Who I learned from · 2019–2020
Darren Lopes
Darren looked at Limelight before it launched and told me the design was dated, the swipes could be gamed and organic reach would never scale it. Every one of those was right, and the last one changed how I market everything. He also inspired me to build an offshore team, and taught me the importance of gamification.
Who I learned from
- Who
- Darren Lopes
- Role
- Music and social marketer
- To me
- The marketer who told me, before I had a product, that organic reach would not carry it.
- When
- 2019–2020
Who Darren is
Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Gamelancer, a gaming media network built for mobile and social platforms, and co-founder of 10PM Curfew, a cross-platform lifestyle network.
How we met
I pitched Limelight to Darren over Instagram in May 2019. Instead of encouragement I got the questions an investor would ask: how users could game the swipes, why the design looked dated, and where the growth would come from if not paid media.
What I learned
That paid beats hoping. In June 2019 Darren walked me through the Facebook pixel, why text in an image cuts its reach and how conversion tracking works. I added the pixel the next day and 130 artists signed up in three days. Months later I told Darren the advice was still ringing in my head. It still is: every Google Ads campaign I run, including the ones that kept Hamilton Tire & Auto’s bays full, starts with tracking.
Teams and games
Darren inspired me to build an offshore team, and taught me the importance of gamification on any platform. Fittingly, he also co-founded Gamelancer, a gaming media network.