Rinse’s Post

I've told the stories of thousands of founders. But Steven Schussler might truly be one of my favorite. In its heyday, Rainforest Cafe was one of America's highest-grossing restaurant chains and even a favorite stock on Wall Street. The first location generated $15M in year 1. But just a few years before that, its founder had dumped his life savings into his house in a quiet Minnesota suburb. Not to pay off his mortgage... To convert it into a full-on replica of a jungle. This included: - 2, 600 gallon fish tanks - 3.7k extension chords - One dozen animatronic animals - A pet baboon The installations used so much electricity, the DEA came knocking one day suspecting narcotics activity. Since investors wouldn't bite on Steven's jungle-themed restaurant concept... He decided to show rather than tell. It finally worked when casino magnate Lyle Berman visited his house and agreed to invest $1M. The first Rainforest Cafe took nearly two years to build and ran well over-budget. It required special permits for exotic birds, custom software to operate the animatronics, and $1k per sq. ft (5x average restaurant). But it was an immediate hit, a sensation in fact, that soon spread nationwide. Steve would later take the company public as the chain grew to 30 locations. But sales eventually crashed when experiential dining became less popular. Steve sold rainforest cafe for $75M in 2000, but quickly returned to his zone of genius. He started a company consulting on unique restaurant concepts for other brands. Some of Steve’s work include three restaurants in Disney World that gross tens of millions of dollars a year. A few important lessons that stick with me from Steve: - Don't compromise on your vision - Be obsessed with every detail of your product experience - Understand your superpower (for Steve that was designing wild concepts, likely not operating a public co) -- Follow Michael Sikand for more business stories. #restaurants #consumer #startups

Last year, The baby garage achieved a remarkable 112% of planned target with only 86% of forecasted expenses. This isn't a celebration post; it's a recognition of the importance of faith and high governance in times of uncertainty. It's a sweet reminder that every experience we pass through nurtures our perception. We've been too focused on unlocking our limits, raising the bar, holding faith, and allowing the numbers to happen. We understood that limitations are not of our abilities or skills. We pushed ourselves further to focus on our own contribution and growth as a team and people after the same goal. Challenges could come in the form of limited access to resources or the failure of old recipes that no longer match our ever-changing surroundings. But, just as we do, we need to keep resilient and cope with changes as we flow. Moral of the story... the journey is all about the lessons we learn, the traits we acquire, and the experiences we shuffle, making each milestone - no matter failure or success - a new destination where we are still able to encompass qualities of our true being towards a better understanding of our main role.. The journey is our #startupjourney.

Business is a Marathon, Not a Sprint This photo is from our very first market stall. Suji Sanjeevan & I started Light & Glo Fragrances with $237 - not because we had to, but because we wanted to challenge ourselves. We wanted to build something meaningful from the ground up, to prove that with dedication and resilience, even the smallest beginnings can grow into something remarkable. That first market stall was the start of a long journey-a marathon, not a sprint. There were times we sprinted, times we walked, and moments when we could only crawl. But we kept moving, kept believing in our vision, and kept pushing forward. Today, we've grown from that tiny stall to working with some of Australia's most iconic brands. We've expanded our reach, and our finish line continues to evolve. For us, success isn't a destination; it's a journey of resilience, growth, and creating impact. To those businesses just starting out or finding it tough: keep moving forward, no matter the pace. Every step matters. Every effort counts. The journey is hard, but the progress is worth it. #BusinessJourney #StartupLife #EntrepreneurMindset #KeepMovingForward #BusinessGrowth #FromMarketToMultinational

