Jacob Binnie’s Post

Recently I had a few people ask me WHY my business is taking so long to get up and running. "It looks bad that it's been so long since you started." "People are going to wonder what's wrong with the business or with you." I get it. I don't entirely fault them for thinking that way. As I reflected on those comments, I realized this was an opportunity for me to practice self-compassion and self-kindness. Since my original idea for GoodHeart in July 2019, the following has taken place: ✅ I BOOTSTRAPPED, designed, developed, and launched a mobile app during the pandemic while also struggling with severe burnout, running a nonprofit, and taking care of my kids who were staying home from school and isolating themselves from friends. ✅ I panicked when the MVP of the app was not performing the way I anticipated and decided to remove the app from the app store to further develop it. I regret this but also know I made the best decision I felt at that moment. I wish I had kept it in the stores and iterated on it while it was active, so at least I had a product on the market but lesson learned. ✅ I lost who I was, WHY I started this business in the first place, and the vision I had. Everything became muddled because I allowed way too many voices to begin telling me the HOW, WHAT, WHO, and WHY. I had mission creep and it pushed me to sit in front of a business that I no longer was passionate about or could even communicate properly. ✅ I went through a lot of very difficult personal challenges that I will never share publicly but absolutely impacted every area of my life, including my business. There are many reasons why things have been slow. I didn't even mention that it can take startups many years to reach product market fit. It's normal and part of the process for many of us. I created my course, Protect Your Compassionate Heart, in December 2020, and will re-launch the course this weekend. This is an intro of me - at my core. It reinvigorated me to watch myself introduce myself. It's weird but even though I have evolved over the years, it's good to be reminded. #startupfounders #womenentrepreneurs #productmarketfit #healthandwellness

A foot in two worlds. For 2.5 years The Happy Startup School was a side project. “Keep the main thing the main thing” they said Spook Studio was the main thing. Building websites and apps was the main thing. Business as usual was the main thing. But we had a burning desire to break out. To chart our own path, and in turn help others chart theirs. This meant experimenting with new ideas, lots of failed products and dead ends. But this happiness thing kept coming back. Yet it didn’t happen overnight. We found ourselves running 2 companies - one that was making good money and one that wasn’t. One day we had to make a call - and in May 2015 we closed the agency and committed to our new path. The uncertain one. But we couldn’t have done it alone. The support and love we got from the fledgling community we were building had helped us make this decision. Big decisions are hard on your own. Choosing a new path takes clarity, courage and conviction. But also a lot of cheerleading and a little gentle pressure from those that know you well. This is what Vision 20/20 is. A safe container of ideas and incredible support, like we had back then. A place for those with a foot in two camps - the thing you’re doing, and the thing you really want to do (even if you’re not fully sure that that is, yet). We close the doors to Tribe 9 on Friday. If you’d like to take one of the last remaining places now is the time.

In 2005, he started Reddit. In 2006, he sold Reddit to Condé Nast for $10M. In 2014, he came back as executive chairman to Reddit to turn it around! Today, Reddit is valued at $10B. The inspiring & touching story behind why Alexis Ohanian Sr. doesn't regret selling Reddit "too soon" 👇 Alexis Ohanian met Steve ("Spez") at the University of Virginia. After walking out of the LSAT to go get breakfast at the Waffle House, Inc., Alexis decided to start a company. But he needed an engineer who could write code — he was a good coder, but he needed a great one. So he convinced his roommate Spez to turn down a job offer from a small dev shop in Virginia to join him. The idea? MyMobileMenu (MMM! for short). A service that would let people skip the line at restaurants and order takeout from their phone. Alexis did what every CEO does -- he talked to every restaurant in Charlottesville, VA, pitching them on this idea. The feedback was pretty good… Spring break rolls around, and most students went on trips to Cancun. But not Alexis and Spez. Spez was a huge fan of Paul Graham, the future founder of Y Combinator, and when he told Alexis that Paul Graham was giving a talk at Harvard called “How to Start a Startup” over spring break, Alexis insisted they attend instead of going on vacation. They traveled from Virginia to Massachusetts by train. The talk was life-changing, not because of its content, but because of what happened right after. Spez was starstruck and rather shy, so while he asked PG for an autograph, Alexis did his CEO thing and pitched: “Dr. Graham, we came all the way from Virginia to pitch you our startup idea and it’d be totally worth the cost of a drink for you to hear our idea.” Paul respected their hustle and the three of them walked over to Algiers Coffee House to discuss their new business idea. A few days later, they received an email from Paul: "I just announced this new program called Y Combinator. You should apply." Alexis pitched their startup idea again, this time in person to PG, Jess Livingston, Trevor, and RTM. He gave the pitch of his life. THEY WERE REJECTED. Alexis hung up the phone after the rejection and promised Spez that PG would regret the mistake. Then they got drunk. After that, though, something crazy happened...It's Paul Graham himself, calling Alexis back the next day as they’re on the long Amtrak ride back to Virginia. “We still don’t like your idea, but we like you. If you change your idea, we'll fund it." (Read the rest of the story in the comment section 👇) Did you enjoy this business breakdown? Follow Intro to learn how the world's most successful entrepreneurs built $100M+ businesses.

