Marketing Within Age Range

Shaan Puri shares his experience about hiring young marketers and the dynamics of youth-led marketing teams, particularly through the story of Steve Bartlett's company. He emphasizes the importance of letting young marketers operate in their natural element rather than forcing them into traditional corporate structures.

Key Points:

• Young Marketers' Strengths:

  • Excel at understanding and reaching young audiences
  • Strong grasp of social media dynamics
  • Particularly effective on new channels like TikTok
  • Bring fresh ideas and authentic perspective

• Organizational Structure:

  • Example company had 23 employees, 22 under age 22
  • Unconventional office setup (slides, ball pits)
  • Very young leadership (21-year-olds in management positions)
  • Low initial salaries (~$25k/year) but high enthusiasm

• Business Evolution:

  • Started with social media account ownership
  • Developed "Thunderclap" marketing concept (coordinated posts across platforms)
  • Evolved from transactional posting to full-service agency work
  • Eventually handled major brand accounts like Netflix

• Management Insights:

  • Young teams don't always fit traditional corporate structures
  • Better to let them operate in their natural element
  • "Nondomesticated cats" analogy - they need freedom to be effective
  • Not suited for formal processes like "agile software meetings"

• Success Factors:

  • Owned major social media accounts in Europe
  • Strong influence on market trends
  • Right people for understanding youth culture
  • Eventually grew to $100M+ in revenue