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