That is on point with no doubt!  Launching them early even before you finish building the system that will govern your new project or product will give you insight on what to add to your list and what not to! I remember passing true an article saying: "Put your ideas into the world in action with the intention of experiment, and check the results it brings to filter which you will hold on to and which you will not" Doing so will show you a lot of ups and downs you need to work on before you fully say "We are ready to go".

Switching from one community platform to another is a nightmare. How do you do it without losing people in the process? Picture this...you have a bustling online community on a platform that has been losing it's shine (or they have become mind-numbingly expensive), and now, you want to move everyone to a different platform. It's not an easy task, it’s more akin to herding cats, and you may initially feel like an oddball running around trying to herd everyone in the right direction. Now, here's the cold hard truth: Some loss is inevitable, but before you start fretting, there's some good news too... ...your most active, engaged members are likely to make the move, and let's face it, they're your community's beating heart. To help you through this tricky transition, here's some practical steps to keep as many community members as possible on board during the transition: 1. Create a Clean Manifest: It's time to get organized. Gather a list of all members segmented into categories (core, regular, and casual members), based on their activity level. Having their emails is a real plus. 2. Plan and Publish the Move: Transparency is key here. Announce a concrete start and end date for the transition. Clearly lay out what’s involved in the move and compile a FAQ list to address potential queries. 3. Offer Tutorials: Make it easy for members by providing tutorials on making the move and how to use the new platform. 4. Provide Incentives: Human beings are enormously motivated by incentives. Offer a reward to those who make the transition and introduce themselves in the new community. 5. Countdown to Shutdown: As you approach the deadline to shutdown the old platform, keep reminding your community about the impending shutdown. A countdown creates a sense of urgency that encourages action. Remember, some attrition is unavoidable but following these steps will ensure that your community's lifeblood — the active, engaged members — will likely join you in the new setting. #Community #CommunityEngagement #DevRel #DeveloperRelations #Founder #Startup #Discord #Discourse

Hi everyone! As the Chief Technology Officer at RoomMe, I am excited to announce a significant milestone that marks a new chapter in our journey. After months of hard work, our team has successfully launched the RoomMe app in New York City! 🗽 Why NYC? With almost 40% of renters in New York opting to live with a roommate, we realized this provides RoomMe with a significant opportunity to revolutionize the way New Yorkers find roommates through a seamless and personalized platform. 💡 What Sets RoomMe Apart? - Personalized Matches: Our algorithm ensures you find a roommate that matches your preferences and lifestyle based on your fully customizable user profile. - Filtered Searches: Looking to only live in a particular neighborhood, RoomMe allows you to filter users by particular characteristics such as budget and mutual contacts. - Community Building: Connect with potential roommates and join the RoomMe community, forming lasting friendships even before you move in. 🎊 What does this expansion bring to the company? RoomMe began as a platform for college students to find roommates. With the team preparing to graduate this upcoming May, we realized that the search for roommates doesn't end after college. To address this matter, we decided to focus our efforts on introducing new features that benefit users who may not be in college but are still in need of a roommate. We're excited to see RoomMe grow and evolve, and we're grateful for the continued support from our users and mentors. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to expand into more cities over the coming months! Thank you for being part of our journey and make sure to check us out on the App Store and Google Play Store. #roomme #newyorkcity #applaunch #startuplife #startup #roommates #roommatefinder #roommatesearch #proptech #nyctech #nyc #uva

