Know What's Happening in Entrepreneurship
Know What's Happening in Entrepreneurship
PopSockets turned phone backs into a $169 million business
PopSockets began as a garage prototype in 2011, converting the unused back of smartphones into a grip accessory. By 2017 the company generated $169 million in revenue, driven by word‑of‑mouth growth, celebrity endorsements, and embedding the product into daily phone use.
The article launches the "Big Tools for Small Business" series, spotlighting an emerging AI solution that promises to simplify legal assistance for entrepreneurs. It notes that while marketing, accounting, and analytics tools have become ubiquitous, legal support remains under‑served. The author argues that today’s AI platforms can deliver affordable, on‑demand legal guidance previously reserved for large firms. By showcasing this upgrade, the piece aims to bridge the gap between sophisticated technology and everyday small‑business needs.
Unpopular opinion. Most indie hackers spend too much time building and not enough time talking. I spent 3 hours last week on calls with 4 users. Zero lines of code written. It was the most productive week I've had in months. The...
Most founders fail for one reason: lack of focus. The best ones obsess over product and users while others chase coffee with investors, conferences, PR, partnerships, and social media debates. If it does not improve your product or help you...
Brian Kelly turned his personal fascination with credit‑card points into The Points Guy, a travel‑focused blog launched in 2010. By charging a modest $50 fee and later adopting affiliate marketing, he generated $1 million in six months. The rapid growth led...
Releasing a new SaaS? Onboard new users in live visio corresponding to your persona. Let them try it in live without guidance and watch their reactions. Where they click. What confuses them. Often difficult exercise, but best way to learn.
My cohost Jack talking about how to Build a Business That Runs Itself: Test Succession. Don’t miss the relentless growth podcast.
At SXSW, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream announced a surprise pivot, adding frozen‑yogurt to its Miami Brickell store and planning a broader rollout. Simultaneously, Eventbrite co‑founder Julia Hartz disclosed she is stepping down as CEO following the company’s acquisition by Milan‑based Bending Spoons....
Be open with your journey folks - it’s free product development, free market development, free GTM
We have two more slots for exceptional demos at LAUNCH Festival for founders building OpenClaw / AI based projects. Apply at https://t.co/5SLgdRzHdo"
Brys Stephens, co‑founder of the recipe‑search platform Cookthink.com, released a new cookbook that blends Southern comfort food with Asian flavors. The book’s highlight is a stir‑fried beef, zucchini and sweet onion dish that showcases ingredient synergy and a health‑focused profile....
You only just started😁 The real work begins when you realize the business you built can’t grow without structure.
The piece warns that idolizing Steve Jobs creates a dangerous second‑hand mindset for founders. It argues that copying Jobs' image—his attire, keynote style, or anecdotes—ignores the complex psychology that made him unique. The author cites Elizabeth Holmes as a cautionary...
I just want to gut-check - when people are ai-coding apps for a paying customer (or their startup) - you guys are handing over the code, right? Not just standing it up on vercel/supabase/whatever and saying "look it's done you can...
OATS Africa has become Cloudways' first official agency partner in Nigeria, marking a key milestone for the Lagos‑based digital agency. Founded in 2019 as a freelance operation, the firm grew by building over 100 Shopify stores and launching products such...
Ember Cookware, a 2024 Indian startup, is targeting ₹100 crore in annual recurring revenue by March 2027 after raising $3.2 million to boost R&D and manufacturing. The company focuses on non‑toxic ceramic and cast‑iron cookware, positioning its products as healthier alternatives to traditional...
A founder raised $1.2 million using four non‑dilutive sources—cloud credits, a government grant, revenue‑based financing, and a tech‑company program—while retaining 100% ownership of his SaaS at $80K MRR. The post reveals a curated list of 80+ equity‑free funding options across nine...
Series A is not seed. Seed investors fund promise. Series A investors fund performance. Running out of cash is not a plan. If growth stalls and costs rise, they walk away. Show numbers or change course.
Slack wasn’t supposed to be Slack. It started as an internal tool while building a video game. The game failed. The tool didn’t.
BuzzFeed has spun off a new venture called Branch Office, a creative studio aimed at reshaping online social interaction with AI. Announced at SXSW, the unit unveiled three experimental apps—Conjure, BF Island and Quiz Party—designed to turn AI‑generated prompts into...
Entrepreneurs often wrestle with whether to chase customers quickly or perfect their offering first. The author argues that in the early stages, product value should dominate, especially when the solution is unproven. A must‑have, revenue‑impacting product reduces churn and builds...
In 2026 service businesses are pivoting from time‑based billing to outcome‑based models that guarantee measurable results. AI‑generated strategies and an oversaturated education market have shifted buyer demand toward execution and accountability. Companies that adopt Done‑For‑You (DFY) frameworks assume risk, deliver...
Opening a coffee shop often looks appealing, but many founders misjudge the daily grind. The work is physically demanding, repetitive, and riddled with constant interruptions from staff, suppliers, and equipment failures. Maintaining product consistency requires continual oversight, while customers care...
Cocoa Press, the first consumer chocolate 3D printer, has appointed David Randolph—formerly CEO of Printed Solid and a veteran of Prusa Research—as its new chief executive. The startup also added Prusa‑experienced COO Matt Stultz and Print Kits manager Caleb Kraft to...
