![]() Hirschfeld: When 50% of your users ask for something that's 10 times your price point, it would be a risk not to try it. We've zeroed in on the intersection of really great design with extremely easy-to-use functionality. On the other hand, there were really fancy paper invitations. Hirschfeld: We were up against very simple Web-page invitation services, like Evite, Punchbowl and Facebook Events. WSJ: What was the competitive landscape for e-cards? Six months after we raised it, we were making $100,000 a month. It was a friends-and-family round of $750,000. Hirschfeld: Raising our first seed round and bringing on our first outside board member, Charles Heilbronn, who has been a great mentor. Hirschfeld: And I knew Alexa would be good at building a company that would make the product I was envisioning. James is very focused on the creative aspect of the business, the design and content. Hirschfeld: We knew that we had complementary skills and would be good working together. WSJ: What's it like to start a company together as young siblings? While the digital version was important, in terms of functionality, it was just a formality. I realized that even for the most formal invitations, there was always a follow-up with a digital version. Hirschfeld: James called and told me his idea. I knew if we offered that for pennies, people would pay for it. We thought, let's create the kind of email that you really want to open. But there was no way for me to send an online invitation in a way that reflected all of that thought and care. Hirschfeld: Right after my 21st birthday, I was in college and had to organize a party. WSJ: Where did you get the initial idea for Paperless Post? They spoke to The Wall Street Journal last week. The siblings are working with a printing company in Memphis, Tenn. ![]() But the move comes with a "steep learning curve," she adds. Other investors includeĢ8, a Harvard alum who was an assistant to ABC News host Katie Couric while launching Paperless Post, says more than half of the online customers request printouts. After dozens of early-stage investors turned them away, he and his sister launched the site from their parents' Manhattan home.īy May 2012, the company had raised $12.3 million in capital, including $6 million from RRE Ventures, SV Angel and Tim Draper. "People said consumers will never pay for a Web-based service," says James Hirschfeld, 26 years old, who developed the site's design tools in his Harvard University dorm. Today, the company, based in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, has $10 million in revenue and 50 employees. ![]() The cards, which are sent ad-free by email or via social networks such as To do that, it offers handcrafted designs, fancy stationery and pop-up envelopes. This app undergoes regular updates to fix all bugs and to enhance the overall user experience.Over the past three years, Paperless Post has carved out a niche for online invitations, charging for the kinds of tools that websites like Evite and Socializr give away for free. But as of right now all it seems to do is take up space on my device. Now if I had the ability to create an invite or a card, I could definitely see the benefit of the app. Sure I can view my sent Paperless Post creations, or see who's invited me to an event, or who has confirmed coming to mine, but if I'm already getting this information in my personal email inbox the whole idea of the app is moot. I can see why, if Paperless Post is already updating me with emails that someone is coming to my event or received me card why do I need an app? I spoke to a few friends who use Paperless Post and not a single one who has downloaded their app has kept it. The downside to the Paperless Post is the fact you can't create a greeting card or invitation via the app. It's a good way to be organized on the go, but other than that, the features are severely lacking. You have two options: view the cards and invites you've sent and respond to those you've received. The interface for Paperless Post is extremely basic and easy to use. You can also view and respond to any cards or invitations you've received from friends and loved ones. ![]() The Paperless Post app is essentially a glorified mail box that allows you to view your sent greeting cards and event invitation that were created using the Paperless Post website. ![]()
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