What Works for Startups Like Yours?

Yo Shirt is a mobile app enabling users to design and order custom on-demand apparel directly from their iOS device. Founded in 2014 by Ben Williamson (former senior-level Apple engineer), the company raised $1.1M in a priced equity round in early 2015 and reached $3M in revenue by end of 2015, with projections to hit $10M in 2016. Growth was driven primarily through strategic brand partnerships (notably Fallout Boy, which generated over 1,000 units in a single tour activation) and organic marketing including Apple App Store features.

Joseph Michael built Learn Scrivener Fast, a one-time-purchase online course teaching writers how to master Scrivener software, generating $500,000 in revenue in 2015 (averaging $40-42k/month). Starting from a $60k/year casino job with no email list, he grew the business through strategic JV partnerships with influential writers, leveraging a 30% conversion rate on webinars and building a targeted email list of 60,000+ subscribers. His model demonstrates how teaching strategy around an existing tool can be more profitable than the software itself.

First customers: JV partnership webinar with Jeff Gawins (GawinsRider.com)