How to Leverage Nostalgia and Win at Marketing with Danny Trinh

April 14, 2022

AI Summary

5 min read

In 2021, the one-click checkout company Fast raised $120 million from top-tier investors like Stripe and Index Ventures. By April 2022, it was shutting its doors. The CEO’s parting message: “Sometimes trailblazers don’t make it all the way to the mountaintop.” But the real story, as the hosts and guest Danny Trinh unpack, is about the gap between hype and substance—and why the companies that endure are the ones that tell a story that actually lands.

The Fast Collapse: When Hype Outruns the Product

Fast was a B2B backend product—one-click checkout software that should have been invisible, seamless, and unsexy. Instead, its CEO staged a press conference where he arrived in a branded rally car doing donuts in the parking lot, then stepped out in a pink blazer to a fireworks display. The hosts saw this as a massive red flag. As Danny Trinh put it, “If you're a B2B product company and you're kind of in the background, match the hype cycle of what you're doing to what you need to be doing.” A backend product that should blend into the user experience was being marketed like a consumer blockbuster. The disconnect was fatal.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Opening Banter & Shopify Investment Thesis** - The hosts discuss Shopify as a growth stock, debating bull and bear cases around macro economics and long-term conviction.
2 (04:59) **Ad Break: Marketer Hire & Outer** - Sponsored segment promoting Marketer Hire (marketing talent marketplace) and Outer (outdoor furniture).
3 (07:12) **Introducing Guest Danny Trinh** - The hosts welcome Danny Trinh, a consumer social expert, and banter about his appearance and a shared OneRepublic concert experience.
4 (14:37) **RIP Fast: The Collapse of a One-Click Checkout Startup** - The hosts dissect the dramatic failure of Fast, a well-funded one-click checkout company.
5 (19:45) **The Spectrum of Founder Hype: When Stunts Work vs. Backfire** - Discussion on where to draw the line between audacious marketing and damaging overhype.
6 (22:37) **Axie Infinity Hack: Play-to-Earn Growing Pains** - Analysis of the $625M Ronin bridge hack and its implications for the play-to-earn space.
7 (30:57) **Pokémon as a Storytelling Engine & IP Dynasty** - The hosts explore how Pokémon's multi-surface storytelling (games, show, cards, movies) created an enduring franchise.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Brand storytelling is the future of marketing. In today’s digital society, businesses need to get creative to connect with their audience and truly pull at their heartstrings. Danny Trinh (@dtrinh), Design, New Platforms at Snap and consumer social legend, is our go-to guy when it comes to understanding social behavior. Danny joins us today for a fun conversation that takes us from Mike Posner’s crazy rattlesnake story to degenerate hackers, consumer hype cycles, consumer nostalgia, and the importance of storytelling.

►► Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com

THIS EPISODE

Danny Trinh: https://twitter.com/dtrinh

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/

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Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

►► This episode is brought to you by Outer. Spring is in the air in both NYC and Miami, and we can’t get enough of our Outer outdoor furniture. Their furniture looks incredible and is durable. Personally, we love the Outdoor Loveseat.

Right now for our audience exclusively they are offering $300 off any product + free shipping until May 1. This is one of the most generous offers of any sponsor we’ve had. Did we mention they have a 2-week free trial? Go to https://www.liveouter.com/room to get the deal.

►►This episode is also brought to you by MarketerHire. MarketerHire provides on-demand access to pre-vetted, top-tier marketers who can freelance as much or as little as needed.

They’ve made it easy to hire great marketers. With pre-vetted talent and expert hand-matching, you can add a proven marketer to your team in less than a week.

Go to marketerhire.com to learn more.