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Tag: Starting a Business

  • 10 Underrated Podcasts Every Entrepreneur Should Listen To | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly bombarded with recommendations for the same big-name podcasts (How I Built This, The Tim Ferriss Show or Masters of Scale). They’re good, but they’ve become the mainstream playlists of the entrepreneurial world. The real edge comes from discovering voices that are flying under the radar — podcasts that don’t just regurgitate clichés but dig into gritty lessons, unconventional strategies and the realities most entrepreneurs are too busy or too cautious to discuss openly.

    As a venture investor and CEO, I’ve seen firsthand that the entrepreneurs who win are the ones who think differently, seek perspectives outside the obvious, and leverage wisdom from unexpected places. These podcasts won’t necessarily appear in your LinkedIn feed, but they’ll challenge your thinking and, more importantly, give you the kind of insights your competition probably hasn’t heard yet.

    Here are 10 underrated podcasts that deserve a permanent spot in your queue.

    Related: The 10 Best Podcasts Every Entrepreneur Should Listen to for Growth, Strategy and Success

    1. The Indie Biz Podcast

    This show focuses on small, independent businesses — the kind that bootstrap from scratch without Silicon Valley backing. The episodes highlight founders who navigate obstacles with resourcefulness rather than venture capital. For entrepreneurs, it’s a refreshing reminder that success isn’t about billion-dollar valuations but about building sustainable, real businesses.

    Takeaway: Learn how scrappiness and creativity often matter more than scale.

    2. Bootstrap Stories

    This podcast dives into entrepreneurs who took the long road — growing without outside investment. It’s raw, honest and humbling. Founders share what it’s like to sacrifice personal comfort for business growth and how they resisted the temptation to chase capital too early.

    Takeaway: Discipline in growth and ownership has its advantages. You control your destiny.

    3. Creative Elements

    Host Jay Clouse interviews creators and solopreneurs making a living on their own terms. It’s not just about business mechanics; it’s about the psychology of creativity, discipline and building personal brands. If your work involves content, media or personal branding, this podcast is pure gold.

    Takeaway: Entrepreneurs are creators too, and learning from the creative economy can sharpen your edge.

    4. The Unmistakable Creative

    Unlike formulaic business shows, this podcast dives deep into the unusual and unexpected. It’s less about business tactics and more about perspective — bringing in artists, scientists, and thinkers whose insights cross-pollinate with entrepreneurship in surprising ways.

    Takeaway: Great business breakthroughs often come from outside the business world.

    5. StartUp Therapy

    Two founders (Wil Schroter and Ryan Rutan) talk candidly about the mental and emotional battles entrepreneurs face. From burnout to imposter syndrome to co-founder conflicts, it’s a brutally honest discussion that feels more like a therapy session than a business seminar.

    Takeaway: Entrepreneurship isn’t just about strategy; it’s about managing your mind and emotions.

    Related: 25 Top Podcasts That Will Spark Your Entrepreneurial Vision

    6. The Sweaty Startup

    Nick Huber focuses on “uncool” businesses — self-storage, property management, cleaning services — that generate massive wealth. It’s a counterbalance to the obsession with tech startups, reminding us that riches are often made in industries no one brags about at cocktail parties.

    Takeaway: Don’t overlook “boring” businesses — they’re often the most profitable.

    7. The Exit

    This show spotlights founders who’ve sold their companies, breaking down the process of negotiations, valuation and exit strategy. It’s tactical and strategic, and it teaches entrepreneurs to think with the end in mind, even when they’re just starting.

    Takeaway: Building with an exit in mind shapes smarter decisions from day one.

    8. Business Wars

    More of a storytelling show than a tactical one, Business Wars dramatizes rivalries between iconic companies — Nike vs. Adidas, Netflix vs. Blockbuster, Uber vs. Lyft. For entrepreneurs, these stories reveal how strategy, timing and ego shape industries.

    Takeaway: Learn from history. Understanding how giants fought their wars can prepare you for your own battles.

    9. The Twenty Minute VC

    Harry Stebbings interviews top investors and founders, but it’s not a polished PR tour. The conversations are direct and filled with behind-the-scenes insights about what investors actually look for and what separates good pitches from bad ones.

    Takeaway: If raising money is on your roadmap, this show gives you a rare peek inside the investor’s head.

    10. My First Million

    While not completely “underrated,” it still flies under the mainstream radar compared to the giants. The hosts brainstorm business ideas, dissect companies and share unconventional strategies for building wealth. It’s fast, funny and refreshingly irreverent.

    Takeaway: Business ideation is a skill — you get sharper at spotting opportunities by listening to others riff.

    Related: 30 Top Podcasts for Influential Entrepreneurs

    Why these podcasts matter

    What sets these podcasts apart isn’t just that they’re less well-known; it’s that they expose you to perspectives and strategies outside the typical entrepreneur echo chamber. Mainstream shows often polish their stories for mass appeal, but these conversations are raw, unfiltered and unapologetically real.

    They remind us that entrepreneurship isn’t a highlight reel — it’s the grind, the doubt, the breakthroughs and the failures that lead to transformation.

    If you’re serious about growth, carve out time to listen. Put one of these podcasts into your rotation each week. Don’t just listen passively. Take notes, share with your team, and apply the insights to your business.

    Because in a world where everyone is consuming the same mainstream content, the real advantage comes from tuning into voices your competitors aren’t even aware of yet.

    As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly bombarded with recommendations for the same big-name podcasts (How I Built This, The Tim Ferriss Show or Masters of Scale). They’re good, but they’ve become the mainstream playlists of the entrepreneurial world. The real edge comes from discovering voices that are flying under the radar — podcasts that don’t just regurgitate clichés but dig into gritty lessons, unconventional strategies and the realities most entrepreneurs are too busy or too cautious to discuss openly.

    As a venture investor and CEO, I’ve seen firsthand that the entrepreneurs who win are the ones who think differently, seek perspectives outside the obvious, and leverage wisdom from unexpected places. These podcasts won’t necessarily appear in your LinkedIn feed, but they’ll challenge your thinking and, more importantly, give you the kind of insights your competition probably hasn’t heard yet.

    Here are 10 underrated podcasts that deserve a permanent spot in your queue.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Roy Dekel

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  • ‘We Live the Brand’: Why Mark Wahlberg and Harry Arnett Built a Company That Embodies Relentless Ambition | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Municipal CEO Harry Arnett met his future co-founder in a setting familiar to many business leaders: the golf course. They bonded quickly over shared experiences — raising kids, navigating careers — and from that connection, a friendship grew. At first glance, it sounds like a typical entrepreneurial origin story.

    But in Arnett’s case, the partner by his side wasn’t another executive. It was Oscar-nominated actor and Boston icon Mark Wahlberg.

    Related: John and Hank Green Built a Company That Gives Away 100% of Its Profits — Here’s How

    Purpose over products

    “When Mark and I first discussed starting a brand, it wasn’t about the products,” Arnett tells Entrepreneur. “It was about how we could equip modern consumers with what they need to achieve their goals.”

    They, along with film and television producer Stephen Levinson, identified a major white space at the intersection of fitness and fashion. Arnett formerly served as executive vice president at Callaway Golf, where he noticed a shift in how consumers engaged with brands.

    “They were starting to seek direct relationships with brands they liked, primarily through digital media,” he explains. As EVP, he focused on revitalizing Callaway by reconnecting with consumers in a fresh, dynamic way — a strategy he calls the centerpiece of his community-building efforts.

    After years of back-and-forth, the duo finally launched Municipal in 2019.

    “The idea for Municipal was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Wahlberg tells Entrepreneur. “It wasn’t about just attaching my name to someone else’s idea, which is often what celebrity-led brands are. Municipal is different — this is a real partnership from the ground up.”

    The launch meant Arnett had to leave Callaway. “For me, that was an aha moment,” he says. “A chance to step away from a comfortable, familiar career and start over in pursuit of the best version of myself.”

    That mentality became the ethos of Municipal, a company founded on helping modern consumers pursue excellence in all aspects of life.

    “Municipal is about creating the best products in the world for workouts, athletic pursuits and everything in between, from the office to an active weekend,” Arnett explains. “It might sound like we’re trying to be everything to everyone, but when people see our product, they get it immediately — no one makes gear like we do.”

    Related: Restaurants Are Throwing Away Billions of Gallons of Water — This Startup Said Enough

    Building tomorrow’s leaders

    Contrary to standard practices, where brands are encouraged to hone in on a focus area, Arnett positions Municipal as more than just another activewear company, calling that label too “one-dimensional.”

    He envisions the brand inspiring a drive to succeed in any arena — athletics, academics or beyond. A key part of this approach is Municipal’s Next Gen Brand Immersion, a free, week-long program that gives young people an inside look at every aspect of building a modern, purpose-driven brand — from product design and marketing to finance and operations.

    “Too often, young people are fed the myth of overnight success and shortcuts,” Arnett says. “From our experience, those are fantasies. We saw an opportunity to use our platform to celebrate ambition, hard work, and self-belief in a way that feels ‘cool’ for kids.”

    The idea for the program didn’t originate with Arnett or Wahlberg, but with Arnett’s youngest daughter, Kerris, who has shown a keen interest in Municipal.

    “We’ve been talking about the brand since day one, and she got really passionate about it,” Arnett shares. “She said it would be amazing if more kids her age could experience these kinds of things firsthand, instead of just reading about them. I told her, ‘Karis, that’s a big idea.’”

    Building on his daughter’s suggestion, Arnett sought to replicate what brands like Nike have done with sports camps — creating a talent pipeline for Municipal while connecting the company with the next generation of potential entrepreneurs and gaining insights into the preferences of the highly coveted Gen Z audience.

    The effort culminated in a week-long, hands-on program giving ambitious 18- to 24-year-olds a real look at what it takes to build a modern, purpose-driven brand. Participants work directly with Municipal’s team across product design, marketing and operations, gaining experience in creating, launching and promoting a real collection.

    The students even designed a capsule — featuring a hoodie, pants, shorts, t-shirt and hat — that Municipal will release and help market.

    “It’s a way to engage with this group beyond just selling the best gear in the world,” Arnett explains. “These 25 students are leaders in their schools and have become rabid Municipal fans. They’ll tell their friends, and even when they go off to college, they’ll maintain a connection with us. The possibilities for extending that relationship feel practically endless.”

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    Leo Zevin

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  • Walking Away From My Co-founder Was the Best Business Decision I’ve Made — Here’s Why | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    On a recent work trip and unable to sleep, I was flipping through the channels when I stumbled upon Late Night with Seth Meyers, who happened that night to be interviewing the show’s former host, the legendary Conan O’Brien. As a fan of the tall, goofy comedian, I paused my channel surfing just in time to hear him share with Meyers the philosophy that guided him throughout his incredibly long and successful career:

    “There’s a giant orchestra, there’s a lot of noise and I’m just banging my triangle. Is anyone even hearing me?” says O’Brien. “And this sounds crazy, it’s like, some Buddhist idea. But if you just stay true to what you believe in, and you keep doing it with purpose, eventually, they’ll only hear the triangle.”

    Hearing this, I was immediately cast back to the early days of starting my company, Jotform.

    I’m a proud solo founder now, but that wasn’t always the plan. In fact, for years I’d intended to start a business with a close friend. He was 10 years older than me, he was more experienced and we had talked endlessly about launching a company together. We had a verbal agreement: 50/50 partners. No egos — just mutual trust and a shared dream.

    But when the time finally came to take the leap, everything changed. He told me that someone had advised him to take 51%. That one person always needed to be “in charge.” It wasn’t a suggestion — it was an ultimatum.

    I didn’t even hesitate. I walked away.

    It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made as an entrepreneur. But it was also the best one. Here’s why.

    Related: The Professional Breakup — How to Oust a Co-founder Legally and Smoothly

    The power of sticking to your principles

    Walking away from that partnership was tough — not just as an entrepreneur, but as a person. It wasn’t merely a business split; it was the unraveling of a shared vision, years in the making. I was suddenly on my own, without a partner to lean on and no one to share the weight of what I was about to build.

