our journey to 1 million customers — Stripo.electronic mail

Why do you do what you do? How usually do you replicate on why you selected your job?

Folks normally have a number of doable causes, however usually, in a method or one other, all of us need to be useful. If we glance past this, we need to do one thing that may assist others — and if we dig even deeper, to create one thing that can change the world. Ask your self: Do I need to depart a mark in historical past? Sure? How?

In 2016, in a lovely metropolis on this planet’s bravest nation, Ukraine, an entrepreneur with a need to resolve the issues of a mess creates a product…

I’m positive many books about unbelievable manufacturers begin this fashion. However this isn’t a e book; that is only a easy sketch, and it began very in a different way.

Stripo historical past: The way it all started

Q: Dmytro, why did you create Stripo? Did you need to make one thing unbelievable to assist many professionals?

Working with one other system, I usually needed to cope with code inside the electronic mail, so each marketer needed to have a good quantity of technical data. This was fairly irritating for me. So, I wished to vary that. I assumed this might be a venture lasting not more than 2 years, however now we have already got growth plans for 10 years!

Dmytro Kudrenko,

Founder and CEO of Stripo.

Okay, you might say, “That is simply the story of an extraordinary startup.” Possibly — however give it an opportunity!

Dmytro Kudrenko: Had been there some other editors moreover ours? Completely! However in some unspecified time in the future, every of them began branching out in numerous instructions, and it was the editor itself that received misplaced. We selected the trail of working particularly with the editor and bettering it.

I as soon as realized that to create a very nice product, you have to do the next:

• concentrate on one factor (in our case, it’s electronic mail advertising and marketing);

• perceive your consumer’s drawback;

• discover a option to clear up it;

• and clear up it in such a approach that the consumer can’t think about their workday with out your answer.

While you’re constructing a product, essentially the most difficult half is creating one thing that didn’t exist earlier than. A very powerful second is fixing the consumer’s drawback in such a approach that they’ll grasp the answer and begin actively utilizing it. And essentially the most attention-grabbing story tells us learn how to transition from complexity to simplicity.

This has been Stripo’s foremost aim from the very starting and our focus all this time.

I’ve been concerned in advertising and marketing for fairly a while, and what I at all times lack? Time! I at all times want that there have been a couple of extra hours within the day. However how far more time do those that create emails want in a day? What if they’ll’t code? What if it’s an formidable startup with a small crew, the place one individual handles a number of duties?

By the way in which, this is an instance from our COO, Dmitry Kulaksyz:

Q: Dmitry, what was the most important problem?

Dmitry Kulaksyz: Within the early phases of product growth, the crew was very small. There have been about six of us, together with our chief, Dmytro Kudrenko.

Maybe essentially the most difficult process at the moment was discovering the steadiness between amount and high quality. We continually needed to make selections, even when they turned out to be fallacious, draw conclusions, and transfer ahead, usually into uncharted territory.

The stakes had been excessive, and we could not afford to spend our price range recklessly. We had been at all times studying on the fly and from our errors. It was concurrently disturbing and provoking like strolling a path along with your eyes closed searching for a approach ahead. We at all times ran out of time, and we needed to change our focus dozens of instances a day.

Dmitry Kulaksyz,

COO at Stripo.

Returning to the time scarcity subject, are there any instruments that will help you optimize it? In fact! Do all of them really clear up this drawback? In fact not.

Q: Dmitry, you talked about that you simply need to clear up the viewers’s drawback by saving them time on routine duties and permitting them to concentrate on extra attention-grabbing and essential ones. How?

Dmitry Kulaksyz: Modular electronic mail design. Nicely, you see, it wasn’t our invention. However we’ve centered a lot on modules that now our customers can change any electronic mail component they want with out shedding any important information.

Once we had been creating modules, they didn’t exist in any editor but. Nonetheless, they had been utilized in web site growth, and that’s precisely what we used as the idea of the concept. We had been those who launched the modular system into emails, and now it’s a compulsory function all over the place.

