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Home > The NFX Podcast > How a $500 TV Ad Turned Credit Karma into a $7B Empire w/ Ken Lin
Podcast: The NFX Podcast
Episode:

How a $500 TV Ad Turned Credit Karma into a $7B Empire w/ Ken Lin
Category: Technology
Duration: 01:07:50
Publish Date: 2026-01-22 16:00:00
Description:

Key Points:

- Ken Lin emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong company culture and staying mission-aligned, even when faced with significant financial pressures and acquisition offers.

- Credit Karma's early scrappiness and unconventional marketing strategies, such as leveraging Google Television Auction for cost-effective TV ads, were pivotal in scaling the business efficiently.

- Ken Lin sees AI as a transformative force in personal finance, enabling more personalized and automated financial advice, which will democratize access to financial planning traditionally reserved for the wealthy.


Timestamps:
(0:00) Introduction to Ken Lin, Credit Karma founder

(0:32) Ken Lin's journey from Intuit to entrepreneurship

(2:15) The inception and evolution of Credit Karma

(7:26) Overcoming the Great Recession and funding strategies

(12:00) Crafting cost-effective marketing and scaling with TV ads

(20:38) Fostering a scrappy company culture and partner relationships

(24:03) Credit Karma's early traction and overcoming TransUnion challenges

(31:14) Building a strong company culture and ethical business practices

(37:32) Insight into IPOs, fundraising, and acquisition dynamics

(43:03) The path to Credit Karma's acquisition by Intuit

(50:32) Deal negotiations and cultural alignment with Intuit

(55:28) The acquisition during COVID-19 and future insights

(1:06:56) Ken Lin's next steps after Credit Karma
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