How Steven Galanis Grew Cameo into a $1 Billion Unicorn

Founding Journey

This is how Steven scaled his startup, Cameo, to become a $1 billion unicorn and how the company has changed since.

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🚀 Startup → cameo.com

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The Journey to Cameo
(01:33) — Steven's 1st business: Spartan Entertainment
(04:26) — Steven's pre-Cameo work experience
(06:33) — Starting Cameo with Co-founder Martin Blencowe
(11:14) — Cameo's founding story

Founder Mode
(18:43) — Steven’s early insight on “cameos”
(23:48) — Overcoming the cold start problem
(25:46) — Cameo's growth tactics
(27:28) — Cameo's eureka moment

Challenges & Opportunities
(31:39) — Changing Cameo's idea of success
(36:30) — Navigating headcount reductions
(38:57) — Joining the 1871 incubator
(40:57) — Building alongside other founders

Investor Relations & Communication
(42:26) — How to interact with investors
(44:02) — Co-founder communication
(46:39) — Attracting investors without fundraising
(49:00) — Fundraising without a pitch deck
(50:33) — Benefits of creating an unused pitch deck
(53:32) — Cameo's Series A experience

Rapid Fire
(1:01:01) — Who's an investor you'd recommend to other founders?
(1:01:50) — What's one thing you'd change about the startup world?
(1:02:20) — What's the one piece of advice first-time founders need to know?
(1:03:58) — What's something you believe that most people disagree with you about?