# How I Built Resilience: Daniela Corrente of Reel

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2020-12-17
- Length: 24m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-12-17-how-i-built-resilience-daniela-corrente-of-reel

## Summary

Daniela Corrente, CEO and co-founder of Reel, explains how her digital savings platform helps consumers save for big-ticket items like electronics and furniture without incurring credit card debt. She details the company's pivot during the pandemic to expand into new verticals such as travel and electronics, and the strategic decision to A/B test a service fee, which surprisingly increased user trust and conversion rates. Corrente also discusses the challenges of fundraising, emphasizing the need to prove consumer behavior data to skeptical investors, and outlines Reel's monetization model through retailer partnerships and float on held funds.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-12-17-how-i-built-resilience-daniela-corrente-of-reel#t=0) Introduction: Daniela Corrente and Reel's mission
- [1:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-12-17-how-i-built-resilience-daniela-corrente-of-reel#t=95) How Reel works: Goal-based saving and retailer partnerships
- [3:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-12-17-how-i-built-resilience-daniela-corrente-of-reel#t=196) Corrente's origin story and validating the market
- [6:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-12-17-how-i-built-resilience-daniela-corrente-of-reel#t=389) Fundraising challenges and proving consumer behavior
- [13:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-12-17-how-i-built-resilience-daniela-corrente-of-reel#t=781) Pricing psychology: The counterintuitive success of charging a fee
- [15:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-12-17-how-i-built-resilience-daniela-corrente-of-reel#t=921) Pandemic response: Expanding verticals and user growth
- [17:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-12-17-how-i-built-resilience-daniela-corrente-of-reel#t=1071) New features: Charity savings and user acquisition strategies

## Topics

- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Reel (product)
- U.S. Bank (company)
- Visa (chip)
- Bloomingdale's (company)
- UNICEF (other)
- South by Southwest (other)
- Mocker (other)
- Airbnb (company)
- DoorDash (company)
- Betterment (company)
- Wealthfront (company)
- Pinterest (company)
- Instagram (company)
- TikTok (company)
- Facebook (company)
- NPR (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [34: Goals and Plans for 2018](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2018-01-24-34-goals-and-plans-for-2018) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [#237 - Inside Founders & Funders with Alex Michaelsen from Leisure Hydration and Alex Malamatinas from Melitas Ventures](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-02-24-237-inside-founders-funders-with-alex-michaelsen-from-leisure-hydration-and-alex) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#114 Driving Trial at Retail with Digital Rebates + Key Insights on Latest Natural Shopper Trends with Social Nature](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-11-14-114-driving-trial-at-retail-with-digital-rebates-key-insights-on-latest-natural) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Investor Spotlight: Mollye Santulli, Springdale Ventures](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-03-21-investor-spotlight-mollye-santulli-springdale-ventures) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Daniela Suarez of iCalm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-11-01-founder-feature-daniela-suarez-of-icalm) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-12-17-how-i-built-resilience-daniela-corrente-of-reel. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.