I imagine that coding electronic mail templates is just not one thing entrepreneurs ought to be doing. As an alternative, they need to consider advertising and marketing methods. Our modules are what’s going to allow them to make it occur.

By making a module as soon as, a specialist can use it an infinite variety of instances whereas altering any component they want with out affecting the general modular framework. And since you may create an infinite variety of modules for any unit or process as soon as and use them continually, it reduces the time it takes to create an electronic mail by a number of hours, simplifying communication between enterprise models or venture contractors.

In fact, we take a look at every little thing ourselves, and we have described how the modules work and the way they save time in our case examine.

I’m writing about this with delight, and also you may assume I’m boasting. I’m! As a result of once I talked to the crew that has been engaged on this from the very starting, I used to be amazed by their calmness.

Anton Hrynenko, CTO at Stripo:

Anton Hrynenko: I’m a perfectionist, so it was initially very difficult for me to mentally modify to the product-oriented strategy to work. The seek for “product–market match” led to fixed modifications that typically didn’t match into the preliminary structure in any respect.

To place it merely, think about that simply yesterday, we had been creating the right automobile, and this morning, I used to be sprucing this automobile to make it shine within the solar and catch the enchanted gazes of passersby. After which, after lunch, we determined that we wanted the automobile to fly within the air, and we urgently needed to punch a gap within the roof and work out learn how to connect a propeller. It was solely with time that I noticed that that is how masterpieces are created.

Anton Hrynenko,

CTO at Stripo.

It feels like an motion online game, doesn’t it? By the way in which, have you ever ever seen that we dwell each second of our lives as if we had been enjoying an infinite sport?

Right here’s a quest for groceries; there’s a shootout for a reduced merchandise. In reality, life itself is one massive simulator. However for advertising and marketing, video games are the most effective mechanics for interacting with the viewers.

Stripo and electronic mail gamification

Entrepreneurs have been actively utilizing video games for a very long time at any time when they’ll, and Stripo makes this doable in emails. Interactive video games for electronic mail campaigns are one in all our distinctive choices.

You will discover extra particulars about gamification in electronic mail advertising and marketing right here, however we’d prefer to share some information about our video games:

• that is what our first sport seemed like — recipients needed to click on on totally different parts, and after that, they acquired predictions about electronic mail advertising and marketing. This gamified electronic mail generated twice as many clicks as a daily one;

• that is what our most lately launched sport seems to be like.

What’s extra:

• we realized that recipients like our video games;

• consequently, we created our eBook on gamification in electronic mail advertising and marketing;

• Dmytro Kudrenko has spoken on this matter at 20 totally different occasions;

Liubov Rolenko, developer in control of designing all sport mechanics at Stripo

Q: What had been your ideas if you created your first sport?

Liubov Rolenko: I wished to create one thing attention-grabbing and acquainted, just like the outdated video games from childhood, however in a less complicated model. One thing that would present a bit distraction and produce again the childlike pleasure and pleasure in the midst of a workday.

Work can typically be gloomy and routine, and it may be exhausting. However think about that at such a second, you obtain an electronic mail with a small sport proper in it! I hope it sparks shock, curiosity, and pleasure. So, I merely wished so as to add a contact of one thing unbelievable to our lives.

Liubov Rolenko,

Developer in control of designing all sport mechanics at Stripo.

Q: Are you able to inform me, what’s your favourite sport of all time?

Liubov Rolenko: I’m a gamer, so I’ve been enjoying video video games since childhood, and I nonetheless do it. Video games have at all times been part of my life.

Really, I don’t have a favourite one as a result of I really like variety. Nonetheless, I keep in mind my first sport. In class, throughout a pc science class, a trainer confirmed us a sport the place there was an animal in a maze, and also you needed to enter instructions specifying the route and the variety of steps, like “5 steps proper.” You needed to information the animal out of the maze. It was whereas enjoying this sport that I noticed I wished to change into a developer.

