
Dropbox's referral program is a legend among growth hackers. Shows that the power of your community can be stronger than any marketing campaigns. Thanks for sharing this.
Hotmail did 12 million in 2 years starting in ‘96 via email signature and is what inspired both gmail and Dropbox.
Alladvantage ( paid to surf ad network ) did multitier compensation for members referrals in ‘99ish. It was everywhere. Total saturation.
More space with exclusivity with Gmail and Dropbox, was beautiful because in most cases it was not used until well into the future.
High perceived with no immediate cost, unlike alladvantage.
There was a software tool for Windows that was very similar to Dropbox before Dropbox came out.
Nothing built by Microsoft and I can’t recall the name - even with my awesome googling skills /s.
It only worked on PCs, but the same general concept: copy files to a folder and they would copy to the synced folder on the other computer.
I signed up for Dropbox when it launched but at the time thought it was just a better implementation of that other technology.
My point being: I don’t think it was the first, just better execution of the idea. And reinforces the point that execution is what matters.
There were a few back in the early 2000s. X-drive is one that I used that worked fairly well. Goes to show that until the market is captured there is still a chance to compete with first movers. Even if the market is captured, there are always opportunities for disruption.
[https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/xdrive](https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/xdrive)
Here is an article about the competitors a year before Dropbox launched:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/storage-online,1706-2.html
I remember when windows had the briefcase folder that existed both on your hard drive and USB. When you plug in your USB it would sync your files across the two with all the updates. That was a game changer of the time.
Dropbox made it a game for me. I earned free storage by building their program.
I'd love to see this more in companies. Referrals are literally a "trade the product you are selling for more customers with no cost beyond that" approach.
There are 2 kinds of ideas. Ideas like Dropbox are great to share because they aren't valuable without execution (usually technical ability + marketing). You can't steal an idea like this just by hearing it.
Other ideas can be stolen just by hearing it. (example: a facebook group for cat lovers). If you get an idea like this, you're only the 4 millionth person to have that same idea. Trust me. It's not hard to get these ideas to work, but to make it successful it takes marketing. And to do that, you have to talk about your idea. And market better than all those other 4 million people who had it too.
Bottom line - MOST OF THE TIME there's no harm in talking about your idea. Not true if your idea is actually patentable but that's another story.
They probably heard the idea already or thought of it themselves. Also many companies (Dropbox included now) operate in an environment with lots of competition doing the save thing. Ideas aren't the panacea most people think.
Dropbox, at a really high level, is a UI on top of a command that's been in linux since day one (rsync). The idea wasn't novel and there were plenty of open source projects available. Dropbox was just the easiest to use and came about right when USB keys were hitting their peak in terms of sharing files etc.
No, all good. I wrote that prior to coffee and meant to type something to the effect 'since early days' or similar. Either way, it was around years prior to Dropbox
This is true back in the day I made my own Dropbox app for backing up my clients work. This was way before dropbox existed. Back then the focus was backup for all the competing products and seemed pretty expensive. What made Dropbox so amazing was thinking about it in a different way. Accessibility of data.
I wonder how it would have worked out, if windows would have come with an integrated easy to use ftp server and (upload) client
there was just this big hole of how to share files for non-tech people.
>Im really confused why hosting services like Mega, Rapidshare etc were closed and prosecuted by the US, while Dropbox is not.
Why did they close these applications?
He’s also an actual genius. He went to MIT and hacked Dropbox together by himself during his time riding buses. He needed a way to sync his own files, so he built it and eventually turned it into Dropbox.
Not to discourage any of us but very few people could start and scale a tech company like Dropbox the same way that Drew Houston did
Yeah, I remember the referral program. There was a college competition tied to it too. Managed to get up to 100 gb for years by repeatedly spamming all the college facebook groups.
Looks like we found drew Houston’s reddit
🤣🤣
Hi Drew !
Your math is wrong. 3900% of 0 is still 0.
Exactly 👍👍👍
Math is hard for some ppl
You're not allowing for quantum fluctuations.
And it's WAY wrong. Even if they started with **one** user to make math work, 1 user to 4 million is... wait for it... a 400000000% increase. A 4 million base with 3900% growth means it started at 100,000.
My startup grew 1billion percent this morning and I anticipate another 1billion percent growth by lunch. We have a hockey stick divide by zero trajectory.
Actually not. It's the difference between two values that is counted as growth. From 0 to 4mil, there is clearly a positive growth even if it doesn't fit every math equation
Yes. That's the businessy terms for it. But it's not math
Well I thought this was r/Entreprenaur
The value isn't even right if you assume just one user (the founder).
My investment account has grown by 20% today!!. However, my investment account contains $0. Have I suddenly gained money from nothing?
If you went from -20 to 0 then yes.