    Conventional wisdom holds that co-founders are necessary for a startup’s survival. Founding a company solo is a “vote of no confidence,” the computer scientist and entrepreneur Paul Graham wrote in 2006. “It probably means the founder couldn’t talk any of his friends into starting the company with him,” he said. “That’s pretty alarming, because his friends are the ones who know him best.”

    Yikes. I don’t actually think that advice ever held much water, and with the rise of automation and AI, I firmly believe you need a cofounder less than ever. Still, the fact remains that startups test your resolve in a thousand little ways, and the boundaries you set in those early days become your foundation. If that foundation is cracked, the pressure will only make it worse.

    That decision also taught me something essential: Sticking to your principles doesn’t always feel like a win in the moment. In fact, it often feels like a loss of opportunity, momentum and connection. But over time, the cost of compromising what you want is far greater.

    Related: The 9 Leadership Principles That Carried Me From the Sidelines to the Suite

    Identify your values early

    The split in partnership wasn’t the only disagreement my co-founder and I had. We also didn’t see eye to eye on the direction the company would take. In the course of planning our business, it became evident that we had developed different visions — he wanted to consult for other companies; I wanted to build something new. His vision didn’t excite me, and mine didn’t excite him. One of us would ultimately have had to make compromises we didn’t like.

    So, as depressed as I was at the dissolution of our plan, I also felt a sense of relief. When you’re starting a company, there are so many forces that threaten to derail your vision. That’s why it’s so helpful to define your values early — the non-negotiables that form the bedrock of your business and your motivation for building it. I like the advice offered by career coach Irina Cozma, who writes in Harvard Business Review that clarifying your values takes both conscious effort and time.

    “Depending on your journey, your values might stay constant over time or might change based on new events and information,” wrote Cozma. Check in with yourself each year to ensure that what was once important to you still is. And if it isn’t, don’t be afraid to re-evaluate.

    Knowing my values has guided me through some of my most confounding challenges, like how to grow, when to hire and what products to build. They’ve kept me on track and away from the lure of outside investments or opportunities that ultimately wouldn’t serve the company. Splitting with my cofounder gave me a chance to establish what mattered early on, and became the blueprint for how I built the company I have today.

    When you know what you stand for, decision-making gets a lot easier. You may still be banging your triangle in a noisy orchestra — but you’re doing it with clarity, purpose and the confidence that eventually, your sound will cut through.

    On a recent work trip and unable to sleep, I was flipping through the channels when I stumbled upon Late Night with Seth Meyers, who happened that night to be interviewing the show’s former host, the legendary Conan O’Brien. As a fan of the tall, goofy comedian, I paused my channel surfing just in time to hear him share with Meyers the philosophy that guided him throughout his incredibly long and successful career:

    “There’s a giant orchestra, there’s a lot of noise and I’m just banging my triangle. Is anyone even hearing me?” says O’Brien. “And this sounds crazy, it’s like, some Buddhist idea. But if you just stay true to what you believe in, and you keep doing it with purpose, eventually, they’ll only hear the triangle.”

    Hearing this, I was immediately cast back to the early days of starting my company, Jotform.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Aytekin Tank

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  • We Built a 7-Figure Business Without a Single Investor — Here’s Why Saying No to VC Was Our Smartest Move | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    You’ve heard this story before: a couple of college kids launch a startup from their dorm room. Surrounded by engineers, finance majors and future founders, venture capital wasn’t just common — it was expected. So when my co-founder and I launched Prepory, our college admissions coaching company, we assumed we’d need funding to be taken seriously.

    We entered a pitch competition and came in second. No check. We reached out to investors. No bites. We had a choice: give up or keep building.

    We kept building.

    What started as a one-person operation helping students in our local community has grown into a seven-figure, global company with nearly 100 team members. We’ve supported over 14,000 students, partnered with school districts and institutions in multiple countries and built one of the most trusted brands in college admissions — all without a single outside investor.

    Here’s why we said no to VC, and why bootstrapping was the smartest decision we never planned to make.

    The pressure to raise

    In elite academic circles, starting a business often goes hand in hand with chasing venture capital. I pictured the high-stakes pitch rooms, the dramatic investor meetings — scenes straight out of The Social Network. But after our early efforts fell flat, we stopped trying to win someone else’s approval and turned our focus inward.

    We obsessed over our product, our client experience and our outcomes — not “scale.”

    One month before our one-year mark, we hit $100,000 in revenue. It wasn’t a headline-grabbing number by Silicon Valley standards, but it proved something more important: we didn’t need permission to grow. We just needed to execute.

    Related: Most Startups Ignore This One Asset That Makes or Breaks Their Success

    What bootstrapping taught us

    In hindsight, bootstrapping didn’t just work — it shaped the business in ways VC money never could.

    Every dollar mattered, which meant we tested fast and paid close attention to what customers wanted. Client feedback shaped everything. We pivoted early on from a B2C model to B2B — realizing that one school contract could bring the same revenue as ten individual clients. That insight wasn’t born from a boardroom; it was born from necessity.

    Bootstrapping also made me a better leader. I didn’t start by managing dozens of people. I started with one, then five, then ten. That kind of slow, intentional growth gave me room to develop as a leader — learning how to listen, communicate clearly and lead with clarity and care. There was no pressure to scale overnight, so we could prioritize culture, values and quality.

    The hidden cost of raising too soon

    VC can be a powerful accelerator — but if you raise too early, it can also be a trap.

    Many founders take funding before they’ve found product-market fit. They shift their focus from solving customer problems to pleasing investors. Instead of building a strong foundation, they’re stuck managing burn rates and expectations. Teams get stretched. Quality suffers.

    We built slowly. That meant we stayed close to our mission and recruited talent who were energized by the opportunity to build something meaningful. Today, we outperform companies twice our size because we’ve built a team that shows up with purpose — and we’ve stayed aligned with what matters most: helping students reach their full potential.

    Related: How to Scale a Business Without Wasting Millions (Or Collapsing Under Your Own Growth)

    Should you bootstrap?

    Ask yourself this: What do you actually need the money for?

    If you’re building a product that truly requires upfront investment — hardware, tech or time-sensitive development — funding may make sense. But if you’re starting a service-based business, you might not need capital to get traction.

    Bootstrapping requires resilience, patience and a tolerance for delayed gratification. But it gives you full ownership of your company, your vision and your decisions. Today, we have the freedom to invest in growth on our own terms.

    People still ask if we’d raise money now. My answer? Not unless we have a strategic reason to. Not because I’m anti-VC, but because we no longer need it.

    Bootstrapping gave us something far more valuable than capital: it taught us how to build a resilient, values-driven, adaptable business. And if we ever decide to raise, we’ll do it from a position of strength — not survival.

    You’ve heard this story before: a couple of college kids launch a startup from their dorm room. Surrounded by engineers, finance majors and future founders, venture capital wasn’t just common — it was expected. So when my co-founder and I launched Prepory, our college admissions coaching company, we assumed we’d need funding to be taken seriously.

    We entered a pitch competition and came in second. No check. We reached out to investors. No bites. We had a choice: give up or keep building.

    We kept building.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Daniel Santos

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  • Home From College: Jobs for Young Adults Without Work Experience | Entrepreneur

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    Julia Haber, the 29-year-old co-founder of career platform Home From College, was a student at Syracuse University when she started her first business: an experiential marketing agency that brought retail pop-ups to college campuses and worked with brands like Shopify to teach students about entrepreneurship.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Home From College. Julia Haber.

    The experience gave Haber valuable insight into what the career landscape looks like for Gen Z — and just how much it had changed over the past six-plus years.

    “ This next generation is constantly looking for ways to figure out who they are by doing things,” Haber tells Entrepreneur, “and because it’s such a socially native generation, we see all these people online making money in different ways. This next gen really wants to work with brands they love as well and admire, and it’s a blend of this consumer meets career.”

    Related: Gen Z Is Redefining the Workplace — and Companies Must Adapt or Face Losing Talent

    Recognizing that many students graduate without knowing what they want to do with their lives — and often with significant debt — Haber wanted to help them build “multi-hyphenate” careers early on.

    So Haber launched the Los Angeles-based startup Home From College in 2021 alongside co-founder Kaj Zandvliet, a former banker at PineBridge Investments and financial analyst at Sony Music Entertainment.

    “We position ourselves as the translator between companies and college students.”

    Home From College provides students with an opportunity to earn their first dollars and work with the brands they love in a “flexible, student-first” environment.

    To that end, Home From College only hosts paid job opportunities, 90% of which are remote. Companies can create an account on the platform and list their “gigs,” which could be anything from a one-day project to a lengthier brand ambassador program. Students and recent graduates create their own accounts on the platform and apply for the gigs that interest them — no prior work experience required.

    Home From College is free for students to use. The platform offers four subscription tiers for companies, starting at $49 per month, plus a 20% fee on student compensation. All payments take place on the platform via Stripe.

    Related: Why Gen Z Is Ditching the Corner Office Dream — and How Businesses Can Adapt

    Students typically earn about $30 an hour, and the average ambassador program pays students roughly $1,000 a month. It’s also common for students to work two gigs at once. Some of the top earners have seen “tens of thousands of dollars in a short period of time,” Haber notes — with one dedicated student’s gigs even amounting to a $50,000 paycheck.

    “We position ourselves as the translator between companies and college students, and that really resonated,” Haber says.

    Home From College raised $1.5 million of pre-seed funding in 2022, then $5.4 million in a seed round led by GV, formerly Google Ventures, last year.

    The company is using those funds to continue building a “sustainable, fast-moving” business. Home From College has invested in high-level talent and AI to connect students and brands effectively.

    Related: Top Career Motivations of Gen Z and Reasons They Choose an Employer

    “We’ve been implementing a ton of new roles that have more of an AI bent to them.”

    Additionally, although Home From College initially focused on low- to no-skilled jobs, there’s an interesting opportunity to lean on the hard skills that Gen Z college students and recent graduates often already have — like those related to AI, Haber says.

    “We’ve been implementing a ton of new roles that have more of an AI bent to them,” Haber explains, “and helping companies catch up to the students who are already native [in AI]. So that’s been a new frontier of actually having the students be more of the experts in a topic that companies are less proficient in and helping bridge that gap.”

    Companies on the platform are also interested in students with a talent for customer success and sales at scale, Haber says.

    For example, some consumer brands look to students for help with distribution in challenging markets, like the outskirts of a college campus or the middle of the country. It’s typical for these companies to recruit students to source new locations, such as a nearby deli, to sell products.

    Related: Gen Z Talent Will Walk Away — Unless You Try These 6 Strategies

    “ So it’s creating almost a business development sales team, boots on the ground at scale, where they can hire hundreds of people for that type of role,” Haber says, “where it’s skill and labor, and then simultaneously social media and content.”

    Brands often rely on students to run their TikTok shops too, as it can be a massive undertaking for those that want to launch and scale a meaningful affiliate program, Haber notes.  

    “[Students] come in and run those programs on behalf of companies,” Haber says, “and it’s great because it helps generate revenue for their business, but simultaneously teaches [the students] marketable skills.”

    “You’re not just where you went to school. You’re a bigger version of that.”

    Above all, Haber encourages young adults launching their careers to “use your whole self as the opportunity to market who you are” and land the role you want.

    Home From College facilitates that by allowing students to share more information about themselves than a typical resume or job application might glean — for instance, having curly hair could make them “really attractive” to a shampoo brand that specializes in curls and needs a social media manager to connect with its target customer base.

    Related: Gen Z Is Losing Faith in the College Degree — Here’s 3 Reasons Why It’s Still Important for Them

    “You’re not just your major,” Haber says. “You’re not just what your GPA is. You’re not just where you went to school. You’re a bigger version of that.”

    This article is part of our ongoing series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of being a Young Entrepreneur®.

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    Amanda Breen

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  • Is This Where Future Business Owners Will Start Their Education? | Entrepreneur

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    In the early stages of running a business, your venture lives or dies based on your expertise. Before you have your own skilled team, everything is on you: management, marketing, data analysis, everything. It sounds intimidating, but there are actually ways to get a broad education in the skills you’re looking for.