Stripo schooling

The whole lot at all times begins with schooling. Maybe not all of the data we acquire at school might be helpful sooner or later, however that’s the place we purchase the important parts of our future life: a data base, mates, and allies, in addition to assist.

Though we at Stripo have already got a superb 24/7 assist service prepared to help you, we’re creating our data base, the place customers can delve into all of the intricacies of utilizing our product. Our assist crew is at all times able to reply your questions, however exploring the academic database will provide its personal fascinations.

Maryna Krivenets, the top of buyer assist at Stripo

Q: Maryna, do you assume the data base will change buyer assist?

No, in no way. Our assist is not only about answering questions. It is all about care. And our data base will help customers navigate the editor and hone their electronic mail advertising and marketing expertise, even when they’ve by no means executed it earlier than of their life.

Maryna Krivenets,

Head of buyer assist at Stripo.

This can be a picture from the shoot of our Udemy course, which is appropriate for all rookies and has already been accomplished by practically 2,000 college students.

If you would like to take one in all our programs, you are able to do it proper right here. You too can observe this hyperlink to discover a information with 94 electronic mail advertising and marketing assets for inspiration and work.

And if you would like to depart a evaluate of us, you may simply do it on G2 or Capterra. Consider me, our complete crew is over the moon once we see your opinions! Your suggestions is extremely inspiring to us.

Stripo and interactive content material in emails

By the way in which, do you know that inspiration is one in all our crew’s core rules, and everybody strives not solely to create one thing new however to do it in a approach that conveys a chunk of their inspiration?

For instance, whereas engaged on this text, I used to be impressed by the tales of the individuals who created (and proceed to create) our product. After one other dose of inspiration, I turned to Roman, our head designer and the one that remembers the very first template that appeared in Stripo.

Right here it’s — our first electronic mail template, which was used 450 instances.

Roman Burdyga, product designer at Stripo

Roman Burdyga: Hey! I’m Roman, a product designer at Stripo. I used to be additionally the developer of the e-mail template structure construction, which is the idea for all templates within the system. Now, let me share some historical past…

Earlier than Stripo was launched, I labored on the identical factor in one other product, the place there was additionally a template editor, and gained all my expertise in creating templates there. I created templates for our shoppers and realized all of the intricacies and subtleties of electronic mail structure. Since I’m a designer, I mixed this expertise with my data of template creation to strengthen Stripo.

As Stripo started to take form, my crew and I noticed that our customers would want one thing that will encourage them, one thing they may take a look at and use of their electronic mail campaigns, a spot the place they may discover concepts for his or her trade. That is how the Stripo Template Library was born.

Roman Burdyga,

Product designer at Stripo.

By that point, I had a number of colleagues who began creating templates and have become the primary authors of this library. These colleagues embody Liubov Rolenko, who initiated this nice venture and later grew to become a mentor to different colleagues. Afterwards, Ruslan Trepuhalov and Oleg Ponamarchuk joined us, including a unique perspective and concepts and accelerating the library’s development. A yr later, Anastasiia Babintseva joined us along with her sense of magnificence and creative expertise.

All of them made a big contribution to the template growth, and every of them is exclusive of their fashion, expertise, and views, which is why the templates are so numerous and attention-grabbing.

At the moment, after all, I used to be creating templates rapidly as a result of I used to be the creator of each the template editor and the template code. The primary problem was discovering concepts, designing, selecting themes, and turning every little thing right into a completed template.

What I keep in mind most had been a couple of of our electronic mail campaigns in the beginning of our interactive content material growth at Stripo:

1. A Christmas electronic mail for our shoppers with an interactive coloring function that collected information and reproduced all of the customers’ drawings. We acquired quite a few superb drawings, rigorously chosen the very best ones, and despatched due to our artists.

Whereas creating the design for that electronic mail, I inspired my little one to make use of the coloring function and supplied his drawings for instance of what could possibly be created. It was very attention-grabbing and satisfying to obtain such suggestions and encouragement from our shoppers.

