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Aug 25, 2025 · 1h 19m, Episode 759

(July 2021) Ben Chestnut: From Side Business to $12 Billion – The Accidental Triumph of Mailchimp

From How I Built This with Guy Raz

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In 2001, three web designers built a quirky email tool called Mailchimp. It wasn’t their main business. It wasn’t even meant to make real money. For years, Ben Chestnut and his partners survived on web-design gigs, while Mailchimp earned just enough to cover lunch. Then…one surprising spreadsheet changed everything. In this episode, Ben reveals: The decision that tripled their revenue overnightHow a mispronunciation on the world's biggest podcast turned into a marketing masterstrokeHow a painful wake-up call about leadership reshaped the company’s culture Lis...

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