👷♀️ #CrazyForConTech - Season 2, ep. 7 🎙– Matt Lafferty & Brian Gonzalez | Curri. 🍛 (Despite being unable to name a single type of curry…) I was joined by Curri's delightful Co-Founders, who are revolutionizing the way the world delivers construction and industrial supplies with their logistics platform. 👀 We discuss how to pivot into the ConTech space, what it takes to be a co-founding dream team, where they’ve got to since their $42m Series B, choosing the right VCs, and much more! We also saw the SECOND YELLOW card of the season… 🏁 Brian Gonzalez I'm looking at you, sir! 💬  “If you look at the sheer amount of hours we spend together… it might be more than we spend with our spouses… you need to invest as much into [your business] relationship. Take time to communicate, put time on the calendar, if something is bothering you squash it early… and make time to go have fun - don’t make it all about business!" ❌  The problem is, how can you get materials out to job sites quickly… without breaking the bank? The last mile delivery problem is typically looked at within a retail e-commerce context. But in truth, it affects every industry — including construction. Companies like Amazon have made same-day shipping the norm. And in construction customer expectations are actually faster. For last-minute orders, most contractors want supplies at their sites within a few hours. ✅ How are Curri solving this? Curri provides an end-to-end logistics platform for businesses to manage their industrial supply chain. By offering logistics services and a nationwide elastic fleet, Curri helped their customers move over $1 billion worth of supplies across the United States last year enabling companies to quickly and securely deliver complex loads 🔥 Quick Facts: ➡️ Series B (August 2022) - Bessemer Venture Partners with participation from existing backers Initialized Capital, Brick & Mortar Ventures, Rainfall ➡️ 110 employees (+22% headcount growth over last 2 years) ➡️ Founded in 2018, USA ➡️ Clients include: Ferguson , Winsupply, Sherwin-Williams, Graybar, Johnstone Supply, and United Rentals Full Q&A here: https://lnkd.in/gtKf_jJ6 Thank you from LMRE to Alice Warnier for all your work BTS for getting this set up 💙 #ConTech #supplychain #logistics

https://lnkd.in/ev_euwiy Want to know what Marc Lore, formerly of Hoboken-based Jet.com, who has a bunch of entrepreneurial wins behind him, is up to? This is an in-depth article about Lore and Wonder, his newest venture.

"Stepping up to the challenge: where every hour on your feet is a testament to dedication. #RetailLife" Wow, launching our first retail store 10Club has been a wild ride! As a newbie in the retail world, every day feels like a crash course in learning how to juggle a million things at once – kind of like trying to keep all those spinning plates from crashing down at the circus! From the thrill of embarking on a new adventure to the sheer panic of wondering if we missed a crucial detail (spoiler alert: probably more than one), it's been a whirlwind of emotions And let's talk about the physical toll – my poor feet are definitely staging a protest after those marathon days on the floor! Note to self: invest in some seriously comfy shoes ASAP. But you know what? Despite the chaos and the occasional moment of 'wait, did we really just do that?' it's been an absolute blast. Here's to embracing the craziness, laughing at the inevitable mishaps, and keeping that rookie spirit alive. In the midst of this exhilarating journey, a humble sense of pride fills me. It's a feeling I haven't experienced before, one that speaks to personal accomplishment rather than external validation. With a long road still ahead, I'm excited to take small steps towards shaping my dream career, embracing each adventure along the way! Dhruv Shah I'm sure this is just the start of the journey 😅 #startupmilestone #growth

I’ve been thinking lately on the extreme importance of R&D for #startups. Without R&D, you WILL fail. Here’s the thing though, going through research and development of a product you’ve worked hard on designing means things need to change— and change costs time and money. A lot of founders aren’t willing to go through that because it’s a headache. But if you don’t change you don’t grow. Here’s an example of what I mean. On the left you’ll see our first MVP at Toucan Cocktails, this iteration was meant to be “innovative”. John Dallager and Steven wanted to re-define the industry, and at that time that meant designing their own shaker-looking can. Being a new design, this can brought additional costs because EVERYTHING was custom. And it also brought some hiccups.. like the fact that it leaked when you would shake/mix the drink. It also wasn’t clear that the liquor is in the top can, and the mixer in the bottom. On the right, you can see our new product. This product will be launched after 3 years of R&D. Our team developed a new design that includes a ring connecting our cans and guarantees no leaks. The experience of mixing & shaking your own cocktail is now incredible. We’ve also improved the branding & understand our audience fully. And now, we’re ready to take on the #RTD market. Btw, we decided not to stop there. That’s how Shaken Beverage Co. was born and its opportunity to offer this package to other brands. Register to join our July launch: Www.toucancocktails.com

