ICONS

The Inside Story How SoundCloud Hit 100M Users With Zero Marketing Spend

In this episode of ICONS, host Roman Kirsch interviews Eric Wahlforss, founder of SoundCloud and Dance. From building one of the world's most influential music platforms to revolutionizing urban mobility through e-bike subscriptions, Eric shares how he's created two category-defining brands across completely different industries. His journey reveals the power of product-first thinking, authentic community building, and leveraging network effects to scale from zero to millions of users. Through SoundCloud's transformation from a simple sharing tool to a cultural phenomenon that launched entire music genres, and Dance's approach to turning mobility hardware into a beloved subscription service, Eric demonstrates how great brands emerge from solving real user pain points with obsessive attention to product quality and customer feedback.
Topics Discussed:
Building viral growth loops through product utility rather than marketing spend
Creating authentic communities around creator expression and lifestyle products
Scaling network effects from single-player utility to multi-sided platforms
Leveraging early adopters and influencers as authentic brand ambassadors
Transforming traditional product categories into subscription services
Managing complex supply chains and city-by-city expansion challenges
Converting user pain points into moments of delight through service excellence

How Wild Built a £230M Deodorant Brand—and Got Acquired by Unilever

In this episode of ICONS, Roman Kirsch interviews Charlie Bowes-Lyon, Co-founder and CMO of Wild, the refillable deodorant brand recently acquired by Unilever. Starting with a mission to remove single-use plastic from the bathroom, Wild transformed a £5 million UK natural deodorant market into a global sustainable brand worth hundreds of millions. By rejecting the traditional "eco-aesthetic" and instead creating colorful, lifestyle-focused products, Wild made sustainability approachable for mainstream consumers. Their journey from launch during COVID lockdowns to a major Unilever acquisition demonstrates how purpose-driven products can achieve commercial success when product quality and brand experience take priority over sustainability messaging.
Topics Discussed:
Creating a sustainable brand that appeals to mainstream consumers beyond eco-conscious audiences
Developing a refillable deodorant product that's environmentally-friendly without compromising on quality
Executing a multi-channel, multi-geography marketing strategy to reduce dependency risks
Using limited edition scents and case designs to drive both acquisition and retention
Building a community-driven product development process
Navigating retail expansion both domestically and internationally
Managing the acquisition process with Unilever while maintaining brand integrity