Hey bootstrappers,

You’ve probably come across the term “solopreneur” before, right? 

It’s a bit overwrought for my taste, but I like that it suggests you can build a successful business alone. No cofounders, no expensive hires. Just you and your brain. 

Inspirational? Yes, but also a little inaccurate. I can’t think of a single founder we’ve interviewed – solopreneur or not – who didn’t get help at some point in their journey. 

That’s not to put down the efforts of solopreneurs – far from it. It takes a lot of courage to go it alone and you deserve huge respect and kudos for doing so. 

But you might find more success, and find it faster, when you seek advice from your peers. It costs nothing to ask and it might save you from repeating others’ mistakes.  

For example, all of this week’s founders asked for help when building their businesses and the results were nothing short of astounding:

• A $17.5 million exit for two founders in the adtech space.
• Year one revenue of $250,000 for two college students.
• Millions in revenue and a pitch on Shark Tank for another founder.

Seeking advice isn’t a sign of weakness. You’d be surprised how helpful people are – even those you’ve never met before. 

– Chris Roper

Ben Khakshoor and Sam Drozdov asked Twitter and LinkedIn to help them build and market their advertising platform. One year later, they got the acquisition offer of their dreams.

How Two Twenty-Somethings Bootstrapped the World’s First Adtech in Roblox and Sold It For $17.5 Million

“We reached out on Twitter, set up a call, and he taught us how Roblox compares to other platforms. Later, when we made our proof of concept, we built a landing page and sent it to him for feedback. He also shared our idea with his network for feedback which was super helpful.”

Daniel Ch loves sneakers more than most people and decided to monetize his knowledge to help spot fakes in the market. With his brother’s help, he now earns over $250,000 a year.

These Sneakerheads Secured the Resale Marketplace for Global Buyers Wary of Getting Scammed – Now, It’s a Six-Figure Operation

“We’ve had great success with Legit Check. In fact, we just bought a business on MicroAcquire. We've basically divested. So instead of putting money into real estate, we've acquired another company.”

Kaylin Marcotte fell in love with jigsaws during the pandemic and turned her passion into a business. With help from the artist community, her puzzles now make millions of dollars.

This Multimillion-Dollar Puzzler Shares How She Turned Her Hobby Into a Seven-Figure Startup

“I talked to anybody who would listen. I got factory introductions. I hired a product designer from the School of Visual Arts in NY through a LinkedIn connection. I met everyone. I compared samples from different vendors. All of the details mattered.”

“Many people don’t risk entrepreneurship unless they think that they have novel technology or a new invention. They think that they have to create something that no one has ever seen before. But, sometimes, the opportunity is right in front of you. It’s about putting your unique spin and different angle on an existing product for a new market.”

 - Kaylin Marcotte, Jiggy

If you've got a great story about your bootstrapped company, we want to help tell it. Fill out this form and we'll be in touch soon. 

What did you think of this week's stories?