By the time @swaguphq was started I had launched at least 15+ different ideas of varying levels of success growing up
Deciding what to and when to go all in on an idea is super challenging and there’s a lot of bad advice out there
Here’s how it went for me and SwagUp
Here we go 👇
By the time @swaguphq was started I had launched at least 15+ different ideas of varying levels of success growing up
And that’s largely because building startups are less about the product and ideas, and more about markets, timing, and execution
This is where you see many “over night successes” that were really the culmination of years of at bats, even for me at 25, I started at 6 :)
Leading up to it, I had known a bit about the industry, needing swag while launching and app in school, eventually selling flags and custom shirts to fraternities on campus in college
When I got there, the two worlds collided, I had the swag background and also saw how passionate startups were about swag
- emphasis on brand development
- employee engagement/culture
- community building
- Remote work environments
- breaking through digital noise
All of these made the need for swag more apparent
On one side you had large, faceless ecom site like 4imprint that throw you into a sea of garbage for you to fend for yourself and figure it out
And on the other side you have...
People at startups are different, they are wary adopters, risk takers, they like great design and experiences, they like companies that get them
No “promotional products” understood startups
This cost basically nothing to set up and I could do it on nights and weekend
Turns out they did, within a matter of days we were getting inbounds from startups like Soylent (amongst others I can’t remember)
Startups were looking for a new way
In the first full month I think we did about $5k, it wasn’t a ton but it was enough to say people wanted a better way, were willing to try something new from an unknown co
1. How quickly I was able to get paying customers
2. Size and fragmentation of the market ($30B ish)
3. Favorable cash dynamics
Size/Fragmentation - Early on I learned that the market was close to $30b and consisted of 30k distributors, 98% of which did under $2.5m - Too many distributors all selling the same shit in the same way + fish where there’s already money
I think too many people want to be Elon Musk and change the world with solutions to improved problems (or at least they think that’s what he’s doing)
With swag, it’s custom, so you produce as ordered, no inventory needed
So no inventory + able to build differentiated product through no code tech = no real capital needed upfront
Don’t get so caught up on what the product is early on
Create rapid feedback loops and keep stacking wins
Keep your head down and do that for a few years in a large market and you’ll have a huge business
To the moon 🚀
Have another thread concept you think would be interesting, let me know below 👇
More from For later read
(1/50)
#Cardano “Understanding Kamali”
#Cardano will be the underpinning of the emergence of Africa.
To grasp the full weight of the SOLUTIONS #Cardano can provide it is pertinent to read “Understanding Africa” as I will draw directly from the PROBLEMS laid out.
(2/50)
Here is a link if you have not already read
(3/50)
What I will attempt to do here, is to create an immersive world for you to be placed in to grasp the weight and size of problems from the ground level and then take a grass-roots approach at solving them using #Cardano and its technology.
(4/50)
As an investor and community member of #Cardano, this should be extremely important to you as you have a stake (pun intended) in this.
“You are paid in direct proportion to the difficulty of the problems you solve” - @elonmusk
(5/50)
In Africa, agribusiness, more than any other sector, has the potential to reduce poverty and drive economic growth. Agriculture accounts for nearly half of the continent’s gross domestic product and employs 60 percent of the labor force.
#Cardano “Understanding Kamali”
#Cardano will be the underpinning of the emergence of Africa.
To grasp the full weight of the SOLUTIONS #Cardano can provide it is pertinent to read “Understanding Africa” as I will draw directly from the PROBLEMS laid out.
(2/50)
Here is a link if you have not already read
(1/38) #Cardano \u201cUnderstanding Africa\u201d (Part 1 of 2)
— FatCat (@fatcatofcrypto) February 10, 2021
This thread will be split into two parts with the 2nd coming out on Sunday.
Part 1 will layout the pervasive PROBLEMS Africa faces whereas Part 2 will apply direct technologies @InputOutputHK can implement as SOLUTIONS. pic.twitter.com/n3I91bnddq
(3/50)
What I will attempt to do here, is to create an immersive world for you to be placed in to grasp the weight and size of problems from the ground level and then take a grass-roots approach at solving them using #Cardano and its technology.
