Batch: Achievements
- Founded Hyperseed, a Y Combinator S21 B2B fintech, and scaled it successfully
- Helped Depop double GMV from $150M to $300M in one year
- Held key leadership roles at Rocket Internet, Depop, Nextdoor, Bump, and TripIt
- Contributed to TripIt's $120M acquisition as Mobile PM
- Led product teams through major growth phases and exits, including Depop’s $1.6B sale and Nextdoor’s IPO
- Mentors and advises over 50 companies across B2B and B2C sectors
Let's talk about Hootan Mahallati
Time to appreciate Hootan Mahallati, this guy is the real deal in the startup world. No cap. He’s been around the block for over 20 years, jumping into everything from social networking to fintech, e-commerce, and marketplaces. Basically, he’s a product guy who’s crushed it everywhere he’s gone.
He’s a YC alum from the S21 batch, so he’s legit fresh off the startup grind, having founded Hyperseed, a B2B fintech that was part of YC’s summer class. Hyperseed was like Zapier for billing, super slick, and it shows he’s got that hustle DNA. But before that, Hootan’s been in the trenches at some of the biggest names in the game, Rocket Internet, Depop, Nextdoor, Bump Technologies, TripIt, Yahoo, Ricardo.
The dude’s held some serious roles, Chief Product Officer at Rocket Internet, Interim CPO at Depop when it hit that $1.6B exit, Director of Product at Nextdoor which went public, VP at Bump (sold), and he was even a Mobile PM at TripIt when it got bought for $120M. The guy’s been through the fire, helping startups scale from scratch, crush growth, and guide big exits. Like, he helped Depop double GMV from $150M to $300M in just a year. That’s no joke.
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Talk to herWhat’s crazy is, he’s not just a doer but also a mentor and advisor, over 50 companies trust him to give advice across B2B and B2C. That’s a big sign he’s got that rare combo of hands-on product skills and big-picture thinking.
And get this, he’s got an MBA from Columbia, so he’s not just all about the hustle but also knows how to run the business side of things. That tells me he’s fired up by building stuff that actually moves the needle and has a real hunger to keep creating and scaling.
So why does this matter? Because Hootan’s story is about more than just startups. It’s about someone who’s jumped into whatever was needed, whether it’s launching a fintech, scaling a marketplace, or advising the next wave of founders, and crushed it each time. That’s the kind of guy who’s not afraid to start from zero, get his hands dirty, and make shit happen.
Bottom line: Hootan Mahallati is a product legend, a startup veteran who’s been through the ups and downs, and still keeps pushing. He’s the guy you wanna watch if you’re serious about building something that lasts.
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