Other Startups

Linjer is a mid-market luxury brand founded by Jennifer Chong and Roman Khan that manufactures and sells beautiful leather handbags and watches retailing between $200 and $500 USD. The founders have achieved massive success through savvy marketing techniques and strategic partnerships with factory owners. The company is notable for its approach to physical product entrepreneurship and marketplace research.

Black Swan Ltd., founded by former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss, is a negotiation training and consulting business that translates high-stakes negotiation tactics from hostage situations into practical business negotiation skills. The company teaches emotional intelligence and tactical language selection to help professionals improve deal-making outcomes. Voss also authored the book 'Never Split the Difference,' which became a foundational text on negotiation principles.

Seth Godin founded altMBA, an intensive four-week alternative online MBA program, alongside his influential work as an author and podcaster. The program reflects his philosophy on marketing, creativity, and building companies as explored in his bestselling books like Purple Cow and Linchpin. While specific traction metrics are not provided in this interview excerpt, altMBA represents Godin's broader influence in entrepreneurial circles through education and content.

GreenbellyBar is mentioned as a listener business in a Tropical MBA podcast episode discussing hiring decisions. Chris Cage, the founder, reached out with a question about when to hire employees, a common challenge for growing entrepreneurs.

Mai-Tie is a startup founded by Jen Anderson that creates unique, fashionable bowties made from vintage Hawaiian shirts. The company is still in its infancy, and Jen gained exposure to the startup community through a gifted ticket to a Tropical MBA event in Austin, TX, offered on behalf of Bean Ninjas.

Adventur.es is a business acquisition platform founded by Brent Beshore. Since a previous podcast appearance two years ago, the company has doubled its team size, raised over $50 million in investment capital, and established a physical headquarters in Columbia, Missouri. Brent has also authored a book titled 'The Messy Marketplace' about buying businesses.

EasyChinaWarehouse.com is a third-party logistics company operated by Brian Miller in Shenzhen, China, serving Amazon FBA sellers and e-commerce businesses. Miller operates a diversified business model including the logistics company, a mid-six-figure Amazon FBA business, and a China sourcing agency, leveraging over a decade of experience living and working in China.

Greenbelly Meals is a manufacturer of high-calorie, stoveless backpacking meals for athletes and hikers, founded by Chris Cage. The company is currently facing significant hiring challenges, which Chris discussed in a podcast appearance focused on recruitment and team-building decisions.

iChess was an eight-year online business co-founded by Freddy Lansky that sold chess videos, courses, and DVDs. The startup achieved longevity but ultimately Freddy decided to leave and dissolve the partnership with his co-founder, citing that the business no longer felt fulfilling. The case study focuses on the emotional and business challenges of ending a long-term partnership rather than growth metrics.

Cat Coquilette is an artist and illustrator who built a successful solopreneur career by licensing her artwork and designs to major retailers including Target, Urban Outfitters, and Bed Bath & Beyond. She transitioned from working a traditional 9-to-5 job while living with her parents to traveling the world on her own terms while maintaining creative fulfillment.

Storage Squad is a storage business built by Nick Huber that combines technical knowledge with a traditional, less competitive market. Huber champions what he calls "Sweaty Startups" - labor-intensive business models that he believes offer unique advantages and opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Dynamite Deals is mentioned as a project receiving an in-depth update on a podcast hosted by Dan and Ian. The source text provides minimal information about the company's actual traction, business model, or operational details.

Eric Gilbert Williams built a Canadian-based roofing company that grew to $6 million in annual revenue before being sold. The company is an example of a "Sweaty Startup"—a traditional, physical services business grown using internet business skills and entrepreneurial strategies.

WOD Nation is an Amazon FBA business founded by Mark Brenwall that sells CrossFit products. The founder left his job in San Francisco to move to Asia and build the business. Limited information is available about specific traction metrics or growth channels.

Mike Jackness built and exited ColorIt, a successful adult coloring book manufacturing and sales business. The company became one of his most popular ventures in the eCommerce space. Mike later went on to host ECommCrew, a podcast respected in the eCommerce community.

Ryan Holiday is a bestselling author and entrepreneur who has built multiple businesses around stoic philosophy and parenting advice. His most notable venture is the Momentum Coin—a high-margin, low-complexity physical product inspired by stoic philosophy that sells tens of thousands of units annually. He operates Daily Stoic (400K subscribers) and Daily Dad (60K subscribers) as free email newsletters, leveraging content marketing and social media to drive organic growth across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms.

Zach Schachkeed built a mobile app version of the viral Wordle game over a weekend and achieved 30,000 organic downloads in just days, reaching the top of the App Store. However, his public celebration of this success on Twitter—despite previously tweeting against app clones—led to significant backlash from the tech community and ultimately resulted in Apple pulling all Wordle-branded apps from the store.

Tabs Chocolate is a DTC chocolate brand founded by young entrepreneurs (including Oliver and Jake, a University of Michigan freshman) that went viral on TikTok through a brilliantly executed ad campaign. The ad featured a college-age woman using suggestive copywriting and implications to market the product without explicitly stating its benefits, achieving 650,000 likes and generating approximately $500,000 in sales within a couple of weeks.

The Dox's Kitchen is a mobile app positioning itself as a 'headspace for healthy eating,' built by non-technical founder Rupi from the UK. The startup is in very early stages, with Rupi asking for advice on hiring his first major product manager role. No traction metrics or revenue figures were disclosed in this Q&A format content.

Michael Girdley runs Girdley Enterprises, a diverse holdco with over $100M in revenue across 8-10 businesses including Alamo Fireworks (20-30M+ revenue), Dura Software (a rollup generating multiple millions), a coding bootcamp (low eight figures in revenue), a drive-through coffee chain, and hirewithnear.com. His philosophy emphasizes finding good operators to run businesses while he focuses on strategy, partnerships, and capital allocation rather than day-to-day operations.