Gary Levitt

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• How do you approach product development?

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    I used to start with Agile purism – card mapping, task models, milestones, point and priorities. Then would come raw functionality, then UX layered over that.

    Today I start with the UX, and work my way backwards. We work on design, and the delivery design to code to support the UX. It’s a really fun way to work.

• How hard is it to raise capital when you have only moderate traction but a great idea?

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    I put a lot of energy into the design of the mockups etc. that I did before I had any sort of product. When the product was sorta quarter baked (which can be an extremely discouraging period) sheer optimism definitely helped funders stay happy – even at times, I know there were feelings of early skepticism. I guess to answer: we never needed lots of initial capital, and funders trusted me.

• You are located in New York. Did you ever consider moving the the Valley? Is there any advantage?

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    Hey there, I’ve never felt like moving to the Valley has any distinct advantage. I’m sorta like in the scene, sorta not. I spend a lot of time with my family and have found that while I can definitely draw enough inspiration from New York, I don’t need to be anywhere specifically to be good at what I do and be able to deploy and inspired app.

• If you had no immediate programmers available for a "nickel", and needed a technical partner. Would you consider outsourcing to get access to the capital knowledge needed?

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    Hmm, I’d work my butt off non-stop to acquire that nickel or two nickels to get the best. Outsourced labor is no fun. Technical partners are expensive but you’ll make it back.

• Email marketing is a competitive field. What separates MadMimi from the rest of the bunch and how did you find this gap of information? We have used Constant Contact, iContact, now MailChimp an haven't loved any of them.

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    Simplicity and loveliness. Those are characteristics that Mimi has that I think no other of our competitors have quite as profoundly.

• How much failure plans did you do before starting your business ? Did you calculate most possible scenarios or you just go for it and don't care about the failure ?

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    I just went ahead with it. I’m a lousy planner.

• How many people work for MadMimi?

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    About 22.

• One of the main challenges for any business starting up is differentiation in the marketplace. As email marketing systems are readily available, how have you overcome challenges of standing out from your competitors? What challenges do you still foresee?

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    Well, we’re a little rebellious – and Mimi represents that aspect as well as picking on some of the gross clunkiness of the competition. Challenges I foresee – in this web space, it happens daily. I think preparing myself for dealing with challenges is the thing I try to focus on. Essentially working on rooting out the fear of addressing challenges.

• How do you stay focused?

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    Who says I stay focused? :–)

• I always hear entrepreneurs say that they work 24/7 and don't take vacations. I think it is garbage, and that you need vacations every now and then to reflect and make decisions. Do you ever take vacations or weekends off?

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    Now I do. I just got back from Zimbabwe. I didn’t take vacations at the beginning. Really, you’re right. Different people need different things. Reflection is crazy important, and quality of life and family for me are more attractive than working insane hours and under duress.