“PR is the best kind of marketing, but it’s the kind of thing that takes a long time to develop. Eliminating doubt through crowdfunding is relatively easy. In the broader industry though where you don’t have a reputation yet, developing your platform is extremely difficult.” Erik de Brun
Have you ever thought about crowdfunding to validate your idea?
Erik and 2 of his friends did just that, not once, but three times within their company.
He is one of 3 co-founders at Redshift Sports, which provides innovative cycling products to amateur and competitive athletes.
Erik’s background in mechanical engineering, prior work history & travel set him up perfectly for business ownership.
He started with very clear expectations that, like most entrepreneurs, did not take him exactly where he thought they would. In this interview, he explains how he shifted his views & strategy to refocus on Redshift.
Redshift now has offices on the east and west coast of the United States and delivers high-quality products all over the world.
Tune into this fascinating conversation for lots of great insights. Check out the show notes below to follow along.
SHOW NOTES
- Introduction to Erik de Brun and how he got into the online business world (1:19)
- The origins of Redshift Sports (7:06)
- Transitioning from one company to starting up another (14:56)
- The journey of crowdfunding when starting a company (19:20)
- How data is your most valuable asset for crowdfunding and advertising development (22:35)
- Redshift’s growth after the crowdfunding and startup phase (27:06)
- How Redshift approached the online business mentality (32:46)
- Where Redshift is today compared to where they started (27:59)
- Reflecting on some of the biggest challenges of growing an online business (46:11)
- How working remotely works for Redshift (48:47)
PEOPLE / RESOURCES MENTIONED
- How I Built This Podcast
- Wait Don’t Tell Me Podcast
- Neal Stephenson
- Entrepreneurship As A Path to Personal Development
CONNECT WITH ERIK
LET’S CONNECT ONLINE!
- Join The Building It Online Community
- Brice Gump — Major Impact Media | Connect with Brice on Facebook
- Mike Sebastian — Outside ROI | Connect with Mike on Facebook
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