2. Then, we had the concept to create a crossword puzzle instantly within the electronic mail. It was extremely cool, though fairly difficult and time-consuming to implement. Nonetheless, it was completely price it, and we acquired many constructive responses.

3. One other memorable mechanic was a quiz the place I labored on the design. It was an interactive chat inside the electronic mail. It felt such as you had been having a real-time dialog with somebody who was responding to you. It was extremely cool.

These interactive parts had been broadly mentioned within the electronic mail group as effectively.

Stripo’s plans for the longer term

Nicely, I’m getting carried away with the previous. We now have one million customers. 1,000,000. For me, that’s an unbelievable quantity. After I requested everybody concerned on this article what they might say to our million customers, all of them replied: “Stick with us! We’re making ready numerous attention-grabbing and helpful issues to your electronic mail advertising and marketing campaigns!”

For instance:

• a new editor;
• real-time co-editing and commenting;
• integration with Figma;
• enhancements in AI performance inside Stripo’s construction;
• collaboration instruments;
• electronic mail accessibility precheck; 
• darkish mode UI for electronic mail preview; 
• new video games, templates, useful guides, and far more to your emails.

In the event you’ve learn this far, I need to personally thanks to your time. On the very starting of this text, I discussed how we at all times appear to lack time. However we’re continually working to release as a lot of it for you as doable!

Volodymyr Kreshchenko, CMO at Stripo

Q: What do you assume makes Stripo distinctive?

There are a lot of issues, however I imagine the primary uniqueness lies in our imaginative and prescient and concentrate on time-saving. Whereas others develop their spheres of exercise and pursuits and enterprise into new territories, we’re solely centered on emails. The emphasis is just not on amount however on high quality and evolutionary growth.

Volodymyr Kreshchenko,

CMO at Stripo.

Q: What has shocked you essentially the most throughout your total time working at Stripo?

Volodymyr Kreshchenko: What shocked me essentially the most is that within the firm, there are lots of individuals who genuinely care about our customers’ issues and the bugs that come up, and so they try to repair them as rapidly as doable. It’s very nice to work collectively on one thing when persons are obsessed with what they do.

Chances are you’ll ask — why not develop our horizons? Partly as a result of the concentrate on one thing is an infinite horizon itself.

Ivan Burban, former CMO at Stripo

Q: Ivan, what was most difficult in the beginning of the journey? What did you imagine in?

Ivan Burban: Probably the most difficult factor was understanding learn how to stand out from different merchandise. At the moment, we positioned ourselves as an electronic mail template builder, and we grew to become a platform three years later. Throughout this transitional interval, we had been looking for this positioning and had many conversations with customers and market consultants.

I believed within the crew that was creating Stripo primarily. The CEO and Product Proprietor/Supervisor appeared to me the strongest professionals I had ever met, and this opinion has not modified to at the present time. The entire crew, from growth to assist, actually wished to make the very best product, which could be very uncommon. We had little doubt that we’d attain a million after which ten million customers.

Ivan Burban,

Former CMO at Stripo.

Q: What do you assume it takes to depart a mark in historical past?

Ivan Burban: I imagine that to make a mark in historical past, you’ll want to change the strategy to a specific course of, not simply enhance it barely. Within the case of Uber, they reimagined the method of calling a taxi. Within the case of Stripo, I believe you’re on the correct path, and you cannot solely change the strategy to creating emails but in addition make this advanced process extra accessible to a broader viewers. Our inboxes will change into interactive and straightforward to grasp.

Wrapping up

Will we depart a mark in historical past as an entire crew? I don’t know. However I do know that when you ask the query, “Do you employ Stripo?” nearly everybody within the digital market will reply: “In fact!” So, we positively don’t begin our day with crew conferences for nothing!

We’re the very best as a result of we care concerning the electronic mail drawback and its answer day-after-day!

Dmytro Kudrenko,

Founder and CEO of Stripo.

We thank each one in all you for being part of Stripo.