๐Ÿš€ Brett's $3.5B electric plane business

๐Ÿ˜Ž Katt's no-code $38K success

Hey Guy & Farzan here ๐Ÿ‘‹

โ€œThe critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. Itโ€™s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are very few who decide to do something about them.โ€ (Nolan Bushnell - entrepreneur)

I love this quote. It really resonated with me. Letโ€™s get into the stories for this week.

In the mail (Read time 8 mins):

  1. Founder story: Kattโ€™s No-code $38K success ๐Ÿ˜Ž

  2. Founder playbook: Brettโ€™s $3.5B electric plane business ๐Ÿš€

  3. Founder story: Mikeโ€™s $40M hot honey business ๐Ÿ”ฅ

  4. Founder short: Why 50% of businesses fail ๐Ÿ’ช

  5. Founder quote: From Canvaโ€™s Melanie Perkins ๐Ÿ’ก

1. Founder story

๐Ÿ˜Ž From basement cinemas to No-Code success: The unconventional journey of Katt and her $38K revenue.

๐Ÿ  Katt started young, creating a basement cinema and exploring early entrepreneurial ventures.

๐Ÿ’ป Transitioning into digital realms, she developed websites and dabbled in e-commerce, discovering the 'riches in niches'.

๐Ÿšซ Faced with startup challenges, Katt learned valuable lessons about perfection and practicality in business.

๐ŸŒ The 'No-Code' movement revelation transformed her approach, enabling her to innovate without coding expertise.

๐Ÿ“ˆ Launching No-Code Exits, her newsletter, Katt's idea quickly validated with an overnight surge to 500 subscribers.

๐Ÿ’ต By monetizing her passion and juggling freelancing, she achieved an impressive $38,000 in revenue.

 ๐Ÿ”„ Realizing the importance of balance, Katt restructured her life, prioritizing health and family alongside her business ambitions.

The crucial lesson from Katt's journey? Start small, iterate, and improve. It's not about elaborate plans or perfect products but about growth, adaptability, and embracing change.

2. Founder playbook

 ๐Ÿš€ See How Brett created a $350 Million robot company and a $1.3 Billion electric plane business

"I had to borrow fifty thousand dollars just to survive. I was in the red, negative a hundred thousand dollars." - Brett Adcock

Brett Adcock's Entrepreneurial Odyssey:

  1. ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Vettery Launch (2012-2018)
    Brett leaped from software development to creating Vettery, an online hiring platform, self-funded and salary-free for years.

  2. ๐Ÿ’ธ Financial Rollercoaster 
    In 2015, Brett nearly hit rock bottom financially in Manhattan, yet he persisted.

  3. ๐Ÿš€ Vettery's Success
    Specializing in engineering recruitment, Vettery raised $10 million and was later acquired for an estimated $110 million in 2018.

  4. โœˆ๏ธ Finding Archer (2018-2022)
    Brett then took to the skies, founding Archer Aviation, entering a field he knew nothing about but learned through connecting with over 300 industry experts.

  5. ๐Ÿ“ˆ Archer's Rise
    Despite initial financial strains and a challenging funding environment during the pandemic, Archer soared to a $3.3 billion valuation, obtaining FAA certification and NYSE listing.

  6. ๐Ÿค– Building Figure (2022-2023)
    Brett's latest venture, Figure, focuses on developing humanoid robots to fill labour shortages, raising $70 million in Series-A funding.

Key Lesson for Founders: Start small, dream big, and be ready to learn and adapt. Brett's journey teaches us the power of resilience, the willingness to dive into the unknown, and the importance of staying grounded and focused amidst financial ups and downs.

3. Founder story

๐Ÿ”ฅ See how Mikeโ€™s hot honey business makes $40M a year.

Mike Kurtz made a special hot honey sauce at home for a long time. One day, he took it to his boss, Paulie Gee, where he was learning to make pizza. Paulie really liked it, and it became popular as a pizza topping. More and more people wanted it, and Mike's hobby turned into a big business. Now, his company makes $40 million a year.

5. Founder short

๐Ÿ’ช Why 50% of businesses fail

6. Founder quote

โ€œIf you can offer a free tier that provides a lot of value, it will naturally help your product to spread much more rapidly."

Melanie Perkins, Co-founder of Canva

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See you next Sunday.
Guy + Farzan ๐Ÿ‘‹ 
Founderoo

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