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- The Founders’ Playbook: 18 game-changing stories to inspire your next move
The Founders’ Playbook: 18 game-changing stories to inspire your next move
Real insights from 18 self-made legends I interviewed.
Seven years ago, on April 5th, 2018, I turned on a camera and launched my YouTube channel, Silicon Valley Girl.
Since then, I’ve created 559 videos, met some of the most inspiring people in the world, and asked them the questions I was dying to know.
Now, I’ve pulled together the best insights from my last 18 interviews — stories of grit, growth, and impossible dreams turned into reality.
Take what you need and start building.
1) Noah Kagan - Asking a $80M founder how to start a profitable business
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
Serial entrepreneur who started 25+ companies before AppSumo succeeded
Built AppSumo to $100M annual revenue with $7M profit
Get 3 customers to validate any business idea before building
Focus on finding problems people will pay for rather than building first
2) Nate O'Brien - How to make money on YouTube without filming videos by yourself
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
YouTuber who built 8 faceless channels that generate significant revenue.
Investor and co-founder of Roadrunners Ventures who prioritizes scalable business models
Invest 2 years per channel before determining profitability - give your projects time
Prioritize affiliate marketing over flat-fee sponsorships for unlimited earning potential
There's no real equity buildup in a personal brand. You can't sell a personal brand, but you can build something separate from yourself.
Nate O'Brien, YouTuber, investor, co-founder of Roadrunners Ventures
3) Samir Vasavada - The 24-year-old who built a $1B company without finishing high school
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
Founder of Vise, a billion-dollar AI wealth management platform
Entrepreneur who scaled from 160 to 40 employees while achieving 10x better metrics
Hire "barrels" (people who own entire projects) instead of "ammunition" (people needing specific instructions)
Use shadowing for training - have new hires observe you for a month instead of traditional onboarding
College teaches you what to think, not how to think. The only way to be an entrepreneur is to go be an entrepreneur.
4) Ayush Jangra - Meet a 27-year old from India building a $20M startup in the US
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
Founder of Pesto Tech ($20M+ valuation), helping Indian engineers get US jobs
Pivoted from education platform to job placement after COVID impact
Focus on solving one problem well rather than trying to solve multiple problems at once
Use AI to match candidates with companies based on skills and culture fit
I think in a couple of years, recruitment will feel like ordering a burger and getting it in 10 minutes — it’ll be that simple, with AI doing the matchmaking.
5) Charlie Chang - Meet a 31-year old who makes $185K/month at 90% margin
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
Content creator who generates $185K monthly at 90% margins through affiliate marketing
Systematic builder who operates 4 channels with a team of 15 overseas contractors earning $7-8/hour.
Focus on business tutorials and software reviews rather than viral content
Commit to 150-200 videos before deciding if a channel will be profitable - most people quit too early
I think a lot of people stop way too early.
6) Vivian Tu, @YourRichBFF - "I won't stop until I earn $25M"
Who is she and what we can learn from her:
Financial educator who built a massive following teaching young women about money
Strategic wealth builder targeting $25M "FU number"
Invest 5-10% of your time into tax strategy if you make good money
Use the 50/30/20 budget: needs/wants/savings-debt-investing
If you make a good amount of money and you're not investing at least 5-10% of your time into tax strategy, I think it's like a big mistake.
7) Karlton Dennis - How to avoid paying taxes in the US (legally)
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
Tax strategist who helped 10,000+ clients legally reduce their tax burden
Real estate expert who recommends short-term rentals for tax benefits
Use the 100-hour rule for material participation in rental properties
Never put yourself in a position where you're forced to sell - always be prepared
You never want to be in a position where you’re forced to sell — make sure you’re prepared for whatever happens.
8) Jake Tran - How he makes $1.2M a year on Youtube without showing his face
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
Creator who generates $2.5 million ARR across multiple faceless channels
Content producer who spends only a few hundred dollars per video using international contractors
Apply Blue Ocean Strategy - look at crowded niches, take what you like, remove what you don't, and create your own unique space
Test 5 people for every role and give them the same project - only 1-2 will be good, but focus on those who take feedback well
The difference between most people and the successful ones is that everyone wants to be millionaires, but they never become dollar-aires. Just start — it’ll work.
