Shopify talked with 15 founders about how they started their businesses to help inspire others in their entrepreneurial journeys.
15 founders share how they launched their businesses
If you've been dreaming of starting a business, you're in good company. In 2024, there was an average of 430,000 new business applications filed per month, according to U.S. Department of Treasury data.
But while feeling the entrepreneurial itch is one thing, bringing a new business to life is another. From fine-tuning your idea to launching your company, you'll need a good dose of perseverance—and some grit. Shopify spoke with15 founders on how they got their start. Let these stories stoke your motivation and show you what's possible.
Solve your own problem
If you're in the process of pinning down your business idea, look at your pain points. For Cassidy Caulk, founder of footwear brand Kindred Label, it led to a light-bulb moment—and a thriving business.
"The idea came out of necessity," says Caulk on Shopify Masters. "It really came about by me wearing heels and wanting a better alternative, especially when my feet started to hurt."
Caulk spent almost three years teaching herself shoemaking online. She eventually created a prototype of a foldable shoe that didn't skimp on style or comfort. Kindred Label was launched in 2022, proving that it's possible to start a business based on solving one of your own needs.
Know that "done" is sometimes better than "perfect"
Entrepreneurs in the early stages may feel like their vision isn't good enough. But pushing past that self-doubt is often essential.
"I don't think that in those first few months I felt like I had the perfect idea, the perfect product, which I know holds a lot of people back from starting," says Karen Danudjaja, founder of superfood-latte brand Blume. "It was more like I had to develop the confidence in myself to iterate, to listen, to adapt."
Danudjaja started Blume in 2017 by hand-making turmeric latte powders for local coffee shops and smoothie bars. But over the years, she's modified the formulation, ingredient sourcing, and packaging as the business grows and evolves. She also adapts based on customer feedback. In other words, your initial idea isn't set in stone.
Be open to collaboration
Teaming up with the right partner can be a game changer when building a business. In 2012, Peter Maldonado and Rashid Ali met at a mutual friend's poker night. The two hit it off when Maldonado shared that he had an in-the-works idea for an organic beef business. He was a personal trainer and saw the need for high-protein, sugar-free snacks. Ali was a consultant with an eye for business operations.
They grabbed lunch and signed a partnership agreement shortly after—and Chomps was born. The company is known for its grass-fed, antibiotic-free meat sticks.
"[There was] all the stuff that I was strong at when it comes to ops, finance, how do you run a business, then Pete's really good on the ideation, creative, marketing, sales side of the business," says Ali.
Flip the script on social media
Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye has always been a natural storyteller. Instead of creating a brand and then building a social media presence, she did the reverse. Leading with authenticity, the former L'Oréal social media strategist cultivated a loyal following online before launching Ami Colé, a clean beauty brand for melanin-rich skin.
"For me, it was always about community," she says. "Yes, I am the voice or the face of the brand for right now, but my North Star is really to create this kind of ecosystem where everyone is sharing notes with each other and excited to be in this space, or at the party together."
Rethink marketing
Brothers and entrepreneurs Nick and Tim West were already steeped in the New York City running world when they launched Bandit Running in 2021, an apparel brand made by and for runners. It all started with a pair of signature running socks and an organic marketing strategy that involved no paid ads for the first year. They also vowed not to push the product on any of their fellow runners.
"It's just not how I wanted people to discover the brand," says Tim West. "I wanted them to like it, and my thinking was if it's a good thing, then it'll work out for itself."
That trust paid off. The self-described community-driven running brand has since developed a cult following for its apparel, running resources, and events.
Use feedback to refine your idea
Nick Wiseman was working in the fine-dining scene when he met his best friend turned business partner Ronen Tenne. The pair came up with the idea for Little Sesame, a fresh-spun hummus outfit that boasts clean ingredients and responsible sourcing. But before going to market, they spent a lot of time testing their idea and getting feedback from their community.
"The first thing when you're starting to sort of embark on one of these projects is, how do you just get the product out in the world and get some real, genuine feedback?" says Wiseman. "You don't have to start by launching your fully built-out ecommerce experience, but do people actually want the product you're selling?"
Wiseman and Tenne opened a small pop-up shop in 2016, then traveled the East Coast cooking for locals and gathering feedback from farmers and other chefs. That boots-on-the-ground research shaped the product they sell today.
Start small
Katie Hill and Lisa Watkins are the duo behind WanderFull, a water bottle handbag line that's been named one of Oprah's Favorite Things. The idea was born out of Hill's desire to reduce her environmental impact by bringing a reusable water bottle on the go. The problem? Lugging it around felt like a pain. The friends and business partners, who self-funded the company in 2021, started with a modest initial launch.
"Number one is start small because no matter what you're producing, you're going to change it from that very first production run," says Hill. "There are always going to be tweaks. So when we roll out something new, we typically do a smaller order because we want to get it out into the marketplace and get feedback."
This can be especially helpful for cash-strapped entrepreneurs who are bootstrapping their business.
