Intro

"You can always recognize the first-timers because they are too secretive. Once you've done a few startups, you realize how much execution, difficulty, and risk there is." - Naval Ravikant (founder of AngelList, valued at $4B) -- Follow Intro to learn from the world's top founders.

She got rejected by every single investor when pitching her "Chinese hot sauce". Today, her $50M Chinese food brand is sold in 5,000 stores, including Whole Foods, Target, and Costco. Here's the story of how Jing Gao quit her tech job, raised $120K on Kickstarter, and produced her first batch of Sichuan chili crisp👇 Jing Gao is the founder and CEO of Fly By Jing, a company specializing in Sichuan flavors, like its ultra-popular chili crisp, hot pot kits, and frozen dumpling line. Jing was born in Chengdu, China, but lived all over the world as her father was a traveling professor. After living in Canada for over a decade, a job offer brought her back to Asia, where she lived in Beijing, Shanghai, and Singapore. “When I was in China,” she reflects, “it was the first time I had realized how disconnected I had become from my heritage.” Jing quickly reconnected to her culture through the local flavors of Chengdu. She started an underground supper club showcasing Sichuan cuisine, hosting private dinners across the world. Her Sichuan chili crisp was a big hit at her dinner parties, most guests asked if she had extra sauce they could take home. That was the exact moment when Jing realized this could be a business. She continued to host dinner parties all over the world. While in California, she attends Expo West, the natural food industry’s biggest trade show. She was shocked to find out that only 5 out of 3,000 food vendors were Asian food brands. She did what every entrepreneur would do: figure out if there's any demand for her business idea. She launched a Kickstarter campaign. Campaign goal: $35K Actual money raised: $120K!!!!! Consider the idea VALIDATED! She had proven that there was a ton of demand for her products and yet... Investors told her it was "too niche" and they passed on investing 🙃 But guess what happened next? Her Sichuan chili sauce blew up, revenue 20x'd, and she raised $12M through private equity. Today, her $50M Chinese food brand is sold in 5,000 stores, including Whole Foods, Target, and Costco. 3 takeaways for entrepreneurs: 1) Validate your idea. Jing launched a Kickstarter to confirm whether there would be actual demand for her Asian food brand. After she got an overwhelming response, she went all-in 👏 2) Find a gap in the market. Jing recognized an untapped market opportunity in the Asian food brand space. The best way to find business ideas is to pick an industry you love & keep studying it. 3) Persistence pays off: Despite facing rejection from investors who deemed her idea "too niche," she kept going. The reward for not giving up? Every time Jing goes to Whole Foods, she now gets to take a selfie holding her own brand 🙌 Want to get business advice from a CPG industry expert? You can now book Jing Gao on Intro. -- Found this valuable? Repost and follow Intro to learn how the world's most successful entrepreneurs built $100M+ businesses. 

"The greatest people don't need to be managed. They just need a common vision. That's what leadership is."- Steve Jobs -- Want to be a better leader? On Intro, you can work 1:1 with the world's most successful CEOs & executives. Comment "interested" to get matched.

Bill Gates & Nikhil Kamath (India's youngest billionaire) discuss entrepreneurship in India and the lack of access compared to U.S. startups. Are you building a startup outside the U.S. and want access to the world's most successful founders & investors? We can help: https://lnkd.in/gjeJREjg