    EDU Unlimited is a learning platform with more than 1,000 courses across subjects, so you can refine all your essential skills in one place. Right now, lifetime access is also on sale for only $19.97.

    What can EDU Unlimited teach you?

    This platform gives you unlimited access to beginner and advanced courses in business, IT, graphic design, coding, finance, digital marketing, and more. Whether you’re building a website, developing a product, or managing your own bookkeeping, you’ll find courses designed to help you grow your skill set. New content is added regularly, so you can stay current with the tools and trends that matter most.

    You also get course certifications, access to quarterly instructor webinars, and simple progress tracking to keep you on task. Lessons are self-paced and easy to follow, whether you’re squeezing in a few hours after work or dedicating full days to leveling up.

    EDU Unlimited works on desktop and mobile, with no limit to how many devices you can use. After redeeming your code, you have lifetime access with no subscription fees or added charges. That makes this a one-time investment in a long-term learning resource.

    If you’re building something from the ground up, having the right knowledge makes a difference. EDU Unlimited gives you the flexibility to learn what you need, when you need it.

    Right now, it’s only $19.97 to get lifetime access to EDU Unlimited, but it won’t stay that way.

    EDU Unlimited by StackSkills: Lifetime Access

    See Deal

    StackSocial prices subject to change.

    In the early stages of running a business, your venture lives or dies based on your expertise. Before you have your own skilled team, everything is on you: management, marketing, data analysis, everything. It sounds intimidating, but there are actually ways to get a broad education in the skills you’re looking for.

    EDU Unlimited is a learning platform with more than 1,000 courses across subjects, so you can refine all your essential skills in one place. Right now, lifetime access is also on sale for only $19.97.

    What can EDU Unlimited teach you?

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Entrepreneur Store

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  • Smart Tax Moves If You Have Multiple Income Streams | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    There’s a common debate about whether to diversify your income or stay specialized, although the statistics are factual. Nearly half of Americans have at least two revenue streams, and multimillionaires have at least seven. The reason is simple. Having multiple income streams equips you with options and provides you with financial stability.

    Once you decide to have multiple revenue streams or you already have them, the most critical thing to keep in mind is taxes and remaining compliant. However, more crucial is to plan so you have plenty of time to define a strategy and save for tax payments. Never wait until the last moment.

    Step 1: Treat each income stream like a business

    Whether you earn a W-2 salary, work as a freelancer or contractor, consult, rent properties, or trade stocks and other assets, each activity follows its own set of tax rules.

    You wouldn’t declare Airbnb earnings under your payroll, for example. First, you must set up the correct legal entity, such as a single-member LLC, S-Corp or C-Corp. Ticking the right boxes can significantly reduce your liability. A building contractor with multiple earning streams might benefit from switching from an LLC to an S-Corp, which could potentially save you up to $20,000 in taxes.

    Related: What Is an LLC? Here’s How It Works.

    If you own properties and rent them out, you will want to separate your expenses. It can boost deductions significantly. It is also a way to accelerate depreciation write-offs, allowing you to retain more cash now instead of waiting 20 years.

    If you are selling one or several properties, you need to check out a 1031 to defer capital gains taxes by rolling your profits into a different investment.

    Step 2: Pay taxes as if your life depended on it

    This year, you cashed in on consulting, bonuses, stock options or a side gig. Think ahead, because you don’t want April to bring an unexpected tax bill that devastates your cash flow. That’s the reality for many who ignore quarterly taxes.

    So, set aside 25 to 30% of every non-W-2 dollar. Track earnings, make quarterly payments and avoid penalties or fines or both. Vendors accept payments quarterly. You should treat IRS installments the same way.

    Related: How Smart Entrepreneurs Turn Mid-Year Tax Reviews Into Long-Term Financial Wins

    Step 3: Track your deductions all year round

    Most people wait until March, then frantically search through their emails for receipts and invoices. Not a good idea. Start thinking about taxes in July, when you can make smart, sensible and timely moves. If you are a freelancer or contractor, you may deduct expenses such as your home office, internet bill and travel to meetings with clients, including business lunches.

    Please don’t become the entrepreneur who misses a $3,000 gasoline deduction because they didn’t track their mileage to all those meetings and lunches. There’s no need to go to extremes, either, so don’t try to claim dog grooming or any other suspicious “business expense,” as it will raise red flags.

    “The optimal tax strategy isn’t always about pushing every possible benefit to its limit — it’s often about creating a framework that allows for consistent, long-term, justifiable tax efficiency,” said George Dimov, CPA, who helps professionals navigate the complex tax and planning system.

    It’s a good idea to maintain all your records in a spreadsheet or app to log expenses as they happen, and you’ll thank yourself when tax season arrives.

    Related: Why Mid-Year Tax Reviews Are a Must for First-Time Entrepreneurs

    Step 4: Expats, don’t miss these tax breaks

    If you are a US citizen earning abroad, operating a business from Thailand, or consulting for clients in Europe, taxes can become overwhelming. Tax law has a provision that allows approximately $120,000 of foreign-earned income to be excluded from US taxes. Be sure to check this number annually, as the exact amount changes frequently.

    The foreign tax credit can also save you from paying taxes twice if you are taxed overseas. However, you must report all relevant information, including foreign businesses, bank accounts and even small investments. There are fines of about $10,000 for failing to report a foreign bank account.

    Research as much as you can about international taxes or consult an expert who knows the subject and can save you time, trouble, and money.

    Related: 5 Tips for Finding the Tax Advisor Who Will Save You Millions

    Bottom line: multiple streams call for multiple planning layers

    More income streams mean more options, but also more tax complexity. Success lies in structure, timing, and ongoing management. Structure your entity to match your objectives. Pay quarterly. Plan mid-year. Track everything. However, taxes don’t have to be a nightmare.

    There’s a common debate about whether to diversify your income or stay specialized, although the statistics are factual. Nearly half of Americans have at least two revenue streams, and multimillionaires have at least seven. The reason is simple. Having multiple income streams equips you with options and provides you with financial stability.

    Once you decide to have multiple revenue streams or you already have them, the most critical thing to keep in mind is taxes and remaining compliant. However, more crucial is to plan so you have plenty of time to define a strategy and save for tax payments. Never wait until the last moment.

    Step 1: Treat each income stream like a business

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    John Rampton

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  • What I Learned After Selling My Company to Snapchat for $54 Million | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In 2014, Snapchat acquired our startup, Scan, for $54 million, back when QR codes were still relatively new.

    Most people hadn’t tried them, and phones didn’t support them natively. The technology was promising, but the experience wasn’t, so it sat behind a clunky UX. We removed that friction and made QR codes easier to create, scan and deploy, which led to quick adoption.

    The deal with Snapchat was seamless, not because of flashy decks or famous backers, but because they saw how we were focused on closing a real usage gap, how we moved fast and were aligned with their larger vision.

    For any founder hoping to build a lasting company or one day sell it, I’ve found that success boils down to a few core principles I’ve learned along the way.

    Related: What I Wish I Knew Before Selling My Company

    1. Build what people actually use

    Too many founders begin with presentations or investor outreach before proving their product. From day one, Scan was grounded in user need. We built it to let people easily scan and generate QR codes, nothing fancy, just functional and straightforward.

    Just like with any startup, we didn’t raise capital immediately. We did, however, start early, pay attention to all helpful comments, and make changes often. Shortly after, that strategy helped the app get more than 1 million downloads. By the end of 2012, Scan had more than 25 million apps installed. A couple of years later, we had more than 100 million copies of the product downloaded around the world.

    That user traction was more persuasive than any pitch deck could have ever been. It proved product-market fit, a signal investors and acquirers value above all else. When starting a business, ensure you have the end users in mind and iterate frequently, rather than investing energy in hypothetical demand. Remember that real usage always beats hypothetical value.

    From the start, my co-founders and I aligned on roles and equity. That early clarity, splitting equity equally and playing to our strengths, helped us stay focused and avoid internal friction, which kills many startups before they begin.

    2. Design with a buyer in mind

    By the time Snapchat reached out, Scan was already built for scale, fully localized, with creation tools that teams could use anywhere. The real alignment clicked when Snap wanted a scannable identity baked into a camera‑first experience.

    In Q1 of 2015, Snapcodes launched on top of Scan’s core stack. The integration worked seamlessly because we engineered for extensibility, tuned reliability to survive low-light and low-ink prints and planned use cases beyond our original app.

    Design for ecosystem fit from the start if you’re a founder hoping to get your business on an acquirer’s shortlist. Keep an eye on the metrics that are important to them, such as mistake rates, time-to-first-scan and activation. Next, look for integration abilities like compliance, dependability and APIs. The discussion swiftly moves from “What if?” to “How soon?” when strategy and culture are in sync.

    3. Know your numbers and what it’ll take to win the deal

    One detail that almost derailed the acquisition was the initial financial structure. Our seed investors had a liquidation preference that meant anything below $54 million wouldn’t deliver meaningful returns to founders or early backers.

    Snap’s first offer came in below that line. With guidance from our lead investor, we held firm. He reminded me: “You haven’t gotten a good deal until you’ve said no three times.” That mindset gave us leverage when it mattered most.

    We used speed as our lever and told Snap that if they met our number, we could start integration immediately. That clarity closed the gap, and we signed at the threshold we needed to reach.

    If you’re raising or preparing for an exit, know your cap table cold. Map the preference stack (seniority, multiples, and whether prefs are participating) plus option‑pool top‑ups and any SAFEs or notes. Define your walk‑away point. Keep in mind that leverage isn’t only about price; execution speed, a specialized team and defensible IP can all move the terms.

    Related: You Need to Make These 5 Moves Before Selling Your Business

    4. Every dollar must drive momentum

    After raising roughly $2 million in seed funding, we felt confident, but confidence can be a misleading indicator.

    Without a strict plan, we overhired, signed a high-end lease in downtown San Francisco, and delayed experimenting with monetization strategies. Cash was used too quickly, and we nearly ran out of runway within months.

    That near-crash taught me that funding isn’t in any way a safety net but a responsibility. Each dollar must contribute to measurable momentum. Hire deliberately, test revenue early and protect a six‑month cash buffer. Flashy growth comes and goes, but durable advantage comes from operational discipline with a focus on the work that actually moves the business. That kind of financial and strategic clarity is often a key signal that you’re ready to sell, when the business can operate independently, growth is consistent, and decisions are rooted in fundamentals rather than rapid changes.

    5. Build for freedom, not just an exit

    One thing I’d do differently is hold onto more gratitude. It’s easy to get caught up in momentum and miss the meaning, especially when building with friends.

    Selling the company gave us perspective and room to breathe. The real lesson wasn’t in the money, but in building with purpose, creating space where creative teams do their best work and shipping technology that supports human well-being.

    That’s the focus at my current company, at the intersection of AI, performance, and mental health. I’m applying those same lessons with more intention, clearer outcomes and steady, user-guided iteration.

    For founders, treat an acquisition as a checkpoint. Use it to recommit to the pain points worth solving, the people you want to scale with, and the impact you intend to leave. Execute with focus.

    In 2014, Snapchat acquired our startup, Scan, for $54 million, back when QR codes were still relatively new.

    Most people hadn’t tried them, and phones didn’t support them natively. The technology was promising, but the experience wasn’t, so it sat behind a clunky UX. We removed that friction and made QR codes easier to create, scan and deploy, which led to quick adoption.

    The deal with Snapchat was seamless, not because of flashy decks or famous backers, but because they saw how we were focused on closing a real usage gap, how we moved fast and were aligned with their larger vision.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Kirk Ouimet

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  • How Her Side Hustle Became a ‘Monster’ $250M Revenue Business | Entrepreneur

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    This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Demi Marchese, 32, founder and CEO of 12th Tribe, a Los Angeles, California-based fashion brand. Here’s how she used $800 to grow a side hustle into a full-blown business that’s seen over $250 million in lifetime revenue and $35 million annually. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe. Demi Marchese.

    Want to read more stories like this? Subscribe to Money Makers, our free newsletter packed with creative side hustle ideas and successful strategies. Sign up here.

