Business noobs
Back in 2012, David and his friend Robert ran a small web design agency in Barcelona. They had lots of clients. But their attention was constantly scattered across different projects, and the work had to adhere to their clients’ terms. They dreamed of being able to focus on one project—on their terms.
One early concept, David remembers, was a collaborative karaoke website where people could source different parts of a song from their friends. It didn’t get off the ground.
Then, a better idea fell into their lap.
Robert had a client called Roca—a company that made bathroom products. They wanted a digital form for their showroom to collect the contact details of potential customers. David and Robert quickly got to work on a new type of form, one that would really stand out.
Roca loved it. It looked and felt more like a conversation than a form.
“We thought: this could be the idea that takes us away from all the client work.”
They knew this was their opportunity. But having an idea is one thing—building a profitable business from it is a completely different challenge.
“We didn't know what MRR, ARR, or any other startup metrics meant. We tried to raise capital here in Spain and no one would look at us ‘cause we just had no idea about running a business.”
Despite being business noobs, the product—which they called Typeform—gained traction. People loved how refreshing typeforms felt compared to traditional web forms. They’d fill in a typeform, wonder what it was, and sign up as customers—the lucrative “viral loop”.
In the first few years, Typeform felt like a fun adventure. They formed a close-knit group of around 30 employees in a bright, open-plan office full of plants. Everything felt easy—an expert in support, marketing, or development was just a shoulder-tap away.
Until it wasn’t.