I wish someone told me this when I started my first venture: Getting started is the easy part. Scaling is what separates a small idea in a garage from a game-changing startup that can redefine a category. Whether it’s judging pitches as a recurring shark on ABC’s Shark Tank, teaching a direct-to-consumer class at Harvard Business School, or investing in 100+ global consumer brands, I’ve seen it all. Do you want to work with me 1:1 to scale your business from $1M to $50M+? From broad challenges such as defining your company’s true value proposition to working on granular tactics of efficient paid acquisition, we can work together to tackle the roadblocks getting in the way of your company and rocketship growth. I’ve had the privilege to help so many of you on Intro these past few months. I heard you loud and clear: you’re looking for an ongoing advisor for your business. Someone who acts as a sounding board every single month. That’s why I’ve now launched a subscription plan on Intro where founders can work with me 1:1 on an ongoing basis. Here’s what you will get:   •  1:1 Video Calls (60 min / month)   •  1:1 Chat (Unlimited)   •  Lessons on how to build a company for scale and large enterprise value   •  Fundraising advice    •  Guidance on: marketing, sales, business development, designing your org, culture, and more   •  An emotional shoulder to lean on; a coach who can help you on this journey Disclaimer: No pitches please. Only sign up if you’re ready to do the hard work and take your business to the next level. These plans are for businesses that are already doing $1M+ in revenue. Ready to scale? Comment “interested” below and subscribe now: https://lnkd.in/dwX4cxQ8

The founder of The Muse is now on Intro! Schedule a call with Kathryn Minshew for advice on: ✔️ Funds that invest in female-led startups ✔️ Content-led marketing ✔️ How to raise over $50M ✔️ Private Equity ✔️ ... and more Book me on Intro: https://lnkd.in/gjeJREjg

"If you have a business idea, test it before spending a lot of money. I sold 50 sticks of deodorant before even producing them." - Moiz Ali (Founder of Native, sold for $100M) -- Interested in having Moiz as an advisor to your business? Comment "interested" below & we'll reach out.

Her college professors called her the “dumb twin.” Investors laughed at her when she was trying to raise $1M. Today, she’s worth $200M. This is how Daniella Pierson went from having a newsletter with just 10 subscribers to running a $200M media empire👇 Daniella launched The Newsette from her college dorm room. She was suffering from severe depression, ADHD, and OCD, all of which were undiagnosed at the time. Her teachers doubted her potential, but she refused to let their opinions define her. Daniella woke up at 5 a.m. every single day to write her newsletter while also trying to do well in school. She leveraged Facebook to get more subscribers for her newsletter by inviting college students to become brand ambassadors for The Newsette. It worked! The Newsette took off. Her next goal? Fundraising. While trying to raise $1M at a $10M valuation, one investor told her: "You remind me of my granddaughter." Daniella replied with: “Oh, she must be so entrepreneurial.” The investor said: “No, she talks too much and doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” Daniella left the room and cried the whole Uber ride home. Once again, she didn't give up. That rejection became her fuel. Instead of raising $1M from investors, she pushed herself to sell newsletter ads to 200 companies. She hustled. She grinded. She persevered. And guess what? IT WORKED. The numbers: 2019: $1M in ad sales  2020: $7M in ad sales 2021: $40M in ad sales  Today, The Newsette is worth $200M, reaching over a million daily readers. And Daniella? She became the youngest self-made woman of color, according to Forbes. 3 takeaways: 1) Ignore the naysayers. Her college professors called her the “dumb twin.” Investors laughed at her. Today, she’s worth $200M. Believe in yourself, even when others don't. 2) Great founders know how to sell. Daniella’s ability to pitch her newsletter helped her land major deals. As a founder, you're always convincing people to buy your product. Become an expert at selling. 3) Start small. Acquire 1 customer per day. In the early days, your number 1 priority should be to get customers. Focus on 1, then 10, then 100. It's okay to grow slowly. Which one resonates the most? Comment below. You can now book Daniella Pierson on Intro. -- Found this valuable? Repost and follow Intro to learn how the world's most successful entrepreneurs built $100M+ businesses.

Here's how Jensen Huang runs Nvidia: -- Follow Intro to learn how the world's most successful founders built $100M+ businesses.

"Today, I'm gonna play big." - $15B investor, Graham Weaver, teaches Stanford students how to live an asymmetric life: -- Found this valuable? Repost and follow Intro to learn how the world's most successful entrepreneurs built $100M+ businesses.