    What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
    After college, I worked in sales for my mom during the day and packed orders at night. I didn’t have a fashion degree. I just had a deep desire to build something that felt like me — bold, global, connected. The brand’s identity is grounded in that relentless hustle and the belief that women can create their own rules and lifestyles.

    Related: This Mom’s Creative Side Hustle Started As a Hobby With Less Than $100 — Then Grew Into a Business Averaging $570,000 a Month: ‘It’s Crazy’

    When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
    I started 12th Tribe in 2015 out of a love for styling, storytelling and standing out. While studying abroad in college, I traveled to 11 countries — each one shaping how I saw the world and fashion. I became fascinated with the idea of expressing where you’ve been and who you are through what you wear.

    At the time, I was curating one-of-a-kind vintage pieces to avoid looking like everyone else. One pair of vintage Levi’s shorts became my travel staple and the first product I officially named and marketed as “the short you pack when you don’t know where you’re going next.” That idea resonated quickly.

    After moving to LA, I began dressing girls for Coachella with globally inspired pieces I sourced myself. The festival was a cultural moment, and I leaned in — styling every detail from jewelry to boots. Word spread, and soon I wasn’t just styling girls for festivals, I was building an online destination where they could shop the entire look.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

    What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
    I launched 12th Tribe with $800, no outside funding and a vision I couldn’t shake. I was a solo founder, fresh out of college, doing everything alongside my family and close friends, packing orders, styling shoots and answering every DM. It started as a side hustle, but our first viral moment hit fast. Festival season landed me in sorority group chats and across Instagram, and I was hand-delivering Thrasher vintage shorts to girls across LA. That short became our first cult product and the foundation of something much bigger.

    Related: He Spent $36 to Start a Side Hustle. Now the Business Earns 6 Figures a Year — With Just 1-2 Hours of Work a Day: ‘Freedom.’

    If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you’d done it differently?
    I would have spent a few years working on management skills. Learning how to manage people while also managing the high level of stress of building a company from zero would have changed my life. I also would have trusted the process more. When I was younger — and remember, I was in my 20s launching this business that turned monster real quick — I second-guessed myself a lot. I questioned what I knew. I let people sway me, and I wish I had trusted my gut a bit more at times.

    When it comes to this specific business, what is something you’ve found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren’t?
    People see the photoshoots, product drops and glossy growth moments, but not the sacrifices behind the scenes. In my 20s, I missed more relationship moments than I can count. Not because I didn’t care, but because I was drained, too stressed, too responsible or simply empty from pouring into the business every day.

    Many assume there’s a team handling everything. But as a founder, especially starting from nothing, you’re in the thick of it. You’re not just driving vision and strategy; you’re carrying the weight of deadlines, departments and the livelihoods tied to your decisions. It’s a responsibility most people don’t understand.

    And as a woman, there’s the constant expectation to be “just enough” of everything. Too direct and you’re cold. Too kind and you’re weak. You’re expected to lead with grace under pressure, but the pressure never really lets up. In reality, it’s less about balance and more about stamina, self-belief and learning to keep going even when no one sees the weight you’re carrying.

    Related: These 31-Year-Old Best Friends Started a Side Hustle to Solve a Workout Struggle — And It’s On Track to Hit $10 Million Annual Revenue This Year

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

    Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
    During peak season, our warehouse partner at the time mishandled inventory for a major launch. Thousands of units were delayed, and customer orders were sitting in limbo. For a brand built on community and trust, that moment felt like it could unravel years of hard work overnight.

    The first step was immediate transparency. I personally stepped in to communicate with our customers, letting them know we were aware of the issue, working around the clock, and that their trust was our top priority. Behind the scenes, I mobilized every department: Our operations team worked directly with the warehouse, our marketing team shifted messaging in real time, and we even restructured fulfillment processes to get orders out manually.

    It was a defining moment for me as a leader because it forced me to not only solve the crisis tactically, but also zoom out and reimagine how we protect the business long-term. That experience ultimately led us to transition to a new global logistics partner and completely overhaul our fulfillment strategy.

    Looking back, what could have been one of our biggest setbacks became a catalyst for scaling with more resilience. It reminded me that as a founder, my role isn’t to avoid problems — it’s to navigate them with clarity, communicate with integrity and make the hard decisions that position the business for the future.

    Related: I Interviewed 5 Entrepreneurs Generating Up to $20 Million in Revenue a Year — And They All Have the Same Regret About Starting Their Business

    How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the initial side hustle earn?
    In the beginning, it was just me — a one-woman show — with a few friends and family who’d step in to support. That was my first “tribe.” Because I kept the business lean and scrappy, I pushed myself hard and was fortunate to see consistent monthly revenue within just a few months.

    I set intense sales targets for myself and made a promise that if I was going to fall short, I would find a way to make it happen. That meant boots on the ground — whether it was setting up a pop-up, inviting girls into my apartment to shop or selling at any opportunity I could find. I refused to let a month go by without hitting the number.

    At first, I was only making a few hundred, which grew into a couple thousand. I was living at home, so my overhead was low, and I picked up extra income working for my mom’s sales company. But the real engine was pure hustle — I didn’t just wait for online sales to roll in, I created them.

    Eventually, when revenue stabilized, the first hire I made was a finance manager — because I absolutely hated reconciling the books. But those scrappy, do-whatever-it-takes beginnings laid the foundation for everything that came after.

    What does growth and revenue look like now?
    With over $250 million in lifetime revenue and $35 million annually, 12th Tribe has grown into one of the leading DTC fashion brands — all without outside investment. Worn by millions of women worldwide and supported by a loyal 600,000-strong digital community, we’ve become the go-to destination for outfits that make life’s most unforgettable moments. What started with festivals has expanded into a full lifestyle brand, dressing women from college through motherhood and beyond. We’ve achieved double-digit year-over-year growth, launched global shipping that doubled international orders and opened flagship stores in SoHo and on Abbot Kinney in Venice, all while staying 100% female founder–funded.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of 12th Tribe

    What does a typical day or week of work look like for you?
    As a founder and creative director, my time is structured very intentionally across the week to keep the business moving forward on both a visionary and operational level. I begin each week aligning with leadership; this sets the tone by clarifying top priorities, addressing roadblocks and ensuring every department has what it needs to execute.

    From there, I front-load my week with marketing and product, since they’re the heartbeat of the brand and require the most creative and strategic energy. Toward the end of the week, I shift into finance and operations, making sure we’re on track with budgets, forecasting and organizational flow.

    A typical day can swing between big-picture strategy and very hands-on work. I’m often on set for photoshoots, immersed in the creative process, because I believe in being boots on the ground when it comes to storytelling and product presentation. It’s a balance of vision-setting, team alignment and rolling up my sleeves where it matters most, keeping me deeply connected to both the brand and the people who bring it to life.

    I’m currently building out one of the biggest departments that is the center of the brand, so I work pretty heavy hours Monday through Friday. I have given myself the weekends to reset, but by Sunday night, I am prepping for the week ahead. It is really important that I get a full read on my schedule and prioritize what is most important.

    Related: This Couple’s ‘Scrappy’ Side Hustle Sold Out in 1 Weekend — It Hit $1 Million in 3 Years and Now Makes Millions Annually: ‘Lean But Powerful’

    What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
    I want women — especially young founders — to know that you don’t need a million followers, VC funding or a perfect plan to start. You need conviction, community and the courage to show up again and again. That’s what built 12th Tribe. And that’s what will keep us moving, one powerful moment at a time.

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    Amanda Breen

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  • 5 Challenges Every Solopreneur Faces — and Smart Ways to Tackle Them | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    These days, something very interesting is happening in the world of online entrepreneurship.

    More and more people are choosing to build their businesses completely on their own. They are called solopreneurs — motivated individuals who focus on managing every part of their business alone.

    What separates solopreneurs from traditional entrepreneurs is that they purposefully choose to stay lean and independent while still aiming to grow and make a real impact, whereas entrepreneurs often build teams.

    According to what I’ve seen on Google Trends, the number of searches for the term “solopreneur” has increased in the last five years alone. The biggest increase occurs in entrepreneurial hotspots across North America, Europe and Asia.

    So, what’s the reason for this?

    A couple of things: people have become accustomed to remote work — it’s the new norm, and unconventional career paths are more accepted by society. Besides, powerful digital tools are more accessible and make running a business much easier.

    However, the reality is that solopreneurship isn’t exactly all freedom and flexibility. Running your own business comes with its own set of challenges that you don’t face in traditional jobs or when building a startup with a team. Understanding and overcoming these challenges is the key to thriving as a solopreneur.

    Related: How Solopreneurs Are Scaling Past Six Figures (Without a Team)

    1. Wearing too many hats

    Inside every business, there are a lot of moving parts — marketing, sales, finances, customer service and many other operations.

    For solopreneurs, all of these tasks fall on just one person’s shoulders. One day you’re the support agent, the next you’re writing social media posts or sending invoices… the list goes on.

    The tricky part isn’t the work itself — it’s the non-stop switching between fundamentally different tasks. This can lead to a loss of focus, energy and, over time, to decision fatigue, where even the small choices start feeling exhausting.

    How to make it easier

    Here are some tips to lighten the load and work smarter:

    • Group similar tasks together – for example, handle all the financial tasks on Monday morning instead of scattering them throughout the week.
    • Start small with outsourcing – no need to hire a full-time team. Begin outsourcing your most time-consuming tasks or the ones you feel you’re the weakest at.
    • Write things down – start simple checklists for recurring tasks to reduce mental load.
    • Implement the right tools – adapt software programs that allow you to cut down on repetitive work (email management, invoicing, scheduling, etc.)

    When you offload some of these roles, you can start focusing on the work that really matters – growing your business and providing your customers with top-quality service.

    2. The isolation factor

    Let’s be real — humans are social creatures, and working by yourself can make you feel lonely.

    With a traditional job, you’ve got colleagues to chat with, team meetings to discuss your ideas, and even those coffee chats that can break up the day.

    As a solopreneur, these social moments are gone.

    And while some enjoy the quiet, too much of it can take a heavy toll. Without those human interactions, you can lose motivation, creativity, and it can even negatively impact your mental health.

    How to stay on top

    The good news is that you don’t have to face solopreneurship alone. Here’s how you can bring people back into your work life:

    • Network and connect – join groups and online communities where other solopreneurs share their experiences.
    • Set up co-working sessions – find an “accountability partner”, either virtual, at a café, or a co-working space, to make it more fun.
    • Develop and learn – attend conferences and networking events to meet people who “get it.”
    • Seek out a mentor – they can guide you and share their knowledge with you.

    The key thing to remember: running a business by yourself doesn’t mean doing everything solo. Finding like-minded individuals can keep you motivated, inspired and less isolated.

    3. Financial instability

    Unlike employees with salaries, one of the toughest challenges for solopreneurs is money management.

    As a solopreneur, your income can swing up and down depending on the season, clients or just random luck. One month, you can be stressing over what bill to pay, the next, you’re on top of the world.

    This financial rollercoaster won’t just affect your bank account — it can also cloud your judgment. Some solopreneurs may take big risks when money starts flowing in, while others may become very cautious, holding back on extra expenses that can even help them grow.

    How to create stability

    The important thing is to smooth out the ups and downs as much as possible. Here’s how you can do that:

    • Diversify your income — don’t put all your eggs in one basket, develop multiple income streams to spread out the risk
    • Create recurring revenue — structure your offerings to include retainer agreements or subscription models to keep money coming in more predictably.
    • Create financial buffers — try to build an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses or income gaps.

    When you successfully implement these systems, the financial stress becomes much more manageable and understandable.

    Related: 5 Things You Need to Stop Doing as a Solopreneur

    4. Time management

    When we talk about solopreneurship, one of the biggest perks is being your own boss — you set your own schedule, no one tells you what to do, no 9-to-5 – sounds perfect.

    But on the flip side, without a proper structure, it’s easy to get lost in your work or not work nearly enough.

    Both can hurt your business and even you.

    The key is to create a rhythm that gives you focus without creating that feeling like you’re back in a corporate cubicle.

