$3M/year with zero employeess

Hey - It’s Guy & Farzan.

Let’s get straight into it. Today, we have 2 founder stories, 1 founder playbook and 2 founder tweets.

Estimated reading time: 11 mins

Founder story (1 of 2)

See how Emma went from dream to data powerhouse: riding the entrepreneurial roller-coaster.

"Every founder's journey is a mix of grit, dreams, and a pinch of magic." - This could be the untold mantra of Emma Lawler, a spirited entrepreneur whose story is nothing short of inspiring. Let's dive into her story.

A journey full of curiosity and drive

• 🎓 From Boulder to San Francisco, Emma's adventure began with a passion for technology and a dream of making it big in the tech world.

• 💼 Cutting her teeth at AKQA and Fitstar, she soaked in the essence of startup culture and the thrill of building something from the ground up.

• 🚀 Launching Moonlight, Emma dove headfirst into the entrepreneurial pool, learning the ropes of company building and the dance of VC funding.

• 📚 Seeking growth, she hit the books at Chicago Booth, brewing her next big idea amidst business theories and investment strategies.

• 🤝 With a co-founder by her side, Velvet was born out of a desire to revolutionize how teams handle data.

Velvet: A beacon for data-driven teams

Imagine a world where every team member could wield the power of a data engineer. That's the world Emma envisioned with Velvet. This isn't just about making data accessible; it's about transforming data into a collaborative tool that empowers teams to innovate and grow.

Lesson for the ages: Listen, pivot, prosper

If there's one golden nugget to pocket from Emma's journey, it's this: Flexibility is key. Velvet didn't start as the data dynamo it is today. It evolved through listening to early feedback, understanding market needs, and being unafraid to pivot.

Founder story (2 of 2)

See how Markus makes $300K a year with vending machines.

Marcus Gram, at 31 years old, gathered $10,000 in 2018 to begin his own vending machine company. His business, called Joyner Vending, now operates 21 vending machines in different cities: Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, and Detroit. In 2021, his company made more than $300,000.

Founder playbook

See how Pieter Levels earns $3M a year with zero employees.

Pieter began his journey tinkering with MS-DOS Batch, eventually realizing his passion wasn't in graphic design but in creating and exploring. His educational journey took him from the Netherlands to South Korea, but it was the real-world experiences that shaped his path.

🎧  First Step: Started a YouTube music channel, earning decently but craving more from life.

🌐  Turning Point: Sold everything to travel Asia, leading to financial struggles and a pivotal return home.

💡 Challenge Accepted: Launched 12 startups in 12 months, embracing the indie hacker spirit and learning from each venture.

🌟 Breakthrough: Nomad List and Remote OK soared, establishing Pieter as a leading digital nomad.

Key Lesson: Launch now, perfect later. Pieter's success underlines the essence of action over perfection.

Pieter Levels' story is a testament to the power of self-belief, resilience, and the courage to experiment. 🚀

Founder tweets x 2

Quick reminder - If you like our newsletter please do “add to address book” or reply. These are “positive signals” that help our newsletter land in your inbox. If you hate it, please unsubscribe (the unsubscribe link is in the footer).

See you in 7 days.

Guy + Farzan
Founderoo