A growing number of tech entrepreneurs and remote workers are relocating to British seaside towns such as Weston‑super‑Mare, drawn by cheaper housing and the flexibility unlocked by the pandemic. Local hubs like The Hive are nurturing micro‑businesses, while niche ventures—from...
Workspace interiors startup OfficeBanao secured ₹34.8 Cr (≈$3.76 M) in a funding round led by Lightspeed, with Mangum II and Medra Family participating. The round valued the company at a pre‑money ₹522.7 Cr (≈$56.5 M) and was split into two tranches, allocating ₹10.62 Cr to Lightspeed,...
• Raise money • Hire 50 people in 60 days • Predict you'll triple revenue • Barely grow 40% OR • Bootstrap with 3 people • Own 100% of everything • Get to desired ARR on your terms • Never ask a board for permission You’ll make more money...
I wonder if a culture that reminds people to be risk-averse leads to Canada underperforming in entrepreneurship. (Of course I agree that designing bridges that don't fall down is a good thing)
Former Lululemon founder Chip Wilson has launched a new website accusing the brand of losing its way and demanding a "quantum of change" at the retailer. Wilson, who pioneered the athleisure concept and exited the company years ago, has intensified...
"We are on the threshold of a mathematical renaissance and massive scientific discoveries" - @CarinaLHong, CEO of @axiommathai, which just announced their $200M Series A Full episode 👇 https://t.co/26VUb0Cuqx
I met my first billionaire investor through a pay-to-pitch event in NYC. There are exceptions to every rule.
Foxo, a Bengaluru‑based longevity startup, offers a premium, membership‑driven health platform that combines systems biology with AI‑assisted clinical coaching. The company raised $0.5 million in a pre‑seed round led by Blume Ventures and targets high‑income executives willing to invest lakhs annually...
So many startups erroneously think they should “go upmarket to the Enterprise” just because some teams at large companies bought their software. 50% of people work at big companies, and they’re already buying. Here’s more blunders to avoid: https://t.co/cE9pImYPyy
Chatting with an entrepreneur friend yesterday. Three weeks into his Open Claw experimentation. He’s preparing to cut the first 3 of his 15 person team in the next few weeks. Hasn’t actually pulled the trigger yet, will be fascinating to...
Rox, an AI‑driven sales‑automation startup, closed a funding round that lifted its valuation to $1.2 billion. The company projects $8 million in annual recurring revenue by the end of 2025. Launched in November 2024 with $50 million in seed and Series A capital from...
"I also believe that, with the power of the internet and computers, it is possible to deliver the same experience, consistency, and sophisticated decor in an independent business [as in a franchise]" ¬#Franchise Warnings (2015) https://t.co/l2EObkfURN https://t.co/p3i2cgIxKK
As difficult as it is to scale infrastructure… …the hardest thing is to scale people. Yet technical founders spend most of their time on tech, because it’s interesting. Exactly wrong. That’s what you’re good at hiring for. Go solve the more important, harder problem.
The article argues that a startup’s greatest competitive edge often lies outside Silicon Valley, rooted instead in a small‑town mindset that emphasizes longevity. It highlights Overland Sheepskin Co.’s founder Roger Leahy, who leverages his Iowa and New Mexico bases for...
There’s a in Hampton who runs a company doing $30m in revenue with very few employees He did a screenshare showing the tools he uses to make it happen. https://t.co/DAT3MWSdKe
The first $100k is the hardest Not because of the tactics. Because you have to become someone who: • Believes they're worth $100k • Makes decisions like a $100k earner • Shows up like a $100k business owner You have to become it before you earn...
Daniel Lubetzky, founder of Kind Snacks and Shark Tank investor, told SXSW entrepreneurs that a brand’s promise must be authentic and tied to real social impact. He argued that purpose‑driven products can be both healthful and profitable, and that genuine...
#WomensHistoryMonth. At just 19, Melanie Perkins began working on her graphics design software company which would later become Canva. (Success People In The World) https://t.co/r9ZlUCBNeN
Amazing. In 2006 I went to Stanford with stacks of pizza to the Unix cluster at Sweet Hall with xerox fliers It said: Come join the next Google We were a 12 person startup The name of the startup? Palantir
Loopio, the Toronto‑based B2B RFP software provider, announced a 12 percent workforce reduction in March, cutting roughly 36 positions and bringing headcount to 260. The layoff follows a series of previous cuts in 2020, 2023 and 2024, as the company...
A pattern I've noticed: Most founders chase $10K months but very few design for $10K days. The latter comes from systems that sell without emotional or energetic effort.
I haven't published new essays in almost 15 years. But I started writing again, and am now sending out a weekly email with new thoughts on topics like: - The 6 stages of SaaS growth, and how to know which you're...
Wyvern, an Edmonton‑based hyperspectral imaging startup, announced two international deals: a reseller agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Neo Space Group (NSG) to deliver its Dragonnette satellite data through the UP42 marketplace, and a direct customer contract with U.S. firm Orbital Advisors...
Low pricing is an execution-heavy signal. It tells people something about your market position and your self-assessment. It does not tell them you care about them. It tells them you don't value yourself, and if you don't value yourself, why...
The world is flat. Running a fast growing company with a fully remote, global team is easier than ever before. https://t.co/uBNIQekA6e
0 to $10M you get paid to execute $10M to $50M you get paid to fix $50M+ you get paid to think
Failure means you’ve identified one very specific way that doesn’t work. Sadly, that leaves almost everything else. That’s why Edison took 1000+ tries. Each failure didn’t confer enough “learning.”
