our journey to 1 million customers — Stripo.e mail

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

Folks often have a number of potential causes, however typically, in a method or one other, all of us wish to be useful. If we glance past this, we wish 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 wish to go away a mark in historical past? Sure? How?

In 2016, in a phenomenal metropolis on this planet’s bravest nation, Ukraine, an entrepreneur with a need to unravel the issues of a large number creates a product…

I’m certain many books about unimaginable manufacturers begin this manner. However this isn’t a guide; 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 wish to make one thing unimaginable to assist many professionals?

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

Dmytro Kudrenko,

Founder and CEO of Stripo.

Okay, you could possibly say, “That is simply the story of an strange startup.” Perhaps — however give it an opportunity!

Dmytro Kudrenko: Had been there every other editors moreover ours? Completely! However sooner or later, every of them began branching out in several instructions, and it was the editor itself that obtained misplaced. We selected the trail of working particularly with the editor and enhancing it.

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

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

• perceive your person’s drawback;

• discover a strategy to resolve it;

• and resolve it in such a means that the person 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. An important second is fixing the person’s drawback in such a means that they’ll grasp the answer and begin actively utilizing it. And essentially the most attention-grabbing story tells us the best way to transition from complexity to simplicity.

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

I’ve been concerned in advertising and marketing for fairly a while, and you understand what I all the time lack? Time! I all the time want that there have been a number 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 group, the place one individual handles a number of duties?

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

Q: Dmitry, what was the largest problem?

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

Maybe essentially the most difficult activity at the moment was discovering the stability between amount and high quality. We continuously needed to make choices, even when they turned out to be incorrect, 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 all the time studying on the fly and from our errors. It was concurrently disturbing and provoking like strolling a path together with your eyes closed searching for a means ahead. We all the time ran out of time, and we needed to change our focus dozens of occasions a day.

Dmitry Kulaksyz,

COO at Stripo.

Returning to the time scarcity challenge, are there any instruments that will help you optimize it? After all! Do all of them really resolve this drawback? After all not.

Q: Dmitry, you talked about that you just wish to resolve 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 e mail design. Nicely, you see, it wasn’t our invention. However we’ve targeted a lot on modules that now our customers can change any e mail factor they want with out dropping any important knowledge.

After we had been creating modules, they didn’t exist in any editor but. Nevertheless, they had been utilized in web site improvement, 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 in all places.

I imagine that coding e mail templates will not be one thing entrepreneurs must be doing. As an alternative, they need to focus on advertising and marketing methods. Our modules are what is going to allow them to make it occur.

By making a module as soon as, a specialist can use it a vast variety of occasions whereas altering any factor they want with out affecting the general modular framework. And since you may create a vast variety of modules for any unit or activity as soon as and use them continuously, it reduces the time it takes to create an e mail by a number of hours, simplifying communication between enterprise models or mission contractors.

After all, we check the whole lot 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 would possibly assume I’m boasting. I’m! As a result of once I talked to the group 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 alter to the product-oriented method to work. The seek for “product–market match” led to fixed adjustments 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 sharpening this automobile to make it shine within the solar and catch the enchanted gazes of passersby. After which, after lunch, we determined that we would have liked the automobile to fly within the air, and we urgently needed to punch a gap within the roof and determine the best way to connect a propeller. It was solely with time that I spotted that that is how masterpieces are created.

Anton Hrynenko,

CTO at Stripo.

It appears like an motion online game, doesn’t it? By the best way, have you ever ever observed that we dwell each second of our lives as if we had been enjoying an limitless recreation?

Right here’s a quest for groceries; there’s a shootout for a reduced merchandise. Actually, life itself is one large simulator. However for advertising and marketing, video games are probably the greatest mechanics for interacting with the viewers.

Stripo and e mail gamification

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

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

• that is what our first recreation regarded like — recipients needed to click on on completely different parts, and after that, they obtained predictions about e mail advertising and marketing. This gamified e mail generated twice as many clicks as an everyday one;

• that is what our most not too long ago launched recreation appears like.

What’s extra:

• we realized that recipients like our video games;

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

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

Liubov Rolenko, developer answerable for designing all recreation mechanics at Stripo

Q: What had been your ideas once you created your first recreation?

Liubov Rolenko: I wished to create one thing attention-grabbing and acquainted, just like the previous video games from childhood, however in an easier model. One thing that might present just a little distraction and convey 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 e mail with a small recreation proper in it! I hope it sparks shock, curiosity, and pleasure. So, I merely wished so as to add a contact of one thing unimaginable to our lives.

Liubov Rolenko,

Developer answerable for designing all recreation mechanics at Stripo.

Q: Are you able to inform me, what’s your favourite recreation 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 all the time been part of my life.

