SpotHero’s Mark Lawrence on Building a Marketplace Business, Meditation, & Why If It’s Not a Fuck Yes, It’s a Fuck No

Mark Lawrence is the CEO and Co-Founder of SpotHero, an on-demand parking app and website that makes drivers’ lives easier by helping them find and reserve a parking for up to 50% off. Mark along with his co-founders started the company after managing to rack up thousands of dollars in parking tickets. SpotHero is now one of Chicago's bigger consumer startup success stories. They raised $20 million in Series B funding last year, are in 15 cities, and have a team of 120 now.  LISTEN ON ITUNES LISTEN ON GOOGLE PLAY In This Episode You Will Learn:Why Mark and his co-founders started SpotHeroHow the product has evolved from the initial ideaHow they got their first customersWhat was going through his head when competitors were raising massive roundsKeys to growing a marketplace businessHow SpotHero approaches launching in a new cityWhy "If it's not a fuck yes, it's a fuck no" when hiringThe benefits of meditation and floatation tanksKeys to keeping the culture as company growsSelected Links From The Episode:TechNexusEzra Galston, VC at Chicago VenturesFavorite Books:Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time by Howard SchultzLosing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way by Richard BransonThe Virgin Way: If It's Not Fun, It's Not Worth Doing by Richard BransonMultipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz WisemanShogun by James ClavellSponsored By:Propllr: a Chicago public relations firm that helps startups and innovators build credibility and awareness for their companies, people, products and services.