Martin Tobias of Tippr | E167

In this episode, Jason and Tyler welcome Martin Tobias, founder of Tippr, to discuss the deal space, the competition with Groupon and LivingSocial, and the saturation of the market. They also delve into the topic of business patents, specifically Tobias's Mercata patents, and their potential infringement by other companies. The conversation veers towards the future of Groupon and ends with Tobias sharing his hardest lessons as an entrepreneur.

Speakers

AI Chat

Unidentified

Jason Calacanis

Host • 41%

Unidentified

Tyler

Guest • 3%

Martin Tobias

Guest • 53%

Partners

Chapters

0:00	Welcome everyone to this episode of TWiST with Martin Tobias of Tippr.
1:00	The TWiST Backchannel Producer Program is now 100+ members strong. To join go to twistlist.co.
4:00	Thank you to Carbonite for sponsoring the show. Use the code "TWiST" for two bonus months free.
5:30	Introducing Martin Tobias of Tippr.
7:30	What drew you to the deal space?
10:00	So who are some of your customers?
10:45	And that's where this money is coming from right, local sources?
12:00	The New York Times has a TimesLimited product, so why did they go half-heartedly into the deal space?
13:00	Martin talks about Yollar.com, a site owned by Tippr.
14:45	Can anyone compete with the scale of Groupon or LivingSocial?
16:15	What about sites like Groupon overwhelming local businesses?
17:30	Are people feeling a little deal saturated?
20:30	Should they have to disclose if the editorial is being driven by the commerce end, by what restaurants are willing to participate?
21:30	What is the right percentage for deals? Has Groupon set the expectation too high?
24:30	Thank you to MailChimp for sponsoring the show and making an incredible product.
25:30	Martin, why do you use MailChimp?
27:30	Let's talk about patents and, specifically, your Mercata patents.
31:00	People have been group buying for forever, but at what point does that become patentable?
32:30	Do you feel that Groupon or LivingSocial are infringing upon your patented technology?
35:00	How long do these business patents last and what is your goal as a patent holder?
35:45	Question from TWiST Executive Producer Amir: What do you think of deal aggregators like Yippit or Youpon?
38:15	We talked a little bit about Groupon. Do you think they can remove that massive customer acquisition cost as they become a well-known global brand?
40:30	You hit the wall in the last dot com bubble, yes? What would you do as the CEO of Groupon?
42:30	If Groupon only has 9 months of runway, are they playing a game of chicken with their IPO and an acquisition plan?
44:30	Which publisher do you covet most that you don't have?
45:30	Martin, what's the hardest lesson you've learned as an entrepreneur?
46:30	Who is the entrepreneur that you respect the most and why?
49:00	Microsoft share price hasn't moved for a decade--what's wrong with it?
50:15	If you're looking for a job and you're a world-class developer, please email [email protected].
53:00	Thank you to MailChimp and Carbonite. Everyone thank them on Twitter at @MailChimp and @Carbonite.

Transcript

Clip

Loading transcript...