Rewriting the Rules of Weddings & Event Payment - The Maroo Story with Alex Nikityuk | Episode 2

Can savvy finance solutions transform the chaotic world of event planning? Discover how one founder did just that! On this episode of The Lobster Talks by Lobster Capital, Gabriel Jarrosson dives into the story of Alexey Nikityuk, founder of Maroo, the platform simplifying event management for everyone. Alexey shares his unusual path from corporate finance to the events industry, how Maroo tackles the pain points of planning (including those sky-high costs!) and the pivots that fueled his startup's growth. Get ready to be inspired by this tale of innovation and resilience. EPISODE IN A GLANCE 00:36 The Maroo Story: Meet Alexey and learn how he swapped finance for event revolutionizing 02:37 Maroo's Birth: The idea that sparked it all, and the shift from weddings to the broader event landscape. 03:46 The Y Combinator Rollercoaster: Challenges, rejections, and the ultimate acceptance into a top accelerator. 09:44 The Power of Asking: Leveraging Connections and Negotiation 14:44 Pivots & Progress: Why Maroo moved away from BNPL, and how their payment system was born 24:41 Pivot or Persevere? Alexey's wisdom on when to change course and the role of customer feedback 31:30 The YC Experience: Insights and Impact 38:26 What's Next? AI-powered features and Maroo's vision for the event planning ecosystem 41:41 Lessons from failure, Alexey's favorite resources, and how to connect ABOUT ALEXEY NIKITYUK Alex is the Founder & CEO of Maroo, an operating system for the events industry in the United States. Alex launched the company in 2020, was accepted to YC S21 batch, and raised $4M of capital. Alex and his team scaled the company to $220M GMV and almost 10,000 businesses on the platform. Before that, Alex was at Revolut where he led the FP&A team and helped to close our $500M Series D round. Prior to his startup journey, Alex had a successful international career at Procter & Gamble and General Electric where he worked globally in various corporate finance roles. CONNECT WITH ALEXEY NIKITYUK Website → www.maroo.us LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexeynikityuk/ GRAB THE BOOKS ALEXEY RECOMMENDS →  The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck → https://a.co/d/bX3yoX3 Lenny's Newsletter Book → https://lennyswag.com/products/vol-1 ABOUT GABRIEL JARROSSON Gabriel Jarrosson is a seasoned investor and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the startup space and the General Partner of Lobster Capital. He has invested over $25M in Y Combinator startups. Having sold three of his own startups, he shares his expertise in his books "My Investor Secrets" and "Investing in Startups: x100 or Nothing." CONNECT WITH GABRIEL JARROSSON YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercapital Website → https://www.lobstercap.com/ LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrieljarrosson/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/lobstercapital/ Stay ahead of the game with the latest startup insights.  Subscribe to our newsletter for startup updates and actionable insights → https://lobstercap.ck.page/c34c61a155