My Next Adventure

Hey guys. Today is my last day in an operating role here at WordStream.

You can sign up for updates on my next adventure here.

It's pretty bittersweet.

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

What a Journey It's Been!

I'm super proud that WordStream has gotten as big as it has. The company that I founded has gone so much further than I originally envisioned.

It all started a decade ago. I quit my day job, set up the WordStream "office" in a bakery, and began pursuing my crazy startup dream. I wanted to build a successful company and make a name for myself.

Along the way, I experienced huge challenges. It was touch and go at times, especially in the beginning. The first year or two were the most challenging.

I've also enjoyed many amazing personal and company milestones.

One customer has become thousands. Monthly losses have turned into profit. One guy working alone at an "office" (a.k.a., Panera Bread) is now a company that employs more than 200 people and manages nearly a Billion dollars of ad spend across approximately ten thousand customers worldwide.

And along the way I’ve gotten to meet so many great people in the in the marketing and start-up communities, across the World!

What's This Mean for WordStream?

WordStream is doing fantastically well right now. The company is profitable and on a strong and predictable trajectory of growth for the foreseeable future.

The WordStream software is really far along – and there's an exciting roadmap ahead.

The future has never been stronger. I'm leaving WordStream while it's in a really great spot. 

What's Next for Me?

So what am I doing next? Well, my next adventure will be building a new startup in the mobile space – and I plan to run it as CEO this time around.

Basically, a decade ago when I was just starting down this path, I was in my late 20’s. I was pitching investors who didn’t seem that interested in throwing millions at an unproven recent college graduate.

One of the ways I addressed this concern was to tell investors I would focus on the product and marketing side and find a suitable leader to the run the business side. Adult supervision, if you will.

I have no doubt that was the right decision at the time. When you're starting one of these ventures you truly don't know what you don't know.

It's cool that I became known for being an Internet marketer, but that was never my goal. Marketing is just something I fell into by accident.

My original background is in product and engineering. I need to get back to doing that. Focusing on creating new and innovative products for people.

I've learned a lot over last decade and appreciate all the learnings and experiences I've gained working with the fantastic WordStream executive team. 

Let's Do This!

I'm an early stage startup type of guy. WordStream is definitely well past this stage.

So it's time to see if I can do this again. I'm excited and ready to come out with something really interesting and bring it to market. Who knows, maybe I'll even end up taking this one public!

Starting up a second company is kind of like having a second kid (not that I'm planning to at the moment!). The first time around, you really don't know what you're doing. But everything you learn makes it that much easier the second time around.

Because my focus will be on bringing a new product to market that will mean some changes for me. Less writing. Fewer Twitter updates. And I'll be reducing my number of conference speaking engagements. 

All of these things are luxuries when you have a fantastic team in place and a great product to sell.

Speaking of products, what is this secret product I'm working on?

I can't tell you what it's all about yet. But there's a secret beta signup for email notifications for every new development. Would love to keep in touch!

I Need Your Help!

WordStream has been my day-to-day focus for the last decade. I'm feeling a little bit uncomfortable leaving something that has become very comfortable for me.

I'm going from situation where I have thousands of customers, hundreds of employees, millions of dollars in marketing budget, an email list of millions of marketers, and 1.2 million monthly visitors to the WordStream blog.

Now it's back to square one. We have around 35 customers and I'm bootstrapping the company with just my personal savings.

So I need your help. If I've ever been helpful to you in your career or during the last decade, there are three ways I'd appreciate your support:

1. Keep in touch. Let's keep our conversations going. One way you can do that is to sign up for my updates. A lot of the other channels will be changing or shutting off (such as my WordStream email).
2.  Join me. If you're looking for your next challenge, I'm looking to hire people who can do software engineering, marketing, customer service, business development, sales, product management, and so on. Please drop me a line through LinkedIn – I'd love to see if there's a fit.
3.  Introductions needed. I'm always looking for introductions to any VCs. If you would like to partner in any way, I certainly would appreciate that. 

Thank You Friends!

To close, I want to express my sincere gratitude.

Thank you to all the WordStream customers and business partners for putting your faith and trust in us.

Thank you to all the WordStream team and investors for taking the leap and helping to turn WordStream into the amazing company it is today.

Thank you to my family for believing in me. I am tremendously grateful for the love and support.

If you want to get in touch with me directly, my new work email address is: [email protected] or sign up for updates here.

Wish me luck!

– Larry

P.S. Be a unicorn in a sea of donkeys!