    How to manage your time better

    Here are some practical strategies that can help:

    • Work with your natural energy – keep track of when you feel most creative and energized, and schedule your most important tasks for then.
    • Create themed workdays – set up your days for different business functions. For example, Mondays for finances, Tuesdays for marketing, Wednesdays for client operations, etc.
    • Use time blocks – set aside chunks of time, but add short breaks in between so you don’t burn out.
    • Think in 90-day sprints – don’t try to do everything at once, select a few key priorities every quarter, and move in that direction.

    By implementing a structure, you can stay productive without feeling like you’re trapped by your work. It’s all about balance – become disciplined to get things done, and have enough flexibility to enjoy the freedom of being your own boss.

    Related: You Must Unlearn the Myth of the Solopreneur to Be Successful

    5. Maintaining confidence

    Managing a business solo means you’re constantly challenging yourself — acquiring new skills, facing new risks, gaining new responsibilities. With that comes something that every solopreneur faces: self-doubt.

    You start to question yourself, “Why am I doing this?”, “Am I good enough?”, “What was I even thinking when jumping into this…” and so on.

    The truth is, mental hurdles can be even tougher than practical challenges. But confidence isn’t about never doubting yourself – it’s about creating ways to push through when doubt shows up.

    How to build up your confidence

    Here are a few ways to keep your mind sharp and ready:

    • Record your wins – keep track of the skills you’ve gained, projects you’ve completed, and positive feedback from your clients. Seeing it in writing is a powerful reminder to keep going.
    • Level up gradually – take on slightly bigger challenges step-by-step. Each win is proof that you’re heading in the right direction.
    • Remember that a slight setback doesn’t mean you’re incompetent – it just means that you need to tweak the process a bit to get back on the right track.

    Confidence isn’t something that you have or don’t have. It’s all about how you overcome the challenges that you face.

    The future of solopreneurship

    Solopreneurship isn’t a passing trend – it’s becoming a real and lasting career path.

    As technology continues to improve and work culture continues to evolve toward more flexible solutions, more and more professionals will find “going solo” isn’t just possible but practical in various industries.

    The solopreneurs who will truly succeed in their endeavors will:

    • Recognize the key challenges that come with starting a one-person business
    • Implement strategic solutions that fit their unique scenarios
    • Stay flexible and adapt as their business grows

    The solopreneur path isn’t about building that “perfect balance”.

    Instead, it’s about finding solutions that make the tough parts manageable. With the right approach, solopreneurs can create businesses that are not only profitable but also personally fulfilling.

    At its core, solopreneurship is about choosing your own way, creating your own terms, and finding success that’s meaningful to you. You will be rewarded with freedom, creativity, independence and the joy of building something that’s truly your own.

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    Polina Beletskaya

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  • Starting a Business? You Need Founder Friends — Here’s Why | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Starting a business can be a lonely endeavor. No matter how confident you are in your product and in yourself, there will always be times when doubt creeps in — usually just as you’re trying to fall asleep.

    These crises of confidence can be fatal to your vision, but they don’t have to be. And one way to stave off the startup scaries is by having other founders in your life to lean on.

    Back when Jotform was a company of one (me), I had a close friend who was also a fellow early-stage founder. His idea — selling beauty products online — was conceptually completely different from mine, but that didn’t matter. We were facing the same struggles, the same uncertainties and many of the same difficult decisions.

    Each week, we’d spend hours walking through New York, hashing out our ideas as we traversed the cobbled streets of SoHo to the tree-lined walking paths of Brooklyn Heights. We’d exchange marketing and SEO ideas, workshopping products and sales strategies. We celebrated each other’s small wins — like landing a new customer or finally fixing a stubborn bug — and vented about the setbacks. Those conversations didn’t just make me feel less alone; they sharpened my thinking and kept me accountable. In a phase of life where so much felt uncertain, that kind of camaraderie was invaluable.

    For founders, especially solo founders, having someone who understands the unique pressure of building something from scratch can make all the difference. Here’s why.

    Related: You Can’t Succeed Alone — Why Small Businesses Must Work Together

    The power of peers vs. mentors

    I believe strongly in the power of mentors, and think everyone should have one. Mentors have been in your shoes and can offer sage advice that comes from experience and hindsight. But while mentors are indispensable, peers bring something different — and equally essential — to the table.

    A mentor can tell you how they handled a particular situation five or 10 years ago. A peer, on the other hand, can tell you what they did last week — and whether it worked. The advice is current, and the exchange goes both ways. You’re not just receiving guidance, you’re collaborating.

    Peers also provide something mentors can’t always offer: emotional resonance. They’re in the trenches with you, facing the same economic climate, technological changes and customer expectations. There’s no need to explain why a poorly executed launch or bad hire feels devastating. They already know. That shared understanding builds trust fast, and trust leads to lasting bonds.

    In those early walks with my founder friend, we weren’t pretending to have it all figured out. We were troubleshooting in real time, riffing on ideas, asking questions and giving each other the push we needed to keep going. It didn’t matter that our products were different — what mattered was that our challenges were the same. I also found that working through his business issues gave my brain a needed break from focusing on my own. Oftentimes, I’d return to my desk afterwards with fresh insights I would never have had if I’d kept spiraling on my own bumps in the road.

    Related: I Mentor First-Time Entrepreneurs — These Are the 4 Unseen Benefits I Gained By Giving Back

    Where to find founder friends

    These days, most of my close friends are also fellow founders. Running a business is pretty consuming, but we don’t just talk strategy — our conversation drifts equally around the people we hire, our company cultures and how to be motivational leaders. I’ve learned so much during our hangouts over coffee or beer that no book or YouTube video could ever have taught me.

    If you’re launching a business but don’t yet have a built-in founder community, don’t despair. These days, there are tons of resources for connecting with like-minded people. Subreddits like r/Entrepreneur and communities like Indie Hackers are great starting points, but don’t just stop at making online connections. Check your city for tech meetups — with startups more geographically dispersed than ever, you don’t need to live in New York or the Bay Area to find one near you. And as with most things, your existing network is one of your most powerful resources. Make it known you’re looking to build up your community of fellow founders. In all likelihood, you know someone who knows someone doing the same.

    If you’re an introvert like me, you may find all this intimidating. But the truth is, so much of running a business is relationship-building. And remember, these early meetups don’t have to be formal. A 20-minute coffee chat can lead to years of camaraderie.

    Once you’ve made a connection, carve out space for it. My friend and I had our weekly walks in New York. You might have a 30-minute Zoom every other Friday, or a WhatsApp thread where you trade updates and cheer each other on. Consistency is key. These conversations are most powerful when they become habitual, rather than a one-off.

    And finally — be honest. This isn’t an interview. You don’t need to posture or pretend. Talk about the idea that fizzled. Be real about your scaling woes. Vulnerability is what makes relationships meaningful. It’s also what makes them useful. Because the goal isn’t to impress, it’s to grow.

    Building a business will always come with moments of doubt. But having people around you who truly understand what you’re going through can make the path feel a lot less lonely.

    Starting a business can be a lonely endeavor. No matter how confident you are in your product and in yourself, there will always be times when doubt creeps in — usually just as you’re trying to fall asleep.

    These crises of confidence can be fatal to your vision, but they don’t have to be. And one way to stave off the startup scaries is by having other founders in your life to lean on.

    Back when Jotform was a company of one (me), I had a close friend who was also a fellow early-stage founder. His idea — selling beauty products online — was conceptually completely different from mine, but that didn’t matter. We were facing the same struggles, the same uncertainties and many of the same difficult decisions.

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    Aytekin Tank

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  • I Turned My Hobby Into a Global Startup for Writers — Here’s the Playbook | Entrepreneur

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    Since childhood, I’ve been a bookworm. My all-time favorite books include a mix of non-fiction and finance. However, this didn’t stop me from transforming my biggest hobby into My Passion, the top-2 e-book platform globally.

    The platform already has over 1,000 books, and every two weeks we release another 2–3 bestsellers. For entrepreneurs wondering if their passion could become their next startup, here’s exactly how I did it — and the framework that can work for you too.

    Related: AI Won’t Wait for Your Strategy — Why Should Your Leadership?

    Define your ‘Why’

    86% of people who started a hobby-based business report higher job satisfaction. But here’s what they don’t tell you: satisfaction doesn’t equal success, and most hobby businesses never scale beyond side hustles.

    Don’t quit your job just because you read how Zuckerberg started Facebook as a hobby project for Harvard students, or how Boeing turned his love of aircraft into a billion-dollar company. Instead, consider WHY you truly desire to launch your startup.

    Here’s how I discovered mine.

    For me, reading was more than just entertainment. This is what shaped my worldview.

    Books showed me the world beyond survival — I read about Van Gogh, artists and creators who transcended their environment. This sparked the belief that my background doesn’t define me — a mantra I carry to this day.

    I didn’t just want to open a bookstore, launch an app or write a book for money. My goal was to empower writers globally. Ultimately, storytelling became the DNA of my startup, Holywater, which unlocks people’s potential by combining their imagination with AI capabilities, from books to streaming and AI-powered series.

    Now, writers worldwide share stories and gain recognition through My Passion. Moreover, books evolve into My Drama’s vertical series with a global reach. We are also developing the PYSHY (WRITE) contest with Vivat Publishing, which creates real earning opportunities for writers.

    We got 444 submissions, 3 were picked for publication and 1 was adapted for a top-performing vertical series.

    You can simply monetize your hobby, for example, by selling your books, paintings or clay crafts. Or you can turn it into a global startup. Your why and scale make all the difference.

    Connect your passion with a real-world solution

    Your passion must translate into value for others, not just personal satisfaction. The reason 42% of startups fail is misreading market demand. Simply put, founders spent money and time launching a product that no one needed.

    Identify what other people’s problems or needs you can solve by turning your hobby into a startup. Consider how successful founders made this connection. Etsy transformed the love of handmade crafts into a global marketplace for unique goods. AeroPress turned one coffee enthusiast’s quest for the perfect brew into a portable solution for coffee lovers worldwide. These founders connected their passions with unmet market needs, creating products that solved real problems and resonated with millions.

    Through my reading journey, I realized a fundamental gap: people love stories, but they lack the tools and support to tell them well. Writer’s block, pacing issues and structural gaps limit creativity, and working on a book alone is exhausting. After all, professional storytellers have entire teams of editors, plot consultants and visual artists.

    Launching My Passion together with Anatolii Kasianov, we applied AI to democratize storytelling support, giving every writer access to plot development, visual elements, structure recommendations and pacing advice. Support that was previously only available to well-known authors is now available to all creators.

    Start with a small community

    Ask yourself: Is this hobby large enough to involve other people? Your passion requires a community to become a sustainable business.

    Many great businesses started as small communities that later scaled. For instance, Reddit began as a platform for niche interests and grew into a global discussion hub, and Duolingo was a small beta community of language learners testing early lessons. Nowadays, you can easily build a community on social media and get feedback there. It’s a great chance to get like-minded people together and test out your idea.

    The beauty of starting small is that it allows you to validate demand without massive investment. You can quickly discover whether others share your passion and face similar challenges.

    Related: How a Side Hustle Led to a $1 Million+ Passive Income Stream

    Don’t let your passion turn into a nightmare

    Understand the stakes and pressure that come with monetising your hobby. When your livelihood depends on what once brought you pure joy, the dynamic changes completely. Deadlines replace spontaneity. Market demands can override creative instincts. Financial pressure can drain the original magic. The result: burnout, which affects more than half of founders.

    What keeps me going? Again, books. Not for market research, but for myself. Besides, I have other passions. For example, I meditate every day and share insights on LinkedIn. It is extremely important for startup founders not to get stuck only in work, especially if their hobby and startup are now combined.

    The line between hobby and business disappears when your work helps others experience the same transformation that once changed you. When writers tell us our platform helped them overcome creative blocks they’d struggled with for years, I know we’ve moved beyond monetizing a hobby — we’re scaling transformation.

    Your greatest obsession might just be your greatest business opportunity, but only if you can preserve what made you fall in love with it in the first place.

