Who Is Ben Chestnut?
Ben Chestnut co-founded Mailchimp in 2001, building it into one of the most successful email marketing platforms.
His journey from humble beginnings to a multi-billion-dollar exit is an exciting tale of innovation and ability to adapt. Here is his story:
Early Life
Ben Chestnut was born and raised in a small town in Georgia. Ben studied industrial design at Georgia Tech and started working as a designer. He quickly realized that he wanted to create his own business.
In the early 2000s, he co-founded a web design company called The Rocket Science Group with his friend Dan Kurzius, mainly serving small businesses.
How Ben Started MailChimp?
Mailchimp started as a side project within The Rocket Science Group. Most of their web design clients were asking for help with email marketing, so Chestnut and Kurzius built a tool to make it easier. Ben says they forest gumped their way into business as it was really accidental. They first started an email greeting website but then later used the same code to build an email marketing platform.
They launched Mailchimp in 2001.
Key Turning Point
For the first several years, Mailchimp grew slowly. Chestnut and Kurzius self-funded the business, choosing not to rely on external investors. They faced challenges in finding ways to attract customers without a big marketing budget.
Mailchimp shifted to a freemium model, offering basic features for free while charging for advanced options. This strategy attracted a massive influx of small businesses.
Making First Million
Mailchimp’s transition to the freemium model was instrumental in its growth, and within a few years, the company started generating significant revenue. By focusing on ease of use, affordable pricing, and a quirky, user-friendly brand image, Mailchimp made its first million in revenue.
Freddie the Chimp
Freddie the Chimp, the brand mascot, has been instrumental in getting brand recognition for Mailchimp. It adds a friendly and humorous tone to the platform and is easy to remember.
Mailchimp Acquisition
Over the years, Mailchimp expanded its offerings beyond email, adding features for marketing automation, social media, and more.
In 2021, Intuit acquired Mailchimp for $12 billion, making it one of the largest acquisitions in tech. Chestnut and Kurzius, became billionaires through the acquisition.
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Who started MailChimp?
Ben Chestnut started Mailchimp in 2001.
How was Mailchimp started?
Mailchimp started as a side project within The Rocket Science Group. Most of their web design clients were asking for help with email marketing, so Chestnut and Kurzius built a tool to make it easier. Ben says they forest gumped their way into business as it was really accidental.
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