It’s been a journey…. and it’s just getting started. As a start up founder and CPG technology creator here at the top 5 things I’ve learned. 1. Fail fast and frequently. You learn nothing from success. Try, stumble, improve. The Japanese call it Kaizan. I call it grit. 2. Raising money is hard and most people you pitch to are wasting your time. Get good at finding the people that have invested before and add value for the cycle you are in. You’ll know it when you see it and can quickly leave convos that go no where. 3. Bring the right people on the bus. The deal is only as good as the people executing the vision. Find people that compliment your skills and crush it in their lane. Let them drive after that. 4. It takes longer than you will expect. You ever built a house or renovated a house? Old saying double the time and 50% more budget appears to apply here too. 5. Don’t lose your sense of fun and excitement. Once I realized I will hear 100 no’s to every yes I slept better. I can only control so much. Bonus: the entrepreneurship community really embraces and raises each other up. For every no I get I usually get passed along to someone who might help. I appreciate how my network has developed and the people I work with daily now. Let’s go to the moon. JD

We’re excited to announce Marcus Glaad as our new CEO! With his genuine optimism and a knack for bringing out the best in everyone around him, Marcus is set to lead Dotkeeper into an exciting new chapter. But who is Marcus, beyond his new title? In this post, we had the opportunity to sit down with Marcus for a quick chat to get to know him better. Marcus shares insights into his inspirations, his vision for Dotkeeper’s future, and the best advice he’s received throughout his career. So Marcus, what or who inspires you the most? - My mother who raised three children by herself and taught me important fundamental qualities and values that I carry with me every day: ✨ Treating people fairly and treating them the way you want to be treated yourself. ✨ That you get very far with logical thinking and common sense. ✨ No one is flawless, sometimes mistakes occur. People are rarely interested in hearing more about the error that occurred, it’s more important to focus on solving the problem and make sure you take responsibility and are available to those affected. It may sound rather basic and not so revolutionary, but you can get surprisingly far with these qualities. And, very importantly, the Dotkeeper Team, all my fantastic colleagues who not only make my work enjoyable but also bring out the best in me. They genuinely make me happy to go to work every day. What is your ambition or vision for Dotkeeper moving forward? - My vision has not changed going from COO to CEO, the focus remains for us to be the most value-creating partner within digital assets, irrespective of whether you represent a well-known global group or an exciting startup. It is nice if we can be a superhero within our areas of expertise and help clients in need, but it’s even better if we can turn our clients into superheroes in their industries, through our work and advice. I have no ambition for us to be the largest provider; rather, we aspire to be close, personal, and strategic advisors. What is the best advice you have received during your career? - ”Begin with the end in mind”. It’s straightforward and it’s great because you can apply it in your everyday work, the small one-time task or building a five-year business plan. What exactly is the outcome you’re striving for? Once you have a clear understanding of that, you can begin mapping out the path to reach it.

Did you know that Airbnb, the big company where you can book homes for your trips, almost didn't make it? Turns out, when they were struggling to get started, the founders, Brian Chesky, Joe G. , and Nathan Blecharczyk, came up with this wild idea to sell limited-edition breakfast cereals for $40 each! Yup, you heard me right—cereals! They called them 'Obama O's' and 'Cap'n McCain's,' themed around the 2008 presidential election. Talk about thinking outside the box, or in this case, inside the cereal box! Who would've thought that selling cereal could help kickstart one of the biggest companies in the world? #airbnb #StartupTales #CerealEntrepreneurs"