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

Stripo training

The whole lot all the time begins with training. Maybe not all of the information we achieve at school might be helpful sooner or later, however that’s the place we purchase the important parts of our future life: a information base, associates, and allies, in addition to help.

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

Maryna Krivenets, the top of buyer help at Stripo

Q: Maryna, do you assume the information base will exchange buyer help?

No, by no means. Our help is not only about answering questions. It is all about care. And our information base might help customers navigate the editor and hone their e mail advertising and marketing abilities, even when they’ve by no means accomplished it earlier than of their life.

Maryna Krivenets,

Head of buyer help at Stripo.

This can be a photograph 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 may as well observe this hyperlink to discover a information with 94 e mail advertising and marketing assets for inspiration and work.

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

Stripo and interactive content material in emails

By the best way, do you know that inspiration is one in all our group’s core rules, and everybody strives not solely to create one thing new however to do it in a means that conveys a bit 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 e mail template, which was used 450 occasions.

Roman Burdyga, product designer at Stripo

Roman Burdyga: Howdy! I’m Roman, a product designer at Stripo. I used to be additionally the developer of the e-mail template format 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 e mail format. Since I’m a designer, I mixed this expertise with my information of template creation to strengthen Stripo.

As Stripo started to take form, my group and I spotted that our customers would want one thing that might encourage them, one thing they may take a look at and use of their e 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 mission and later grew to become a mentor to different colleagues. Afterwards, Ruslan Trepuhalov and Oleg Ponamarchuk joined us, including a distinct perspective and concepts and accelerating the library’s progress. A 12 months later, Anastasiia Babintseva joined us together with her sense of magnificence and creative abilities.

All of them made a major contribution to the template improvement, and every of them is exclusive of their type, abilities, and views, which is why the templates are so various 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 the whole lot right into a completed template.

What I keep in mind most had been a number of of our e mail campaigns originally of our interactive content material improvement at Stripo:

1. A Christmas e mail for our shoppers with an interactive coloring function that collected knowledge and reproduced all of the customers’ drawings. We obtained quite a few wonderful drawings, fastidiously chosen the perfect ones, and despatched because of our artists.

Whereas creating the design for that e mail, I inspired my youngster to make use of the coloring function and provided his drawings for example of what may very well 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 e mail. It was extremely cool, though fairly difficult and time-consuming to implement. Nevertheless, it was completely price it, and we obtained many optimistic responses.

3. One other memorable mechanic was a quiz the place I labored on the design. It was an interactive chat throughout the e 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 extensively mentioned within the e mail group as properly.

Stripo’s plans for the longer term

Nicely, I’m getting carried away with the previous. We now have 1,000,000 customers. One million. For me, that’s an unbelievable quantity. Once I requested everybody concerned on this article what they’d say to our million customers, all of them replied: “Stick with us! We’re getting ready a variety of attention-grabbing and helpful issues on your e 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;
• e mail accessibility precheck; 
• darkish mode UI for e mail preview; 
• new video games, templates, useful guides, and far more on your emails.

For those who’ve learn this far, I wish to personally thanks on your time. On the very starting of this text, I discussed how we all the time appear to lack time. However we’re continuously working to release as a lot of it for you as potential!

Volodymyr Kreshchenko, CMO at Stripo

Q: What do you assume makes Stripo distinctive?

There are numerous issues, however I imagine the principle 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 targeted on emails. The emphasis will not be on amount however on high quality and evolutionary improvement.

Volodymyr Kreshchenko,

CMO at Stripo.

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

Volodymyr Kreshchenko: What stunned 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 potential. It’s very nice to work collectively on one thing when persons are enthusiastic about what they do.

It’s possible you’ll ask — why not develop our horizons? Partly as a result of the concentrate on one thing is an limitless horizon itself.

Ivan Burban, former CMO at Stripo

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

Ivan Burban: Essentially the most difficult factor was understanding the best way to stand out from different merchandise. At the moment, we positioned ourselves as an e mail template builder, and we grew to become a platform three years later. Throughout this transitional interval, we had been trying to find this positioning and had many conversations with customers and market specialists.

I believed within the group 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 today. The entire group, from improvement to help, actually wished to make the perfect product, which may be very uncommon. We had little question 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, it’s worthwhile to change the method to a selected 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 best path, and you cannot solely change the method to creating emails but additionally make this complicated activity extra accessible to a broader viewers. Our inboxes will turn out to be interactive and simple to grasp.

Wrapping up

Will we go away a mark in historical past as a complete group? I don’t know. However I do know that if you happen to ask the query, “Do you utilize Stripo?” nearly everybody within the digital market will reply: “After all!” So, we positively don’t begin our day with group conferences for nothing!

We’re the perfect as a result of we care in regards to the e mail drawback and its answer daily!

Dmytro Kudrenko,

Founder and CEO of Stripo.

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