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    Bogdan Nesvit

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  • Building Tech With No Experience Taught Me This Key Skill | Entrepreneur

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    In today’s world, not every founder comes from a technical background, and that’s no longer a dealbreaker. With AI projected to grow 28.5% by the end of the decade, even specialists are racing to keep up with emerging innovations. In such a fast-moving environment, the expectation that any one person, founder or otherwise, will master every detail is both unrealistic and counterproductive.

    The reality is this: You don’t need to code to build in tech, but you do need to translate. The ability to connect across disciplines has become the most important skill to develop — not just as someone building a company, but as someone leading one.

    If my experience in the NBA has taught me anything, it’s that every good team is made up of strong translators: people who understand both the locker room and the boardroom, coaches who can speak to data analysts and players, and leaders who can turn strategy into execution. Unsurprisingly, this is exactly what tech startups need, too.

    Related: Having No Experience Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Start a Business

    Clarity beats jargon

    When I started building Tracy AI, I quickly learned that trying to sound technical wasn’t helpful and actually slowed things down. Translating product decisions into clear, outcome-based language helped us move much faster. We didn’t always need to build models from scratch, but we did need to understand what those models were aiming for. That’s the real distinction between technical literacy and technical fluency: One is about credibility, but the other is about clarity. When everyone’s on the same page, people align, and products get better.

    Having this approach enabled us to bring in outside subject-matter experts, test assumptions early and avoid costly missteps that often come from internal echo chambers. Regardless of whether your team is fluent in Python, the ability to communicate clearly across complexity is what ultimately drives the company’s momentum.

    Hire smart

    I once read a quote from David Ogilvy that stuck with me: “Hire people who are better than you are, and then leave them to get on with it.” In tech, that means surrounding yourself with brilliant engineers, designers and product minds, and focusing your own energy on alignment, direction and decision-making.

    Building a company is about asking better questions, setting the right priorities and making sure your team is rowing in the same direction. That requires trust, communication and discipline, not technical depth. It also means knowing how to translate business needs into technical priorities, and vice versa.

    When it comes down to it, a founder’s job is to build bridges. Between vision and execution. Between product and people. Between strategy and reality. The most valuable skill in business isn’t your ability to code; it’s your ability to connect. Not being afraid of connecting strong, self-motivated individuals in your business is not only a recipe for success — it’s just good business sense.

    Related: How (Not Why) You Need to Start Hiring People Smarter Than Yourself

    Letting go

    Rapid-growth companies face a specific leadership challenge: knowing when to direct and when to step back. For founders, especially those without technical backgrounds, there’s a strong temptation to stay hands-on with every detail. According to a Harvard Business Review study, 58% of founders struggle to let go of control, often remaining stuck in what’s known as “founder mode,” even when the company is ready to scale.

    Being stuck in founder mode can slow down progress, stifle creativity and burn out the very experts hired to build. The job of the founder is to hold the vision and define the “what” and “why,” while trusting the team to figure out the “how.” That means giving engineers autonomy to explore solutions and trusting their understanding of the mechanics.

    At the same time, it’s important to stay connected to the people you’re building for. From my experience, I made sure to spend time with athletes, coaches and trainers — not just as a former player, but as a product owner committed to learning. That user feedback wasn’t just helpful; it became a compass for the tech. Just because we may need to let go of day-to-day, doesn’t mean we can’t get involved in other ways.

    At a certain point in any startup’s life, there is a transition from idea to alignment. Engineers speak in sprints and system architecture. Investors speak in ROI and risk. Users speak in frustrations, workarounds and outcomes. As a founder, your job is to be the connector between all of them, bridging the gap between engineers, users and investors, often speaking three very different languages in the same meeting.

    Related: Are You Running Your Business — or Is It Running You? How to Escape ‘Founder Mode’ and Learn to Let Go

    That means being able to explain what users actually want to your developers, breaking down technical constraints in a way your investors can understand and communicating a vision clearly enough that everyone in the business can see where they fit in. This is what makes a product usable, turns a group of builders into a team and ultimately transforms a good idea into a lasting company.

    In today’s world, not every founder comes from a technical background, and that’s no longer a dealbreaker. With AI projected to grow 28.5% by the end of the decade, even specialists are racing to keep up with emerging innovations. In such a fast-moving environment, the expectation that any one person, founder or otherwise, will master every detail is both unrealistic and counterproductive.

    The reality is this: You don’t need to code to build in tech, but you do need to translate. The ability to connect across disciplines has become the most important skill to develop — not just as someone building a company, but as someone leading one.

    If my experience in the NBA has taught me anything, it’s that every good team is made up of strong translators: people who understand both the locker room and the boardroom, coaches who can speak to data analysts and players, and leaders who can turn strategy into execution. Unsurprisingly, this is exactly what tech startups need, too.

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    Tristan Thompson

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  • I Work With My Spouse — Here’s How We Do It Successfully | Entrepreneur

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    Working with your spouse might sound like a dream come true — or a complete nightmare — depending on who you ask. For my husband Derek and me, it’s been an incredible adventure. Over the years, we’ve teamed up to build multiple businesses, and while it’s had its challenges, it’s also brought us closer together in ways I never imagined. Along the way, we’ve learned a ton about navigating entrepreneurship as spouses, and today, I’m sharing what’s worked for us to make it not just functional but rewarding.

    Whether you’re thinking about starting a business with your spouse or trying to fine-tune your existing setup, here’s why working with your partner can be amazing and how to make it work and make it fun.

    1. Shared goals strengthen your bond

    When Derek and I first started working together, we quickly realized how powerful it is to share a vision. We’re not just working toward financial success; we’re creating something that reflects both of us, giving us a shared sense of purpose.

    For example, our first business hit a snag early on, and instead of panicking, we leaned on our collective goal: creating a strong foundation for our family. That shared mindset gave us the focus to come up with solutions together. It’s like building a house brick by brick — you’re both invested in the outcome, which strengthens your partnership in and out of the office.

    Related: The Truth About Being in Business With Your Spouse — How to Navigate Work and Life Together

    2. Built-in trust and understanding

    Running businesses requires trust, and who better to trust than your spouse? We know each other’s strengths and quirks inside and out, which makes decision-making more efficient. If I’m uncertain about something, I know I can count on his perspective and vice versa.

    For example, we once had to negotiate a risky deal to renovate and take over a nightclub. Because we trust each other’s judgment implicitly, we were able to approach it with confidence. Knowing someone has your back makes all the difference when you’re taking big risks.

    3. Complementary strengths double your capabilities

    One of the best parts of our partnership is playing to each other’s strengths. I’m all about seeing the big picture and creative strategies, while Derek excels at managing details and logistics.

    We divide tasks accordingly. For example, in one of our retail ventures, I focus on marketing and brand development while Derek crushes it with inventory management and finances. This synergy means we cover more ground and we’re not stepping on each other’s toes.

    4. Celebrating wins feels even sweeter

    There’s something extra special about celebrating achievements when you’ve worked together to make them happen. Whether it’s launching something new, hitting a sales milestone or tackling a big challenge, every victory feels more meaningful.

    I’ll never forget the time we opened a second location for one of our businesses. It was an amazing feeling. These shared moments make all the hard work worth it.

    Related: The Pros and Cons of Working With Your Spouse

    5 tips for making it work

    While the benefits of working with your spouse are plenty, it’s not always smooth sailing. Here are the strategies Derek and I use to keep our personal and professional worlds in sync.

    1. Define roles clearly

    One of the easiest ways to run into trouble is by not being clear on who does what. To avoid overlap and conflicts, Derek and I divide responsibilities based on our strengths and agree on who takes the lead in specific areas.

    For example, I oversee branding and customer engagement while Derek handles operations and finance. This ensures we both have ownership in different areas, which eliminates unnecessary debates and increases efficiency.

    2. Create boundaries between work and personal life

    When your business partner is also your spouse, it’s easy for work to take over every conversation — even dinner. To protect our personal time, we set boundaries.

    Sundays (sometimes) are strictly no-work zones. These boundaries give us the freedom to reconnect as a couple, separate from our business lives.

    3. Communicate openly and often

    Communication is key for any business partnership and when you’re working with your spouse, it becomes even more important. We schedule regular discussions about work projects, goals and challenges to stay aligned.

    That said, we’ve learned to tackle the tough conversations, too. At one point, I felt overwhelmed by juggling business demands and home responsibilities. By sharing how I felt, we were able to redistribute our workload and bring in extra help where needed. Being open about issues early prevents misunderstandings from brewing.

    4. Celebrate milestones — big and small

    It’s important to pause and recognize your achievements, even the small ones. Try to find ways to celebrate, whether it’s a dinner date after closing a big deal or a simple toast at home when you hit a new monthly goal.

    These little moments of joy make all the hard work feel worthwhile and they will keep you motivated for the road ahead.

    5. Don’t shoulder everything alone

    Just because we’re a team doesn’t mean we don’t rely on outside help. From hiring employees to outsourcing specialized tasks, we’ve learned the value of delegating.

    For example, after bringing on a great bookkeeper, Derek was able to free up time for strategic planning — a mutually beneficial move. Knowing when and where to ask for help keeps us focused on what we do best.

    Related: I Run a Business With My Husband. Here’s How We Make It Work (and How You Can, Too).

    Final thoughts

    Working with your spouse brings its fair share of challenges, but when done right, it can strengthen your relationship and create opportunities you never imagined. Derek and I have grown not just as entrepreneurs but as partners, learning to lean on each other’s strengths, celebrate victories and tackle challenges head-on.

    If you’re thinking about starting a venture with your spouse, go for it! With clear communication, defined roles and a shared sense of purpose, you can build something incredible together and have a lot of fun along the way.

    Working with your spouse might sound like a dream come true — or a complete nightmare — depending on who you ask. For my husband Derek and me, it’s been an incredible adventure. Over the years, we’ve teamed up to build multiple businesses, and while it’s had its challenges, it’s also brought us closer together in ways I never imagined. Along the way, we’ve learned a ton about navigating entrepreneurship as spouses, and today, I’m sharing what’s worked for us to make it not just functional but rewarding.

    Whether you’re thinking about starting a business with your spouse or trying to fine-tune your existing setup, here’s why working with your partner can be amazing and how to make it work and make it fun.

    1. Shared goals strengthen your bond

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  • I Stopped Doing These 3 Things Myself — and It Made My Business More Profitable | Entrepreneur

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    In the early days of any business, most founders wear too many hats. You’re the product lead, marketer, customer service rep and ops manager — sometimes all in the same afternoon.

    I’ve been there. When I was launching my first AI startup, I was writing code, answering support tickets, hacking on SEO and trying to figure out Google Ads at night. Every time I jumped from one thing to another, I paid a tax: ramp-up time, mental fatigue, missed details.

    Eventually, I drew a line: if a function had a steep learning curve, wasn’t core to the product or customer experience, and could burn cash fast if I got it wrong, it had to go.

    Here are the first three things I outsourced — what worked, what didn’t and how I make the decision now.

    Related: How to Turn Big Business Moments Into Lasting Brand Momentum

    1. Google Ads had to go first

    I took a real swing at it. I set up campaigns, followed Google’s recommendations and even tried Performance Max. One day it would “work,” the next day I’d spend $90 to make a $24 sale.

    Whether you’re running a SaaS tool, an ecommerce store, or a local service business, paid ads can become a black hole. The learning curve is steep, the platform is opaque by design and Google is always nudging you to spend more so the algorithm can “learn.”

    I hired a specialist. Instantly, I stopped burning time trying to reverse engineer bidding strategies and keyword intent. I could focus on the roadmap, customers and the parts of marketing I actually understood. Worth every dollar.

    My advice: Try it briefly so you understand the vocabulary and the levers. Then get out. Your money will disappear faster than your learning compounds.

    2. Social media was next — and it blew up (in a bad way)

    I outsourced content and channel management to someone who promised to “crush it.” I gave full access to my accounts. It devolved into drama, threats and low-quality work. I shut it down.

    The lesson? Never give full control of a distribution channel to someone you don’t know, and never confuse enthusiasm with competence. Social media can be valuable for any business building in public — but only if it’s handled by someone you trust and can hold accountable.