Don't get hung up on the long term
When friends Bart Szaniewski, Grant Eastey, and Ejay O'Donnell started the hat company Dad Gang in 2022, it was more of a creative outlet than an all-out business. The name, which was an inside joke within their group chat, is a nod to the ups and downs of modern fatherhood. The trio whipped up a logo and started with an order of 100 hats and some Instagram posts. They sold out within 36 hours.
"We did not have any major business expectations," says Szaniewski. "It was just, 'Let's do something fun.'"
The cofounders, who all had full-time jobs, did another order of 300 hats—and sold them all in under a week. The driving force behind their now-multimillion-dollar brand has always been to focus on the next right thing.
Let your work be your calling card
Etienne Ortega's brand, Ortega Beauty, has grown at an impressive clip, and he credits that to his work ethic. It's been his number-one networking tool that's allowed him to build a strongly rooted client base as a makeup artist and launch his own makeup line.
That includes "showing up on time, being responsible, being respectful, [and] just applying those things that actually cost nothing and take you so far in life," says Ortega.
When he was starting out, he approached networking in a very organic way—by honoring his craft, doing the work, and establishing real connections with others. That continues to be his calling card today. Ortega has worked with everyone from Eva Longoria to Lana Del Rey.
Don't be discouraged by a tight budget
It's more than possible to get off the ground with minimal funding. When roommates Heather Aiu and Rachael Leina'ala Soares started Aloha Collection in 2014, they each put in just $2,000. Soares had been working as a flight attendant and was looking for an easier way to travel with a wet bathing suit in tow. Aiu was a private mortgage banker who felt called to build her own business.
The pair saw a hole in the market for lightweight, waterproof bags. They put those initial funds into securing a trademark, partnership agreement, samples, and logo design. "After six months of research and development and getting all this stuff set up, I think we had spent all of our money," says Aiu.
From there, the cofounders launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring in more capital. Aloha Collection is now a multimillion-dollar global business.
Find your niche
The beauty market is a crowded place, but Samantha Kent, founder of The Cleanest Lab, didn't let that stop her. The hair and skin care line has built a loyal following by serving a hyper-specific demographic—people with sensitive skin or serious health issues.
Focusing on this niche has been about more than the company's bottom line. Kent was inspired to create The Cleanest Lab after her sister was diagnosed with leukemia. Her clientele has unique needs that she didn't see other brands addressing.
"Trends come and go, but I think creating products that you're passionate about and that people will continue to come back and buy because of the quality—there's room [in the market]," she says.
Invest in content creation
Before launching his now-thriving online store, Kevin Espiritu, founder of Epic Gardening, spent several years cultivating an audience the old-fashioned way—through blogging, podcasting, and making handy YouTube videos for folks with a green thumb.
By 2019, Epic Gardening was generating income through brand partnerships, affiliate deals, and ad sales. But it dawned on Espiritu that what these companies were really paying for was access to an audience he'd already created.
"That's where my mind went," he says. "I need to find some way of offering products directly to the audience because we've built a level of trust between myself and them, so why not try it?"
The online store now generates 90% of revenue for the multimillion-dollar brand.
Push through challenges
For David Levy, founder of Bola Grills, the road to launching his business in 2024 was anything but smooth. Coming up with the idea for a tabletop grill was easy, but bringing it to market wasn't so simple. After raising roughly $22,000 through crowdfunding, he chose to work with a third-party company to take him from ideation to design and development—then connect him with a manufacturer.
"I wish I could go back and save some money there because a lot of people will tell you, that've been through it, that you can do it alone," says Levy. "It was the biggest mistake I've made to date when they set me up with a manufacturer."
After every sample was delivered with defects, he was ready to call it quits, but gave it one last push. The move paid off, and Levy eventually found a manufacturer that could get the job done. But there's been no shortage of surprise challenges along the way. The main takeaway: As an entrepreneur, things rarely go as planned. Being able to adapt could be your greatest asset.
Rethink the status quo
Golf has a reputation for being pretty straight-laced, especially where apparel is concerned. Eastside Golf has been bending the rules since 2019, providing clothing and accessories that blend modern design, street wear, and traditional golf styles. The goal? To create a more inclusive space that allows golfers to embrace their authenticity, even while on the links.
"I think we've certainly positioned our brand as kind of removing barriers and allowing everyone to essentially define what golf is to them," says cofounder Earl Cooper.
Eastside Golf's early days had its challenges, but in time Cooper and cofounder Olajuwon Ajanaku caught the attention of Michael Jordan, who called them pioneers of the game and partnered with the brand on a shoe and clothing line.
Put energy into community-building
Understanding your customer is a huge part of launching a successful business. It can also be the thing that sets you apart from the competition, especially if you're making a genuine effort to build community around your brand. This has been front and center for Babba Rivera, who founded Ceremonia, a brand that makes clean hair care products steeped in LatinX culture.
"We actually went straight to our community and involved real customers in the product development process, and that's the kind of thing that a mega-corporation can't authentically do because they are surrounded by so much red tape and so much corporate structure," Rivera says.
She took the time and attention required to really know her customer base. That involved hosting gatherings around Latin heritage and underrepresentation within the beauty industry.
"Community-building is an art in itself, right?" she added.
This story was produced by Shopify and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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