🚀 $20K to $Billion toy empire

Hi Guy & Farzan here ✌️

Hope you’re well. We have a tonne of great founder stories for you this week.

Read time: 9 mins.

In the mail:

1. Founder story: The 5-figure story of Geeks & Experts 🍿

2. Founder playbook: From $20K to $Billion toy empire 🚀

3. Video playbook: The underdog - From $4K to $48M 🔥

4. Video playbook: Side project to a $15M business 💪

5. Video short: Becoming a Millionaire at 16 ⚡️

6. A quote: On being different 🧐

1. Founder story

🍿 Bridging talent gaps: Sneha Saigal & Vaibhav Bhanot's journey to 5-figure revenue & 2,500 subscribers with Geeks and Experts.

Meet the dynamic duo behind Geeks and Experts: Sneha Saigal and Vaibhav Bhanot!

"Don't make permanent decisions on temporary emotions." These are the words that Sneha lives by. Let’s dive into Sneha’s founder story.

👩‍🎓 Sneha's Backstory: 
Born and raised in Mumbai, Sneha mastered her skills, earned her MBA at IESE Business School in Barcelona and became a certified WSET Level 2 wine sommelier 🍷. She has ventured through consulting companies and tech unicorns, striving to make a positive impact wherever she goes.

🌟 Birth of Geeks and Experts: 
Sneha's journey in the entrepreneurial world began amidst the pandemic when she identified a glaring gap in the tech industry. With experiences ranging from managing over $2M in funds to overseeing global launches, Sneha, along with Vaibhav, brought Geeks and Experts to life—a revolutionary “talent subscription” platform for early-stage B2B tech companies!

🛠 Lessons and Milestones:

1. Stay Scrappy: In the beginning, it’s all about being scrappy and diligent. They attracted their first customers by being present in online founder communities and focusing intensely on meeting audience needs.

2. Iterate & Pivot: They've undergone multiple iterations, realizing the high CAC and low LTV from a B2C approach, and smartly pivoted to a B2B model, achieving higher conversions.

3. Optimize Resources: Sneha believes deeply in optimizing resources and connecting laid-off talents to startups, bridging the talent gap effectively in this uncertain environment.

💎 Golden Nugget of Wisdom: 
The biggest lesson from Sneha and Vaibhav’s journey is the importance of adaptability and responding promptly to feedback. Iterating, pivoting, and focusing on what truly resonates with your target audience can be the game-changer!

💭 Parting Words and Invitation: 
The journey of Sneha and Vaibhav is a mix of passion, resilience, and innovative thinking. Read the full story on Founderoo.

2. Founder playbook

🚀  Turning toys into treasure: Nick Mowbray's Zuru journey from $20K to a Billion-dollar toy empire.

🚀 Turning toys into treasure!
Welcome to the awe-inspiring journey of Nick Mowbray and his siblings, the masterminds behind the billion-dollar empire - Zuru!

🌈 Journey's Genesis: 
Once a law student, Nick and his brother Mat began their journey selling handmade model hot air balloons across New Zealand. A daring leap to China with a $20,000 loan 💰 and boundless hopes marked the inception of Zuru!

💡 Early Hurdles & Resilience:
Early days were teeming with mishaps 🤦, pulled products, and countless rejections. Living frugally in a cramped apartment, resilience and adaptability became their companions, leading to gradual improvements and trend identifications in the toy market.

🛒 Walmart Breakthrough: 
Walmart’s interest was the golden ticket that turned Zuru’s fortunes around, introducing visibility and essential windfall. Even with flowing revenues, the trio remained unwaveringly frugal, focusing on compounding profits and reinvesting in the business.

🌟 Product Innovation & Dominance: 
Robo Fish 🐟 brought the first taste of global recognition and success, with $100 million in annual sales! Continued innovations and strategic releases, such as the Mini Brands line, kept the consumers engaged and brand relevant.

🌿 Sustainability & Expansion: 
Remarkably, Zuru has thrived with minimal external funding, operating on a lean inventory model and disrupting traditional market practices. The company’s diversification into consumer products illustrates the brand’s versatility and strategic capabilities.

💎 Significant Lesson: 
From Nick’s journey, one monumental lesson for every founder is the indispensable value of relentless pursuit, resilience, and innovative brilliance. This story illuminates how continuous learning and meticulous execution can turn challenges into stepping stones for unparalleled success.

📖 Concluding Thoughts: 
Zuru's saga is a vivid canvas painted with relentless pursuit, innovation, and strategic brilliance. It’s a beacon for aspiring entrepreneurs, underscoring the transformative power of determination and continuous improvement.

👉 Be Inspired! Dive Deeper into this Journey: 
Embark on this crazy journey with Nick and delve deeper into Zuru’s evolutionary tale on Founderoo.

3. Video playbook

🔥 The underdog: From $4K to 48M

In the featured video, Pat travels to Toronto to uncover the complete narrative behind Hush Blankets. The business venture was initiated by Aaron and Leor while they were still committed to their 9-5 jobs. They managed to execute one of the most remarkable turnarounds observed in an e-commerce business. The highlight of the journey was that Aaron divulged the precise strategies and methods they applied to accomplish this.

4. Video playbook

💪 How Brian turned a side project into a $15M business

The founder of Backlinko, Brian Dean, shares invaluable insights from his journey of transforming a side project into a million-dollar business. He highlights the critical importance of focusing on enduring market needs, patient building, leveraging email, and choosing the right channels for sustainable growth. These actionable strategies and lessons are essential for those aspiring to build substantial businesses and achieve entrepreneurial success.

5. Video short

⚡️ This guy became a millionaire at just 16

6. A quote on being different 🧐

All done. What did you think?

👍 It was bloody great
😐 Meh - it was average
👎 It was pretty crap

If someone forwarded this email to you, you need to subscribe.

Please unsubscribe if you think this newsletter is half-arsed, and we want cracking open rates (currently at 47%).

See you next Sunday
Guy + Farzan 👋 
Founderoo