Garage Startup to $100M Revenue + 120 MILLION Users: The 'Unsexy' Formula For Viral Growth

In this episode, Adam sits down with Darrell Lerner, a serial tech entrepreneur who co-founded Snap Interactive, scaling a garage startup to over 120 million users and $100 million in revenue without traditional venture capital. Darrell shares the real story behind Snap’s explosive growth, including the early pivot onto Facebook’s platform, how his team implemented swiping before Tinder, and why success often comes down to timing, testing, and the willingness to scrap months of work in pursuit of a better outcome.

🔗 FOLLOW DARRELL:
https://www.darrelllerner.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dlerner2112/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrelllerner/
https://x.com/DarrellLerner

🕒 TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
1:17 Garage Startup into $100M Revenue and 120M Users
8:37 Bootstrapping a Startup in 2026
13:49 Darrell’s Early Years
17:41 Frameworks Around Viral Customer Acquisition
21:11 Inventing the Swipe Function (Before Tinder)
29:36 The Facebook Opportunity
35:37 The Power of Networking
47:30 Co-Founding With Family Members
52:21 Philosophical Questions

✌🏼 SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY PURCHASING PRODUCTS WE LOVE:

💧 Vitadrop — Healthy Hydration & Vitamins — Use code TOT for 25% off
https://www.vitadrop.com.au/TOT

👟 Vivobarefoot — Barefoot shoes I wear every day — Use code TOT for 20% off
https://vivobarefoot.com/

📵 Opal — iPhone blocking app I use daily
https://applink.opal.so/

GET IN TOUCH:
🌍 Website: www.thatonetimepodcast.com
🌍 Advertise: [email protected]
🌍 Book us: [email protected]

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:
🎥 YouTube: Subscribe here
🗣️ Spotify: Listen here
🍎 Apple Podcasts: Listen here
📸 Instagram: @thatonetime_podcast
🐦 X / Twitter: @itsadammetwally
🎵 TikTok: @thatonetime_podcast

ABOUT US:

Each week, Adam dives into the lives, habits, and lessons of some of the most successful and interesting people in the world, aiming to extract actionable insights for everyday life.

The podcast focuses on the pillars of health, wealth, and wisdom, featuring in-depth, vulnerable conversations with individuals taking on the world in their own way.

Hosted by Adam Metwally:
https://www.instagram.com/meetwally/
Produced by Joe Fowler:
https://www.instagram.com/joeefowler/

🎶 Music:
By HNNY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r3Paw23_eQ

Episode source