07/15/2025
๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ ๐๐ผ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ โ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ ๐ก๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ
Part of what we tell every startup through the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps, The George Washington University OIE, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SBIR/STTR Programs, the NSF I-Corps Hub Great Plains, and the VentureWell Aspire Programโall places Iโve mentoredโis: "Define a beachhead market. ๐๐ผ ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ." Start with a very small audience, see if you can provide a solution to a problem your customers will pay for, and then gradually expand to neighboring niches. ๐๐ฑ๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ, and eventually, youโll have a market.
๐ฆ๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒโ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป: Weโre starting with athletic men in their 40s in Tampaโabout 30,000 of them. According to my good friend ChatGPT: โTampa is widely considered an athletic city, both in terms of professional sports and resident participation.โ Their problem? Feeling older, slowing performance ... the work and workout blahs that seem to creep in around 40.
Weโre going after these ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐น๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ง๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฟ๐๐ป, ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ, ๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐ธ, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ (or other athletic pursuits that likely begin with 'R') with plussed-up posts on LinkedIn, boosted posts on Facebook, and highly targeted Google ads aimed at this specific demographic over the next month. Iโll be closely monitoring the ad spend and evaluating what works best. Attached is the banner weโll be using for the rowing-themed ads. Similar graphics will be used for other niches. And, ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด, the 16th-floor balcony is not a bad place to do itโsee video. Tips on graphics approach and rowing form appreciated!
To support all of this, weโre launching a ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐น ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ป this week. So, if youโve ever sent me an email before, youโll probably be getting an email from Rezzi either Thursday or Friday to kick off the launch.
Based on six weeks of launch activity (around September 1), I should have a clearer understanding of ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, what the customer acquisition costs are, and be ready to launch our first (or more) influencer campaign in the fall. Campaigns will be aligned with one of the Run, Ride, Row, or Ruck themes. Locally, I also want to explore getting into Tampa Pickleball Crew's and MADabolic Tampa's locations with some test retail in their on-site stores (TBD). Additionally, I plan to expand the ad presence into ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ/๐ ๐ถ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ.
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๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ? ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐. ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐๐? ๐ข๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ต.
๐๐ฎ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น? ๐๐ฏ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ฒ๐น๐, ๐๐ฒ๐, ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ%!!
