There’s a saying in the startup world, first popularized by Twitch’s Justin Kan: “First time founders are obsessed with product. Second time founders are obsessed with distribution.” Product is still the be-all and end-all, of course; there’s no substitute for a 10x product. But Kan is right: nailing distribution is fundamental to startup success. Without it, you’re left with a product that won’t grow. To bring back a Paul Graham quote I’ve used before:

“A startup is a company designed to grow fast. Being newly founded does not in itself make a company a startup. Nor is it necessary for a startup to work on technology, or take venture funding, or have some sort of ‘exit.’ The only essential thing is growth. Everything else we associate with startups follows from growth.”

When we first launched our TikTok, we fell into the same trap of doing what we’ve always done and not really adapting to what people expect from content on the platform. Most of our content was product-driven or specifically about learning a language and didn’t really establish a connection with our audience. The reality is people wanted to be entertained, not sold to—and it took us failing to learn that.