    Next time: I’ll only outsource to someone vetted by people I trust, with scoped access, clear deliverables and a kill switch.

    3. PR was the third — and it worked

    I’d watched competitors outrank me and land strong stories. I tried the DIY route (like HARO), but the ROI wasn’t there. So I brought in someone who could own the process — strategy, pitching, follow-through — and translate my product into narratives reporters actually want.

    That freed me to focus on what I do best while the media engine ran in parallel. For businesses in crowded markets or emerging categories, this kind of PR support can be game-changing.

    How I decide what to outsource now

    I use a simple filter:

    • Is this core to the product or user experience? If yes, I keep it.
    • Is the learning curve steep enough that I’ll waste weeks for marginal improvement? If yes, I outsource.
    • Could a mistake here be disproportionately expensive? (Ads and legal are great examples.) Outsource.
    • Do I understand it well enough to evaluate the work? If not, I’ll do a quick self-guided crash course, then bring someone in.
    • Can I structure a small, low-risk test? If yes, I do that before any retainer.

    Handling the handoff while staying lean

    I started with literal paper notes, then the Mac Notes app. Today, I still keep it simple: Trello boards when needed, email for most communication, and regular short check-ins. The point is clarity, not tooling.

    One clear metric, one owner, one cadence.

    Access-wise: role-based logins, password manager and instant revocation baked into the plan. That social media experience burned this into my process.

    Related: How to Actually Get Returns in Your Marketing Efforts

    About that “it’s faster if I do it myself” line…

    It isn’t. It just feels faster because you don’t have to explain anything. In reality, you’re trading days of deep work for weeks of shallow thrash.

    Do enough to understand it. Then move it off your plate — so you can focus on what only you can do.

    You can’t do it all — not for long and not well. Start by outsourcing the work that burns cash when done poorly, has a steep learning curve, or pulls you furthest from the product or customer. Keep control of your infrastructure, build small, reversible contracts and measure everything.

    The cost of trying to be superhuman is higher than the cost of a good specialist.

    In the early days of any business, most founders wear too many hats. You’re the product lead, marketer, customer service rep and ops manager — sometimes all in the same afternoon.

    I’ve been there. When I was launching my first AI startup, I was writing code, answering support tickets, hacking on SEO and trying to figure out Google Ads at night. Every time I jumped from one thing to another, I paid a tax: ramp-up time, mental fatigue, missed details.

    Eventually, I drew a line: if a function had a steep learning curve, wasn’t core to the product or customer experience, and could burn cash fast if I got it wrong, it had to go.

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    Jeremy Gustine

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  • Closer or Colder? How AI Shapes Your Customer Relationships | Entrepreneur

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    I’m not going to lie, the latest generation of AI, especially large language models and agentic AI, is nothing short of impressive. At Human Cloud, we used tools like Claude and Windsurf to accomplish in 5 minutes what had previously taken us 5 years.

    On the surface, it’s a story of overnight magic. But dig deeper and you’ll find that the real magic wasn’t the AI itself; it was the five years of groundwork that came before. We spent that time using spreadsheets, Canva graphics, CRM automations and hacky off-the-shelf tools to create the right sales and delivery motion, and validate our customers’ needs.

    Only then did the AI become a true accelerator, as we used Claude, Windsurf and AWS to create the Human Cloud Platform in less than 5 minutes.

    This brings up a crucial point. AI can easily be a distraction, prioritizing hype and buzz over real revenue and profitability. Why? Because the fundamental principle of business remains unchanged: every breakthrough starts with a deep understanding of what your customers need.

    Before you invest another dollar in AI, ask yourself one question: Is this technology making us closer to our customers, or pulling us further away?

    Here are five steps to ensure AI helps you get closer.

    1. Manually implement before automating

    “Do things that don’t scale” is a famous startup moniker brought up by Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, in his essay in 2013. As a 4x founder myself, this ethos has always run true.

    In the case of AI, in every scenario, ask yourself if there is a manual alternative. If there is, try that first, then automate based on customer demand.

    Related: LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman: To Scale, Do Things That Don’t Scale

    2: Capture enough manual feedback

    Step 1 is only half the story. The other half is ensuring you have enough of the right type of feedback to automate what really works. My strongest recommendation is to capture feedback that’s closest to customers actually paying, engaging and sharing.

    I learned this the hard way in a former startup. We spent 3 months listening and iterating on prototypes based on feedback. We were maniacal in the level of detail we captured, from the user experience to the design. Then we launched, and less than 5% of these users actually paid. Instead, we shouldn’t have listened to what they said, but instead prioritized what they did.

    If you want a book to help you capture the right type of feedback, check out The Mom Test.

    Related: How the ‘Mom Test’ Can Help You Cut Through B.S. and Find Important Answers

    3: Make AI accessible for everyone, not just AI experts

    Rather than investing in an AI team or hiring AI experts, give everyone an opportunity to apply AI across their team and their work.

    Preston Mossman, Senior Director of AI Consulting for Galaxy Square, told me, “learning to use AI is a muscle you have to build. A lot of people self-select out because they can’t use AI today to help them, but the first step is to accelerate their comfort and understanding in a way that feels valuable to them.”

    When asking Preston about ways companies have helped their leaders get comfortable with it, he brought up investing in AI-related tools for interested individuals.

    In his words, “if your mechanic told you about a $50 wrench that could get your job done just as well for half the cost, you would buy it for them or find a new mechanic (with the $50 wrench).”

    Leaders not using AI in 5 years will be like leaders not using a computer today.

    Related: Why Your AI Strategy Will Fail Without the Right Talent in Place

    4: Hire independent experts first

    Telling someone to use AI with no support is like telling someone to jump out of a plane without a parachute.

    Obviously, hiring AI experts as full-time employees would be expensive and out of reach for most of us. Likewise, AI trainings take time, might be expensive, and rarely has direct applicability from training to application.

    But a shortcut is hiring individuals who already use AI, as 65% of independent experts were already using AI as far back as 2024, and 95% of independent experts stated that AI makes them more competitive.

    This brings up step 4: to hire flexible talent first, with flexible talent defined as independent, freelance, and fractional experts.

    The data is clear that flexible talent upskills faster than full-time employees and is ahead of the curve in AI adoption and effectiveness. It’s not just AI, Deloitte research shows that the independent workforce upskills faster than their full-time peers.

    There are also four massive benefits of flexible talent compared to full-time. You can control cost. You have a quicker time to effectiveness. You learn by seeing their expertise. And the most important benefit is that this is the future workforce.

    To get started, look for a flexible talent platform that is specialized in your region, industry, and the application you need AI for. There are over 800 of these specialized solutions.

    Related: Solopreneurship and Freelancing Is Here to Stay — Are You Ready?

    5: Scale like the cloud

    We take for granted how transformational cloud computing has been for us entrepreneurs. Without getting too geeky, what it really did was enable us to scale in line with customer demand rather than taking big bets because of large fixed costs.

    Apply this same mindset to AI.

    Do you think your AI idea is the next big breakthrough that will transform your company, your industry, and the world? That’s great. Now go through steps 1-4 before you bet the farm.

    I’m not going to lie, the latest generation of AI, especially large language models and agentic AI, is nothing short of impressive. At Human Cloud, we used tools like Claude and Windsurf to accomplish in 5 minutes what had previously taken us 5 years.

    On the surface, it’s a story of overnight magic. But dig deeper and you’ll find that the real magic wasn’t the AI itself; it was the five years of groundwork that came before. We spent that time using spreadsheets, Canva graphics, CRM automations and hacky off-the-shelf tools to create the right sales and delivery motion, and validate our customers’ needs.

    Only then did the AI become a true accelerator, as we used Claude, Windsurf and AWS to create the Human Cloud Platform in less than 5 minutes.

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    Matthew Mottola

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  • Black Tap Adds New Concepts Tender Crush and Singles & Doubles | Entrepreneur

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    In 2015, Julie Mulligan and her husband Chris Barish opened Black Tap, a laid-back burger joint in New York City’s SoHo. “It was inspired by the images and music we grew up with: Warhol, Basquiat, ’80s and ’90s hip hop and pop,” Mulligan told Entrepreneur.

    Since its launch, Black Tap has expanded nationally and globally, thanks in part to its viral social media-friendly CrazyShakes.

    As the company announced new iterations of the brand — Tender Crush, a crispy chicken concept at the Rio in Vegas, in SoHo, and at Terminal 8 in JFK this fall; and Singles & Doubles, a fast-casual burger concept also coming to JFK’s Terminal 8 — we spoke with Mulligan, Black Tap’s CEO, about how they’ve managed to stand out in a crowded fast-casual market.

    What inspired you to create this business?
    We opened Black Tap 10 years ago, thinking a burger joint would be a nice addition to the neighborhood. We went on to win a handful of awards for our burgers and shakes that same year and in early 2016 our CrazyShakes ‘broke the internet.” The rise of social media and sharing food and drink online right around the same time as our launch allowed us to quickly get exposure on a whole new level. Our “aha moment” was seeing regular three-hour lines down the block and around the corner. We quickly realized we needed more seats, and we’ve been set on bringing the experience to people around the globe ever since. We’ve served over 10 million guests, 5 million burgers, and 2 million CrazyShakes, which blows our minds!

    In terms of marketing, can you share your process for effectively embracing social media?
    It’s always changing. Two core principles to keep in mind are 1) the need to find your authentic voice and style to stand out in a sea of infinite content, and 2) connection with community and engagement is critical.

    Who are some of the A-listers you’ve heard from over the years?
    Millie Bobby Brown, Katie Holmes and her daughter, Brooke Shields, Ja Rule, Kristin Chenoweth, Vanessa Hudgens, Greg Norman, and Michael Strahan are just some of the numerous bold-face names we’ve been fortunate enough to come by.

    Related: Michael Strahan Shares the Mindset That Drives His Success

    What has been the deciding factor in your expansion?
    While we started our expansion out of necessity, we’ve gone on to seek out iconic locations around the world. We aim to be accessible and desirable to a mix of locals, business, tourists, and social patrons.

    What advice would you give entrepreneurs looking for funding?
    As you’re developing your business plan and pitch, put yourself in the shoes of someone who has no understanding or interest in your business. If you can make a compelling case to them why it’s a good investment, then you should be off to a good start.

    Related: How to Secure the Funding You Need for Your Startup

    What does the word “entrepreneur” mean to you?
    It means wearing a lot of hats and playing a lot of roles on a day-to-day basis. It’s a blessing in the sense that you are always learning, it’s never dull, and there’s always something new. It’s also a 24/7 role where you’re never fully on vacation.

    What is something many aspiring business owners think they need that they really don’t?
    You’ll never have everything 100% figured out, so don’t delay waiting for that moment to come. Do it now. Actions speak louder than words. The game is never over until you stop playing.

    In 2015, Julie Mulligan and her husband Chris Barish opened Black Tap, a laid-back burger joint in New York City’s SoHo. “It was inspired by the images and music we grew up with: Warhol, Basquiat, ’80s and ’90s hip hop and pop,” Mulligan told Entrepreneur.

    Since its launch, Black Tap has expanded nationally and globally, thanks in part to its viral social media-friendly CrazyShakes.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Dan Bova

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  • This Company Gives Away 100% of Its Profits — And Its Thriving | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Even the staunchest capitalists acknowledge the tension between profit and social good. In a consumer-driven society, money often overshadows morals.

    Many founders claim their companies exist to make a difference, but in a system that prioritizes profits, good intentions are easily squeezed out. The Green brothers stand out as rare exceptions.

    Award-winning authors and YouTube trailblazers Hank and John Green have a storied history of supporting global health causes. At first, they did so by raising awareness with their platform. Now, the always innovative brothers are trying a more active form of philanthropy.

    Their latest venture, Good Store, is taking social justice to a new level, selling sustainable, quality products and donating 100% — yes, 100% — of profits to charity.

