Indie Interview with James Nord, CEO of Fohr

One of the most frequent requests we get is to hear directly from indie founders. Today’s conversation is just that.

And we did it in style.

James Nord, founder of Fohr, has had a front row seat to indie having been one of the very first investments we made. In turn, I’ve had a front row seat for their growth from hundreds of thousands in revenue to 10s of millions.

Together we’ve watched his category, influencer marketing, go from a laughingstock to a core competency of brands worldwide. We cover a lot of ground, but some areas worth reflecting on include:

Struggles, Setbacks & Shifting Focus — We talked through how James’s struggles with fundraising became Fohr’s superpower. Shifting from fundraising to selling quickly led to a better understanding of customer needs, fostering success. In the end, a lack of excess funds ended up saving Fohr.

Business Evolution — Independence for Fohr means a business model with both technology and services, which is a challenge for investors and potential acquirers to understand. But for customers, it’s an obvious game changer.

Time and Competition — Time has unlocked another level of success for Fohr. Originally considered to be something they’d flip after a few years, being in it for the long haul has let them grow sustainably while competitors keep cropping up and dropping out.

Influencer Evolution — We talk about the transition from selling to social media managers to CMOs as influencers became central to brands’ marketing spend.

Our Relationship — We dive into our working relationship as founder, investor, and board member. Although we’ve had many hard conversations over the years, we’ve also built a foundation of mutual respect and shared objectives.

We hope you enjoy listening to the conversation as much as we enjoyed having it. The goal was to give you a better sense of what working with indie looks like, and we hope that comes through loud and clear.

If you think we could be a good fit for you or someone you know, don’t hesitate to get in touch.