Clarity.fm

Founded in 2010 by serial entrepreneur Dan Martell, the Moncton, New Brunswick platform connects startup founders with over 50,000 experts, including Mark Cuban, Brad Feld, and Eric Ries, for business advice. Users pay on a cost-per-minute basis for phone consultations that help them avoid costly mistakes, while also accessing mentorship features like video courses and answered questions. Operating primarily within the technology and software sectors, the service successfully facilitated over 150,000 completed calls for more than 17,000 entrepreneurs seeking strategic guidance and marketing advice. To support this massive scale and growth, the company secured seed funding of $1,600,000 from prominent venture capital backers including Baseline Ventures, Real Ventures, and 500 Startups. Following years of significant growth and continuous marketplace expansion, the venture-backed network was officially acquired by the organization Fundable in February 2015.

High-Level Overview

Clarity.fm is a DIY marketplace expert network that connects startup founders and entrepreneurs with seasoned experts for on-demand phone coaching and advice on topics like marketing, fundraising, and product development[1][2][3]. It serves entrepreneurs worldwide, solving the problem of accessing personalized guidance from successful peers—such as Mark Cuban, Brad Feld, and Eric Ries—on a pay-per-minute basis, without needing expensive networks or travel[4][5][6]. Founded in 2012 (with some sources noting 2010 inception), it raised $2.7 million from investors including Baseline Ventures, Mark Cuban, and 500 Startups, grew to 50,000 experts and 300,000 calls, and was acquired in 2015 by Fundable (now under Startups.co), where it continues operating[1][2][5][6].

Origin Story

Clarity.fm was founded by serial entrepreneur Dan Martell, a Canadian from Moncton who drew from his personal experiences, including time in rehab at 17, to emphasize learning from those who've succeeded[2][4]. Living in San Francisco amid abundant startup expertise, Martell ideated the platform to "unlock all this advice, experience, and knowledge" for entrepreneurs everywhere, especially those outside hubs like rural Canada[2][7]. Launched around 2010-2012, it quickly gained traction: by acquisition in 2015, over 17,000 entrepreneurs had completed 150,000-300,000 calls, with 50,000 experts onboard[2][4][5][6]. Martell sold to Startups.co (Fundable's parent) for mission alignment, joining their ecosystem of tools like Bizplan and Launchrock, with the full team transitioning[3][6].

Core Differentiators

• On-Demand Access Model: Pay-per-minute phone calls with experts, bypassing gatekeepers for immediate, targeted advice from proven founders—no subscriptions or long waits[3][4][5].
• Expert Network Scale: Over 50,000 experts including high-profile names like Mark Cuban and Brad Feld, fostering a "rolodex of startup experts" for diverse topics from growth to funding[2][4][6].
• DIY Marketplace Efficiency: Entrepreneurs book directly, with rapid growth to 300,000 calls and proven usage by 17,000+ founders, emphasizing real-world experience over theory[1][2][5].
• Community Integration: Post-acquisition, seamless ties to Startups.co's 13 million users, adding funding, press, and launch tools for end-to-end support[3][6].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Clarity.fm rides the democratization of expertise trend, making elite startup advice accessible beyond Silicon Valley via digital marketplaces amid remote work and global founder booms[2][7]. Timing was ideal in the early 2010s startup surge, filling gaps in mentorship as crowdfunding and bootstrapping rose, with market forces like expert abundance in hubs favoring scalable platforms[2][6]. It influences the ecosystem by accelerating founder success—over 181,000 minutes of calls in one year alone—boosting outcomes for non-tech "mom-and-pop" entrepreneurs and integrating into larger communities like Startups.co[3][5][6].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Clarity.fm's acquisition embedded it in Startups.co's expansive platform, positioning it for AI-enhanced matching, video courses (with 50+ in backlog), and global scaling to impact one billion people by 2022 as originally missioned[1][5][7]. Trends like AI coaching tools and hybrid remote advising will amplify its reach, evolving from phone calls to multimodal mentorship while maintaining human expertise's edge. Its influence may grow as founder communities consolidate, sustaining momentum in a maturing startup advice market—echoing Martell's vision of unlocking knowledge for dream-chasers worldwide[2][7].