What’s ‘your founder next door’ about?
It’s a bi-weekly column with relatable stories of my journey bootstrapping eWebinar to $5m ARR. No BS, just straight up truth bombs on what it’s like to build a company without an abundance of resources or friends in high places.
Why ‘founder next door’?
When I started writing daily on LinkedIn, I asked myself how I could possibly differentiate myself from the sea of people who were way smarter and more experienced than me. Most people seemed like business demigods and I was nowhere near that ascent.
I decided then that I was going to be the most average, most relatable founder – the founder next door. As I grew my audience to over 36k, I noticed the most viral posts were ones that offered a window into the reality of what it’s like to build a startup with very few resources.
Overwhelmingly, the feedback I’ve gotten from readers on these posts has been about how refreshingly authentic it is to hear from a non-unicorn founder.
I didn’t make 30 Under 30, or even 40 Under 40. I didn’t go to Harvard.
I’m Melissa Kwan, your founder next door who bootstrapped 3 companies (currently building eWebinar) with 1 exit (sadly, not retirement-level).
Why am I writing this column?
I spent 2 years writing and sharing exclusively on LinkedIn, and while I've had success there in spurts, the constant changes to their algos have crushed my engagement and activity enough to prove to me that you cannot build your business on rented land.
This doesn't mean that social media is evil. Social media is GREAT for reach! But it doesn’t reliably help grow your business because you have no control. Control is what makes a good business great - control over your narrative, distribution, pipeline, and as a result, your revenue.
‘your founder next door’ is my way of speaking directly to people like you who enjoy my writing and hopefully can benefit from my experience bootstrapping startups.
Everything I write on here will not be published in its entirety anywhere else.
Find me here too👇
I decided to bite the bullet and finally expand to social platforms other than LinkedIn (Thanks for the kick I needed to branch out!) Since putting all your eggs in one basket is too risky, you can also find me on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok where I’ll share short videos of business advice and other truth-bomb sound bites. Find me at @themelissakwan on all platforms.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
Stay up-to-date
Never miss an update—every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.
