# Zola: Shan-Lyn Ma

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2022-04-18
- Length: 1h 10m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma

## Summary

Shan-Lyn Ma, co-founder and CEO of Zola, explains how she and co-founder Nobu Nakaguchi built a $600 million wedding planning platform by learning from the inventory-heavy failures of Gilt Group and the organizational inertia of Yahoo. Ma details the pivot to a dropship model to avoid holding inventory, the intense fundraising struggles to convince investors of a $100 billion market opportunity, and the strategic expansion into home goods during the pandemic. The episode highlights key decisions such as standing by inclusive advertising values against Hallmark, managing cash flow through credit cards in the early days, and scaling the team to nearly 250 employees while maintaining a strong company culture.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma#t=0) Introduction: Shan-Lyn Ma and Zola's Origin
- [4:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma#t=294) Early Influences: Jerry Yang, Yahoo, and Gilt Group
- [19:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma#t=1192) The Gilt Group Failure: Inventory and Business Model Lessons
- [27:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma#t=1663) Finding the Idea: From Snacks to Wedding Registries
- [35:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma#t=2126) The Dropship Model: Avoiding Inventory Risks
- [43:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma#t=2593) Fundraising: Convincing Investors and Raising Capital
- [52:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma#t=3146) Personal Tragedy: The Car Accident and Recovery
- [1:00:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma#t=3631) Brand Values: The Hallmark Ad Controversy
- [1:02:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma#t=3742) Navigating the Pandemic and Launching Zola Home
- [1:08:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma#t=4111) Current Status: Valuation, Growth, and Future Outlook

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Zola (product)
- Gilt Group (company)
- Yahoo (company)
- Jerry Yang (other)
- Nobu Nakaguchi (other)
- Kevin Ryan (other)
- Rachel Jarrett (other)
- The Knot (product)
- Hallmark (company)
- U.S. Bank (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#80 From turning down Shark Tank offers to raising $2.7 million for Nopalera with Sandra Velasquez](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-02-21-80-from-turning-down-shark-tank-offers-to-raising-2-7-million-for-nopalera-with) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [From turning down Shark Tank offers to raising $2.7 million for Nopalera with Sandra Velasquez (2023)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-10-17-from-turning-down-shark-tank-offers-to-raising-2-7-million-for-nopalera-with-san) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Jen Liao of MìLà](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-08-23-founder-feature-jen-liao-of-mila) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Oddball's Path From Idea to Funding a Nationwide Target Launch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-07-11-oddballs-path-from-idea-to-funding-a-nationwide-target-launch) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Marilyn Yang of Popadelics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-04-11-founder-feature-marilyn-yang-of-popadelics) (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/2022-04-18-zola-shan-lyn-ma. 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.