(4/50)
As an investor and community member of #Cardano, this should be extremely important to you as you have a stake (pun intended) in this.
“You are paid in direct proportion to the difficulty of the problems you solve” - @elonmusk
(5/50)
In Africa, agribusiness, more than any other sector, has the potential to reduce poverty and drive economic growth. Agriculture accounts for nearly half of the continent’s gross domestic product and employs 60 percent of the labor force.
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**Thread on Bravery of Sikhs**
(I am forced to do this due to continuous hounding of Sikh Extremists since yesterday)
Rani Jindan Kaur, wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh had illegitimate relations with Lal Singh (PM of Ranjit Singh). Along with Lal Singh, she attacked Jammu, burnt - https://t.co/EfjAq59AyI
Hindu villages of Jasrota, caused rebellion in Jammu, attacked Kishtwar.
Ancestors of Raja Ranjit Singh, The Sansi Tribe used to give daughters as concubines to Jahangir.
The Ludhiana Political Agency (Later NW Fronties Prov) was formed by less than 4000 British soldiers who advanced from Delhi and reached Ludhiana, receiving submissions of all sikh chiefs along the way. The submission of the troops of Raja of Lahore (Ranjit Singh) at Ambala.
Dabistan a contemporary book on Sikh History tells us that Guru Hargobind broke Naina devi Idol Same source describes Guru Hargobind serving a eunuch
YarKhan. (ref was proudly shared by a sikh on twitter)
Gobind Singh followed Bahadur Shah to Deccan to fight for him.
In Zafarnama, Guru Gobind Singh states that the reason he was in conflict with the Hill Rajas was that while they were worshiping idols, while he was an idol-breaker.
And idiot Hindus place him along Maharana, Prithviraj and Shivaji as saviours of Dharma.
(I am forced to do this due to continuous hounding of Sikh Extremists since yesterday)
Rani Jindan Kaur, wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh had illegitimate relations with Lal Singh (PM of Ranjit Singh). Along with Lal Singh, she attacked Jammu, burnt - https://t.co/EfjAq59AyI
Tomorrow again same thing happens bcoz fudus like you are creating a narrative oh Khalistan. when farmers are asking MSP. (RSS ki tatti khane wale Kerni sena ke kutte).
— Ancient Economist (@_stock_tips) December 5, 2020
U kill sikhs in 1984 just politics. To BC low IQ fudu Saale entire history was politics.
Hindu villages of Jasrota, caused rebellion in Jammu, attacked Kishtwar.
Ancestors of Raja Ranjit Singh, The Sansi Tribe used to give daughters as concubines to Jahangir.
The Ludhiana Political Agency (Later NW Fronties Prov) was formed by less than 4000 British soldiers who advanced from Delhi and reached Ludhiana, receiving submissions of all sikh chiefs along the way. The submission of the troops of Raja of Lahore (Ranjit Singh) at Ambala.
Dabistan a contemporary book on Sikh History tells us that Guru Hargobind broke Naina devi Idol Same source describes Guru Hargobind serving a eunuch
YarKhan. (ref was proudly shared by a sikh on twitter)
Gobind Singh followed Bahadur Shah to Deccan to fight for him.
In Zafarnama, Guru Gobind Singh states that the reason he was in conflict with the Hill Rajas was that while they were worshiping idols, while he was an idol-breaker.
And idiot Hindus place him along Maharana, Prithviraj and Shivaji as saviours of Dharma.
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i wonder if you can make a thread bout witchcraft in malaysia.. or list of our own local gods/deites..
— r a y a \U0001f319 (@lcvelylilith) February 20, 2020
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— \u2745\u1710\u170b\u1713\u170e (@uglyluhan) June 16, 2019
Two known examples of such elemental spirits that had god-like status are Raja Angin (king of the wind) and Mambang Tali Arus (spirit of river currents). There were undoubtedly many more which have been lost to time
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