Heyo Founders and Side Hustlers 🤙
If you’re reading this, it means you’re here for round two—so let’s get into it.
Last time, I laid out what this newsletter is all about: sharing the real, unfiltered grind of building a startup, running a business, and owning the role of CEO—even if it’s just you.
Today, I’m breaking down the first steps I took when launching Bantee—the scrappy, no-funding, figure-it-out-as-you-go way.
Storytime–Figuring It Out from Scratch
When I first had the idea for Bantee, I essentially had no business starting a business. First-time founder, non-technical, didn’t even know what wireframing was—but I had an idea I felt in my gut was worth pursuing. Google was my professor–I spent hours searching, reading, and watching tutorials just to figure out the basics. Here’s the exact video that got me started back on June 11, 2021:
It was messy, frustrating, and full of trial and error—but that’s how you learn. You don’t need a fancy degree or years of experience to start. You just need to be resourceful and willing to figure things out along the way.
Here’s a look at some of the early designs for Bantee—not pretty, but they worked and helped bring the vision to life ⬇️
The Modern Founder’s Buildbook
Step 1: Start Before You’re Ready
Most people wait for the “perfect” time to launch. Spoiler: it doesn’t exist. Bantee started as a rough idea, and instead of overthinking, we just started building. Early sketches, rough pitch deck, and a wildly bad landing page—sometimes, that’s all you need to get the momentum going.
Step 2: Validate the Idea (Without Spending a Dime)
Before we wrote a single line of code, I tapped into communities where potential users were already hanging out. Instead of guessing, I joined conversations, shared early mockups, and got direct feedback. The goal? See if people actually cared before sinking time and money into something nobody wanted.
Some awesome free communities to join, connect, collaborate, and validate your idea.
Sports Business Leaders (Slack + In-Person Events) – fast-growing community of sports industry professionals connecting online and in person. Perfect for networking, sharing insights, and learning from people who know the game.
The Founders Club (Skool) – no-BS space for builders–swap ideas, get real feedback, and learn from other founders figuring it out.
r/SideProject (Reddit) – massive subreddit where people drop their side projects, get feedback, and connect with other makers turning side hustles into full-time businesses.
Build in Public (X) – no idea is a bad idea community of indie hackers, solopreneurs, and founders sharing the highs, lows, and everything in between.
Step 3: Build in Public (and Build an Audience)
I didn’t start building in public right away, but looking back, I wish I had. Sharing the process—posting updates, wins, losses, and lessons—helps build trust, attract early adopters, and create momentum. The more you put yourself out there, the more people will rally around your vision.
Here are some founders who are absolutely nailing the modern build-in-public playbook:
🏃 Marcus Milione is building an empire with Minted New York, making big moves in fitness apparel and streetwear.
🏌️♂️ Jared Doerfler is leaving his mark on the golf world with Hanna Golf, pushing the game forward in his own way.
✨ JT Barnett is putting out some of the most relatable, engaging content in the game while building CreatorX.
💪 Colin Reich is helping people level up their fitness and mindset, bringing a fresh, no-BS approach to training and performance.
Step 4: Launch Ugly, Then Improve
Our first version? Far from perfect. But getting it out there fast allowed us to learn, adapt, and improve in real time. Too many founders chase perfection and never actually launch—don’t be that person.
Below is the full PDF of wireframes for our MVP of Bantee (back when the working name was Birdie Tour).
The AI Movement and How It Can Be Your Best Friend
It’s easier than ever to launch or get going—with the help of endless AI tools you just need to become a prompt master to unlock guidance, tasks automation, and move faster than ever before. But here’s the thing—you can’t just rely on AI. It won’t do the authentic and grit work for you that will make your product or brand unique, but it can sure help you execute faster than ever before.
5 AI tools that can help you move faster and execute better:
ChatGPT – Your on-demand brainstorming partner, copywriter, and research assistant. Perfect for generating ideas, writing emails, or breaking down complex topics.
Notion AI – Helps with organizing thoughts, summarizing notes, and even drafting business plans or investor emails.
Midjourney – Generate high-quality branding and product concept visuals without hiring a designer. Great for MVP presentations and marketing.
Bubble + AI Plugins – No-code app builder with AI-assisted development, allowing non-technical founders to build and test ideas quickly.
Tome AI – Creates AI-powered pitch decks and presentations in minutes, saving founders hours of design work.
📢 Free Resource: I’ve put together an AI Prompt Guide to help you get the most out of AI and speed up your workflow. You can download it for free below 🤙
How This Applies to Whatever You’re Building
Got an idea? Start small, test it, and talk to real people.
Don’t wait—just start. Build the plane as you’re flying it.
Share the journey. People care more than you think.
I want this newsletter to be as useful as possible. So tell me—what’s your biggest struggle right now in starting up? Hit reply, and I’ll tackle it in an upcoming issue.
What’s on deck for next week…
In the next issue, I’m diving into the art of making money on the side—whether you’re grinding a 9-5 or trying to stay afloat while building your startup.
If you’ve got a topic you want me to dive into, or any feedback to help make this newsletter even better, let me know 🤙
Let's build and start up….
Cheers,
Billy