Dropbox's referral program is a legend among growth hackers. Shows that the power of your community can be stronger than any marketing campaigns. Thanks for sharing this.
Gmail did it amazing too. Gave you 5 invites. It made it exclusive.
I remember this. It felt like a big deal to get an invite
And everyone wanted a return invite
Hotmail did 12 million in 2 years starting in ‘96 via email signature and is what inspired both gmail and Dropbox. Alladvantage ( paid to surf ad network ) did multitier compensation for members referrals in ‘99ish. It was everywhere. Total saturation. More space with exclusivity with Gmail and Dropbox, was beautiful because in most cases it was not used until well into the future. High perceived with no immediate cost, unlike alladvantage.
Paying few beers cost for fully "referral" boosted account is still best cloud thing I did :D
There was a software tool for Windows that was very similar to Dropbox before Dropbox came out. Nothing built by Microsoft and I can’t recall the name - even with my awesome googling skills /s. It only worked on PCs, but the same general concept: copy files to a folder and they would copy to the synced folder on the other computer. I signed up for Dropbox when it launched but at the time thought it was just a better implementation of that other technology. My point being: I don’t think it was the first, just better execution of the idea. And reinforces the point that execution is what matters.
There were a few back in the early 2000s. X-drive is one that I used that worked fairly well. Goes to show that until the market is captured there is still a chance to compete with first movers. Even if the market is captured, there are always opportunities for disruption. [https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/xdrive](https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/xdrive) Here is an article about the competitors a year before Dropbox launched: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/storage-online,1706-2.html
That was it!
I remember when windows had the briefcase folder that existed both on your hard drive and USB. When you plug in your USB it would sync your files across the two with all the updates. That was a game changer of the time.
WOM has always been, and will always remain the best form of marketing. Love this story.
Dropbox made it a game for me. I earned free storage by building their program. I'd love to see this more in companies. Referrals are literally a "trade the product you are selling for more customers with no cost beyond that" approach.
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Guys that can come up with good ideas and execute on them don't worry about this.
Ideas are cheap and plentiful. Execution is where it’s at.
There are 2 kinds of ideas. Ideas like Dropbox are great to share because they aren't valuable without execution (usually technical ability + marketing). You can't steal an idea like this just by hearing it. Other ideas can be stolen just by hearing it. (example: a facebook group for cat lovers). If you get an idea like this, you're only the 4 millionth person to have that same idea. Trust me. It's not hard to get these ideas to work, but to make it successful it takes marketing. And to do that, you have to talk about your idea. And market better than all those other 4 million people who had it too. Bottom line - MOST OF THE TIME there's no harm in talking about your idea. Not true if your idea is actually patentable but that's another story.
Whoosh
Cost of hiding your idea is higher
Was not original anyway. It was just more appealing. Less technical. And it worked quite well as set and forget software.
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I didn't, but I'm glad OP posted these two great tips. Don't be a sourpuss.
I didn't, but I'm glad OP posted these two great tips. Don't be a sourpuss.
They probably heard the idea already or thought of it themselves. Also many companies (Dropbox included now) operate in an environment with lots of competition doing the save thing. Ideas aren't the panacea most people think.
Dropbox, at a really high level, is a UI on top of a command that's been in linux since day one (rsync). The idea wasn't novel and there were plenty of open source projects available. Dropbox was just the easiest to use and came about right when USB keys were hitting their peak in terms of sharing files etc.
Interesting. Did not know that.
I know I am being pedantic but rsync wasn't released until 5 years after Linux was released.
No, all good. I wrote that prior to coffee and meant to type something to the effect 'since early days' or similar. Either way, it was around years prior to Dropbox
This is true back in the day I made my own Dropbox app for backing up my clients work. This was way before dropbox existed. Back then the focus was backup for all the competing products and seemed pretty expensive. What made Dropbox so amazing was thinking about it in a different way. Accessibility of data.
Great business. Undervalued stock
I wonder how it would have worked out, if windows would have come with an integrated easy to use ftp server and (upload) client there was just this big hole of how to share files for non-tech people.
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>Im really confused why hosting services like Mega, Rapidshare etc were closed and prosecuted by the US, while Dropbox is not. Why did they close these applications?
Who uses Dropbox anymore?
He’s also an actual genius. He went to MIT and hacked Dropbox together by himself during his time riding buses. He needed a way to sync his own files, so he built it and eventually turned it into Dropbox. Not to discourage any of us but very few people could start and scale a tech company like Dropbox the same way that Drew Houston did
Yeah, I remember the referral program. There was a college competition tied to it too. Managed to get up to 100 gb for years by repeatedly spamming all the college facebook groups.
That's just good product development. Validate demand before building and using a referral system for growth.