Andrew Bialecki: Is Klaviyo the Most Under-Priced Public Company? | E1170

(instrumental music plays) In year one, we got to a couple thousand dollars in MRR. In year two, we got to a quarter of a million dollars in ARR. And then it wasn't until the end of year three that we got to a million dollars. We were, when we were building Klaviyo, venture firms had these kind of, you know, "We'll give you $20,000." And it's like, you know, no strings attached, no equity. We applied to two or three of these and not one accepted us.

Ready to go? (upbeat music plays) Andrew, I am so excited for this. You don't know this, but I'm like the biggest nerd on your business. Like, I think it is one of the most fascinating businesses in tech. So thank you so much for joining me today.

Awesome. Thanks for having me, Aaron.

I was thinking about how to make this show as different as possible. I think there's a lot of things in our early years which shape who we are today. What do you think was the most impactful thing in your early years that shaped you most that you maybe haven't shared before?

I'll say two things. One is, I remember I grew up on a, you know, kind of in the suburbs and on a, kind of a small street. And it's interesting. I think a lot about my parents both worked, and I was allowed to just roam around the neighborhood. And, you know, all I remember is there, there were no cell phones, so it was just kind of be home at 5:00 or 6:00. And you just had, like, total freedom. I remember my parents both work, went to, you know, school, uh, or went to work early, so we just walked, you know. By the time we were six or seven, we just walked ourselves to school, and we'd just hang out before the bell rang. So I think that kind of independence and just go, go explore things and figure things out, um, was awesome. And it's actually interesting. I wonder if that's something that we're gonna be able to carry forward to, you know, our kids or if that's, like, you know, allowed anymore.

Do you know what's really interesting, is that Norway is one of the only countries in the world where you are allowed to climb trees as children. And they are also some of the happiest children in the world, who learn the fastest. And there is, I think, a strong correlation between that 'cause you fall, get hurt, and realize the errors of your climbing ways and learn.

Yeah. Uh, we have the same thing. I'm used to, uh, you know, played, um, you know... Grew up in the northeastern part of the US, uh, in Boston. And, uh, we, you know, we played hockey during the, the, the winter. You know, my, a lot of my friends would freeze their backyards. And yeah, I mean, you, you know, you play somebody, you know, I don't know, you, you, w- wouldn't usually wear pads and stuff like that. And, uh, yeah, you just, I don't know, you figure things out, right? Lots of cuts and bruises and this kind of stuff and, yeah, they just figured it out.