    Related: This Keepsake Reminds Me of My First Dream — And Why I’m Grateful It Never Came True

    Image Credit: Good Store

    The Fault in Our Systems

    While the Green brothers are best known for their bestselling novels and educational YouTube videos that have guided countless high school students, philanthropy is quite literally in their DNA. They grew up in a family deeply rooted in nonprofit work: their father worked at The Nature Conservancy, while their mother was a community activist.

    “Our parents are never proud of us when we accomplish anything other than giving money away,” John jokes.

    Early in his career, John worked at a tertiary care children’s hospital as a student chaplain — an experience that proved to be immeasurably formative.

    “Every kid who came into that place received excellent care,” he recalls. “It wasn’t perfect, and the outcomes weren’t always what people wanted, but everyone had a chance.”

    In 2011, brothers John and Hank Green launched the educational YouTube channel Crash Course. During that period, they became increasingly interested in global health equity, often brainstorming ways to support what John describes as “long-term interventions.”

    “I think I was probably a little more passive in my early activism,” John recalls. “But around the time of the success of The Fault in Our Stars, I realized I now had time — not just money, but also other resources — that I could use.”

    One of those resources was the small online merch store the brothers had started in 2008. They decided to direct its revenue toward improving healthcare in Sierra Leone, one of the world’s most impoverished nations.

    “It’s easy to feel paralyzed when trying to address the world’s problems — they’re endless, and horrors abound in every direction,” John says. “For us, the goal was to make a long-term investment in one community, so we could see the kind of positive change that unfolds over time.”

    Their first step was to consult trusted peers, asking who was doing the most effective work in these communities. Again and again, one name came up: Partners In Health, an organization they had already supported through their annual charity event, Project for Awesome.

    The brothers called them up, asking if they were interested in a more formal partnership, and the rest is history.

    “When we started providing support to the maternal healthcare system in Sierra Leone, about one in 17 women were dying during pregnancy or childbirth,” John says. “Today, it’s closer to one in 53. Our contribution is only a tiny part of that progress — most of the credit goes to the Sierra Leonean government and the Sierra Leonean people — but being able to play even a small role is a reminder that life doesn’t merely suck.”

    Related: Do You Give Discounts To Your Nonprofit Clients? I Don’t

    From Paper Towns to real impact

    In addition to material health in Sierra Leone, Good Store also supports causes like TB treatment in Lesotho, and coral reef restoration — all powered by the sales of everyday products like socks, underwear and soap.

    “We’re trying to create more ethical ways to consume the things you have to consume,” John says. “People need these essentials, so we want to offer them at a fair price, but with a different business model.”

    Shockingly, this model doesn’t exactly have investors tripping over themselves to join on. After all, the economic ROI of a company that donates all of its profits after breaking even isn’t exactly enticing to traditional capitalists.

    That means the brothers rely on their own money and investments from a few close friends to fund the business.

    “The deal is that we break even, and the rest of the money goes to charity,” John explains. “In the narrow sense, is that a good investment? No. But like, I’ve had investments that didn’t break even.”

    While he admits to hearing out “socially conscious” venture capitalists over the years, John believes the company doesn’t require outside money to be successful.

    “We’ve been growing steadily for the last 15 years, and I’m comfortable with that pace,” he says. “Having capital to accelerate growth would be exciting, but it would also come with strings I’m not comfortable with.”

    Conclusion

    Success for Good Store means more than just a positive profit margin. It means funding treatment for the 1.5 million people who die of tuberculosis each year, and helping lower maternal mortality rates in Sierra Leone.

    The world may not be a wish-granting factory, but for countless people around the globe, Good Store comes remarkably close.

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    Leo Zevin

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  • What I Learned About Growth From Founders Who Started Small | Entrepreneur

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    Starting a business with limited resources is a road many solopreneurs find familiar — myself included. I’ve observed many small business owners turning modest startups into success stories, but it doesn’t happen overnight. They turn their humble ideas into successful ventures with resilience, creativity, smart technology use and a never-accept-defeat attitude.

    For this article, I’ll draw on my personal experiences and the stories of five founders who started small. These practical lessons apply to your entrepreneurship journey as well.

    Related: Boost Your Solopreneur Business with These 3 Proven Tips

    Start by solving authentic problems

    Sara Blakely launched Spanx in 2000 when she was under 30 years old and had $5,000 to her name. But her self-employment journey started with a simple notion: her personal frustration with not finding comfortable, flattering undergarments to wear. Even though her idea, which later turned out to be worth $1 billion, was rejected by multiple manufacturers, her conviction kept her persistent until she finally found someone willing to take a chance on her.

    Her story tells me that entrepreneurs must start with a problem they’re actually familiar with and deeply understand. Authenticity resonates with your core audience; it builds trust from day one. When your product stems from your own experiences and frustrations, you create an immediate connection with your would-be buyers, leading to strong word-of-mouth.

    Turn setbacks into stepping stones

    Calling himself a lousy employee, Mark Cuban admits that keeping a steady job was difficult for him. But Cuban never quit on himself and ultimately founded and sold MicroSolutions for $6 million. What I learn from his example is that setbacks are inevitable — and necessary. What matters is how quickly you bounce back from failure and what lessons you learn from your past mistakes.

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 20% of small businesses shut down in a year or so. But successful solopreneurs treat these setbacks as experiments. When you start treating obstacles as stepping stones, you can easily adapt after failure and launch a working product.

    Launch small and use what you have

    Fubu’s founder, Daymond John, started this fashion brand in the 1990s by sewing hats and shirts in his mother’s living room. He didn’t have big budgets or state-of-the-art facilities. But he relied on grassroots marketing and community support to end up selling $6 billion worth of products by 2024, turning a kitchen-based hustle into a global fashion powerhouse.

    John’s story tells me that a lack of capital shouldn’t hold solopreneurs back. Instead, they should fall back on their skills, their immediate network and whatever resources are available at hand. Grit and creativity often outweigh money. This lesson speaks to me personally, since I built Selzy with a minimal viable product while relying on customer feedback for improvement.

    Related: Building Your Business With Limited Resources? Here’s the Mindset You Need to Succeed.

    Embrace digital-first and lean growth

    Automation, social media and efficient scaling. That’s how anyone can launch on budgets under $10,000. Technology lets small businesses thrive and expand into other markets. You can use email marketing tools to reach out to potential leads and advertise your business. Syed Balkhi’s WPForms is a great example here. Balkhi’s WordPress tutorial blog led to the creation of a $1 billion software company, and he did all that without raising a single dollar of his own.

    That’s how many modern-day solopreneurs are scaling past six figures. Technology allows founders to go global earlier than was possible a decade ago. Smart customer segmentation and personalized communication help them drive more engagement. And with the right tools, even small teams working remotely can achieve impressive growth with fewer resources.

    Turn your mistakes into learning opportunities

    Sophia Amoruso’s example teaches us to fuel our future successes with past failure. When her startup, Nasty Gal, became shaky after turning into a $100-million brand, she simply pivoted and launched another brand, Girlboss, a platform focused on redefining success for a new generation of women.

    Solopreneurs must always be ready to reinvent and adapt to changing consumer demands to position their business for long-term relevancy and success. Accepting that my idea didn’t work helps you thrive in a competitive industry.

    Related: How to Turn Your Mistakes Into Opportunities

    Put all these real-life lessons into action

    Growth is about your vision, resilience and continuous learning — the sign of a solopreneur who is ready to bend to fluctuating market standards and customer expectations. In fact, my experience with digital marketing and AI-powered growth tells me that these principles are universally applicable.

    Starting small isn’t a limitation for future-ready solopreneurs; it’s an opportunity to build strong foundations. It’s not how big you start (some of the world’s biggest brands were started by their founders in garages), but you keep learning and moving forward. I’ve tasted defeat and I’ve met setbacks — I recommend adaptability.

    Starting a business with limited resources is a road many solopreneurs find familiar — myself included. I’ve observed many small business owners turning modest startups into success stories, but it doesn’t happen overnight. They turn their humble ideas into successful ventures with resilience, creativity, smart technology use and a never-accept-defeat attitude.

    For this article, I’ll draw on my personal experiences and the stories of five founders who started small. These practical lessons apply to your entrepreneurship journey as well.

    Related: Boost Your Solopreneur Business with These 3 Proven Tips

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Dmitry Solovyev

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  • Most Founders Start With the Product. I Started With These 3 Questions Instead. | Entrepreneur

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    Too many founders start with the product. They get excited, build something, and then scramble to figure out if anyone actually wants it.

    I almost did the same. Technically, I started by generating silly AI images of my boss to make my coworkers laugh. But when I saw the potential of the tools I was playing with — and how accessible they were becoming — I realized I could turn it into something real.

    I didn’t have a background in AI or deep learning. But with open-source tools like Stable Diffusion suddenly available, people like me could build things that felt like magic.

    And like most entrepreneurs, I wanted to move fast. But instead of rushing to build, I gave myself a reality check. I asked three hard questions before writing a line of code. That checklist became the foundation of my business — and helped me avoid wasting months (and money) on a product no one wanted.

    These same questions apply whether you’re launching a SaaS company, a consumer product, a service-based business, or, yes, an AI tool.

    Related: AI Isn’t Plug-and-Play — You Need a Strategy. Here’s Your Guide to Building One.

    1. Is there real demand?

    Before investing anything in product development, I set up a test. I opened an Etsy store selling AI-generated pet portraits during the holidays. It was clunky. Every order meant I was manually training models and fulfilling them by hand.

    But people paid. They loved the results. It wasn’t scalable — yet — but that didn’t matter. It gave me proof:

    • I could deliver something people genuinely valued
    • They were willing to pay for it

    This kind of early signal is more important than a sleek prototype or a detailed roadmap. For you, it might mean selling a simplified version of your offer, pre-selling a service, or running a paid pilot. The goal is the same: confirm there’s real demand before you build at scale.

    2. Will people pay me — and how?

    After validating interest, I started experimenting with pricing. We tested $15, then $25. We ran ads on Reddit. Some worked, most didn’t. I tried subscriptions — but quickly realized that running custom-trained models on demand was too expensive to support recurring plans at an early stage.

    So I switched to a one-time payment model. Simple, low-friction, no complicated onboarding. We started at $9.99, and conversions were strong. Over time, we added higher-tier pricing — but from day one, the business had to make financial sense.

    Many people advised offering a freemium version. I considered it, but GPU costs made that unrealistic. Instead, I built a free tool that looked like our main offering (an AI headshot generator) but was actually a low-cost background remover. It gave users a taste of the experience and warmed them up to buy. And it converted.

    The takeaway? Revenue models aren’t just about pricing — they’re about sustainability. Founders often over-index on what’s ideal for the user and forget what’s viable for the business.

    3. Can I actually reach people?

    I didn’t have an audience. I didn’t have connections or media buzz. But I had Reddit.

    I started joining threads where people were talking about AI headshots. I added value, offered comparisons, answered questions — and eventually, shared my own product. That got us our first 100 customers. We used Google Ads to scale to 1,000.

    It wasn’t viral. It wasn’t pretty. But it worked. Why? Because I focused on solving the hardest part of distribution first: attention and trust.

    When people think about go-to-market, they think channels. But it’s better to think in terms of risk:

    • Can you find the right people?
    • Can you earn their attention?
    • Can you convert them — without overspending?

    If the answer is no, it doesn’t matter how good the product is.

    Related: AI Will Define Your Brand If You Don’t — Here’s How to Take Control

    Don’t build until you can answer these three questions

    Every founder wants to build something great. But building too early — or on shaky assumptions — can kill even the best ideas.

    A rough product built on real answers will always beat a polished one built on hope.

    So before you start building or investing heavily in a new product or service, ask yourself:

    • Who wants this right now?
    • Will they pay?
    • Can I reach them profitably?

    Everything else can wait.

    Too many founders start with the product. They get excited, build something, and then scramble to figure out if anyone actually wants it.

    I almost did the same. Technically, I started by generating silly AI images of my boss to make my coworkers laugh. But when I saw the potential of the tools I was playing with — and how accessible they were becoming — I realized I could turn it into something real.

    I didn’t have a background in AI or deep learning. But with open-source tools like Stable Diffusion suddenly available, people like me could build things that felt like magic.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Jeremy Gustine

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