Always great to hear our #StlMade #startups sharing their valuable insight on starting their companies! Listen in on some great tips from a nontechnical #startupfounder, Allison Cousins, on what she needed to navigate in building out a technical platform for her #dating app. Plus she shares other obsticles she faced and addressed along her #entrepreneurialjourney 🚀 Approach Dating Startup Hustle #founderstories

"Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster: Lessons From My Wild Ride" 🙌 Sharing My Entrepreneurial Mistakes: Let's Begin at the Start! 🚀 I'm thrilled to take you on a journey through my ups and downs as an entrepreneur.   It's all about transparency and learning from our missteps, right? Back in 2014, I had this grand vision for GoKrazee—an app where millennials could create awesome user-generated ads in a mere 30 seconds. My goal was simple: create something people would happily pay for. To get things rolling, I thought, "Hey, why not offer free recharge vouchers?" And guess what? The app took off like wildfire! But here's where things got a little crazy. People started using it in ways I never anticipated. They were uploading all sorts of random stuff—tricks, dance moves, and who knows what else! It was totally off-track from what I had in mind. Can you believe it? So, I made a tough call. Despite having over 5,000 users within the first three weeks, I decided to pivot. Little did I know, that app would eventually transform into the one and only TikTok. 🤯 I know, it sounds unbelievable! But hey, don't take my word for it—just Google "GoKrazee" and check out our F6s application. The proof is right there! Now, let's talk about the invaluable lesson I learned through all this chaos. Drumroll, please... It's all about shutting up, setting aside your ego, and letting your users guide your entrepreneurial journey. Trust me, they're the real MVPs in this wild world of startups. 🌟 I'm inviting you to come along for the ride as I spill the beans on my entrepreneurial blunders. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I'll be sharing a story and the valuable lessons I've gained. Believe me, we'll have some fun and learn a ton together! Oh, before I forget, I'm super stoked about my latest venture: dogswag.club. It's all about simplifying dog care for all you wonderful pet parents out there. Stay tuned for exciting updates and insights from this pawsome journey! Let's connect, learn, and grow together! 🌱 #EntrepreneurshipChronicles #LearningFromMistakes #JoinMyJourney #DogSwagClub #TransparencyInBusiness

In 2019, I took a leap of faith and embarked on a CreateGreg Ltd journey. It was after leaving a startup I cofounded and worked on for four years. I would lie if I said I knew it would work out. I just failed with one business. I was in debt. But I was healthy, and I could work. To succeed, I needed to stack odds in my favour and embrace myself for the long run. This is how I went about it: - I had an MSc in engineering, and the best thing I got from it was the conviction that I could learn almost anything. - I knew how to shoot, edit and distribute videos on social media, which was the core of my business. - I had a decent credit score, so I got a few credit cards to repay my debts and extend my financial lifeline.  - I knew how to build a website, incorporate a company, understand how accounting works, and plenty of other practical aspects I learned from my previous startup.  - The best thing I got from building the startup was the sheer volume of people I met. Some of them became my first video clients. - Other people like Tom McCrorie, who believed in me and my journey, decided to help by creating branding for Create Greg. So, every time you see my epic log, he is the guy who made that happen. - I worked in hospitality for quite some time and secured a job where I could work weekends to make a living and weekdays to work on my business. Fast forward four years, and I look at a photo from 20 December 2019 showing off my new website and smiling. I believed back then it would all work out. I trusted the process, hard work, experience, and relationships I had by that point. Keep believing in what you're doing. #contentcreator #storytelling #filmmakerslife #lifeisajourney #makeithappen