9) Brothers Jason and Aris Yeager - Moving from Europe to the US to build a 2M follower empire in less than 2 years
Who are they and what we can learn from them:
European twin brothers who built 2M+ follower empire across multiple characters
Strategic content creators who generate 50M+ monthly views on TikTok
Use your unique advantages
Create a character that the internet loves - even controversial personalities can build massive followings
The internet loves a character, an asshole character for some reason.
10) Nikil Viswanathan - His family moved from India, he built a $10B company in the US
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
Indian immigrant who built Alchemy to $10B valuation as blockchain infrastructure
Founder who pivoted 16 times before finding product-market fit with Alchemy
Be okay with throwing away things that don't work - most early builds will fail
Commit to several years of building before expecting major success
Most things you build in the beginning will not be good and people won't want them and you have to be okay throwing it away.
11) Renuka Apte - She moved to the U.S. to build a manicure robot
Who is she and what we can learn from her:
Indian immigrant who built Clockwork, an AI-powered manicure robot company
Entrepreneur who raised $10.5M for 10-minute $10 manicures
Pay attention to people's needs and how they interact with technology
Build solutions for time-starved consumers who want convenience and speed
You have to pay attention to people’s needs and how they interact with technology.
12) Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn founder: how to get ahead while others lose their jobs
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
LinkedIn co-founder now investing heavily in AI tools and companies
Tech leader who believes AI will amplify human creativity
Learn AI tools now rather than waiting for better versions
Don't try to build the next OpenAI from scratch - focus on how to productize and integrate AI into people's lives with unique go-to-market strategies
I always recommend hope versus fear and curiosity and optimism versus paranoia.
13) Blake Scholl - He quit Amazon to build a $1B airline
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
Former Amazon executive who left to build Boom Supersonic
Entrepreneur who raised $150M from top investors for supersonic passenger flights
Think crazy enough to believe you can change the world
Target ambitious timelines
The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
14) Coco Rocha - Body For Sale? Coco Rocha reveals what modeling REALLY costs
Who is she and what we can learn from her:
Supermodel who runs Model Camp and operates modeling agency Nomad
Multi-business entrepreneur balancing active modeling career with raising 3 children
Build credibility by association - surround yourself with experienced, high-status people when you lack traditional credentials
Filter feedback before judging it completely - not everything someone says should be translated as "they don't like me"
It's nice to be important but it's important to be nice.
15) Ankur Jain - Pay Rent, Get Rich? Indian-American built a $3.1B startup from that idea
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
Indian-American founder who built Bilt to $3.1B valuation from rent rewards
Entrepreneur who spent 2 years getting rejected before COVID created perfect timing
Stay focused on your why - you'll never run out of ways to solve the problem
Look for massive everyday expenses that generate zero value and figure out how to turn them into wealth-building opportunities
Startups are hard and painful, but if you stay focused on the why, you’ll never run out of ways to solve the problem.
16) Raj Gokal - Solana Founder shares mindset shifts that built $83B company
Who is he and what we can learn from him:
Solana co-founder processing 1-3 billion worth of transactions daily
Entrepreneur who attempted 25+ startups before Solana succeeded
Commit to starting companies "until something really works"
Focus on solving scalability problems that others consider impossible
17) Jenny Lei - From $0 to $9M: how an immigrant turned failure into fortune
Who is she and what we can learn from her:
Immigrant entrepreneur who built Freja bag brand to $10M+ annual revenue
Founder who started with $834 and took 1 year to sell 300 bags during COVID
Don't follow traditional marketing rules if they don't fit your brand
Focus on one customer acquisition channel until you master it
You just have to do it. You'll never be ready. Just think about the next step.
18) Gaurav Munjal & Roman Saini - Meet friends from India who built a $3B startup in the US
Who are they and what we can learn from them:
Indian friends who built Unacademy from YouTube channel to $3B education valuation
Strategic founders who generated $2.5M ARR in 6 months competing with Duolingo
Launch fast and iterate
Don't think you're the only one who can solve a problem
You should not think that you are the only one who can do it.
I hope you find something here that pushes you to take your next big step.
Keep building, keep growing, and remember - the best is always yet to come.
