Hey — It’s Charlie.

Welcome to the latest edition of Great Startups! Here’s what’s in store:

• From Zero to 1 Million Users: Find out how Rows cracked the code to startup growth, transforming their user base overnight with bold moves and a bit of AI magic.

• How to Turn $0 into $5M ARR: Get the step-by-step guide to scaling your business fast.

• First Customers, First Wins: Learn how one startup snagged their first 15 customers and built momentum from the ground up.

• Eric Smith’s Solo AI Startup Success: Full transparency on his $90K MRR journey and how he's making it work, solo.

• Big Acquisitions and Bolder Moves: Catch up on the latest with Sequoia’s Stripe share purchase and Progress' $875M acquisition of ShareFile.

Get ready to dive into these power-packed insights for founders and growth enthusiasts!

Resources

• A 20k word guide on personal finance for startup founders. (LINK)

• The fastest way to get to $100k/mo (LINK)

• The 80/20 on how to do SEO right for a SaaS product (LINK)

• How to gather and use the right information before sales calls. (LINK)

• How to think of product design when building AI products. (LINK)

ICYMI

• Typeface acquires two AI startups Treat and Narrato. (LINK)

• Salesforce Ventures announces a new $500M AI fund. (LINK)

• Sequoia Capital completes $861M Stripe share purchase. (LINK)

• Jessica Livingston’s lessons from the most successful startup founders (LINK)

• Are VC firms are getting serious about helping founders with growth? (LINK)

Quick Links

• Discover how Simon Hiberg launched a thriving side project in just 63 days.

• The story of an entrepreneur, filled with setbacks along the way.

• What to know if you’re building the next billion-dollar marketplace

• A founder stops sharing MRR updates to prioritize mental health.

• The realistic journey of a founder before it found success.

Nurture, Engage & Convert Users into Customers

v01 is the tool every startup needs to simplify user management. Designed for SaaS founders and growth teams, it automates key tasks, drives growth, and ensures you never miss a revenue opportunity. If your startup has a product, v01 is your go-to for scaling faster and optimizing customer engagement.

No Ads, Big Impact

Ever thought of building an iconic brand on a shoestring budget? Lisa Bubbers, the co-founder of Studs, has some fantastic insights that might just be the key. She talks about using a Minimum Viable Brand (MVB) approach, much like the MVP model most of us know. Studs kicked things off with a simple pop-up, less polish and more understanding what their customers wanted. This flexible, iterative approach meant they could adapt and appeal to a wide range of people without alienating anyone. Sounds pretty smart, right?

But that’s not all—Lisa swears by the power of community and influencer partnerships. Instead of blowing a fortune on ads, Studs doubled down on user-generated content and teamed up with influencers to organically spread the word. They focused on the right social channels and made their stores so Instagrammable that they naturally generated buzz. Lisa’s go-to strategy? Keep experimenting and tweaking based on feedback. It’s proof that with smart moves and persistence, growing a brand without breaking the bank is totally doable. Dive into her story for some seriously valuable tips! (LINK)

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