Summary

The author shares their experiences and lessons learned from being a member of Starter Story for over a year, including insights into the lives of startup founders, the diversity of business journeys, and the financial benefits they've gained through freelance work and affiliate commissions.

Abstract

The author, a member of Starter Story for over a year, reflects on the valuable lessons gleaned from reading numerous founder stories on the platform. They highlight the varied nature of a startup founder's daily life, noting that some balance their startup with a full-time job and family, while others commit fully to their venture. The author appreciates the platform's honest depiction of entrepreneurial journeys, which include both successes and failures. They also discuss the potential for rapid business growth, as seen during the pandemic, and the possibility of slower, more gradual success. The author joined Starter Story for its educational value and has since profited over $27,000 through freelance opportunities and affiliate commissions advertised on the site. They recommend the platform for inspiration, learning, and potential income streams.

Opinions

The author values the behind-the-scenes look at startups provided by Starter Story and finds it highly informative and interesting.
They appreciate the diversity of entrepreneurial experiences shared on the platform, emphasizing that not all stories are of success, which reflects the reality of business ventures.
The author is intrigued by the rapid growth some businesses experience, yet acknowledges the slow-burn success of others.
They see significant value in the learning opportunities provided by Starter Story, which have directly contributed to their own financial success.
The author endorses Starter Story for its educational content, potential freelance work, and the chance to earn through its affiliate program.
They believe that the stories on Starter Story are inspiring and worth investing in for aspiring entrepreneurs and those interested in learning from others' experiences.

I’ve been on Starter Story for over a year — What I’ve Learned

When I first found Starter Story on Reddit a few years ago, I was super stoked. I was excited to learn about different businesses. And, Starter Story gives a nice behind-the-scenes look at their startup and how it works, which was super interesting to me!

Update: Starter Story’s New Year’s sale is happening now! Get a huge 40% off on the All Access Plan with code NEWYEARALLACCESS. Limited access. Once all spots are taken, the coupon code will stop working.

Since joining Starter STory over a year ago, I’ve read dozens of founders' stories.

Here’s what I’ve learned…

A day in the life of a startup founder

Here are some takeaways I’ve learned from perusing the thousands of startup stories on the platform…

The day in a life of a startup founder varies

Not surprising, right?

The day-to-day will vary a lot from business to business. You’ll see that some business owners run their startup on the side while juggling a 9-to-5 job, a family, hobbies, and the rest of their life.

Others decide to go all in, ditching their day job for their dream so they can dedicate all their time to the startup project.

Everyone's story is unique (and they’re not all successes)

It’s interesting to read about all the various entrepreneurial journeys. What I like is that every story is different. And, each founder interview you read will highlight the founder’s journey at a different phase.

You’re not reading a bunch of success stories.

And, you’re not learning all about businesses that put 5+ years into it and they’re living the dream.

Some are businesses that have been running for less than 2 years, others have been going on for up to a decade or longer.

It’s a mixed bag and I really like that because that’s how it really is, out in the wild (the “business” wild).

Your business can grow fast and furious or on a slow burn

I started a business fueled by Ebay at the start of the pandemic.

I knew that the pandemic would make millionaires, and I wanted to get in from the start. I came up with an e-commerce idea that I thought would be successful.

In less than a week, I drove more than $7,000 in sales!

I actually failed doing this (read my story below) and had to close that business, sadly, but, I learned a lot from it.

This is What It’s Like to Go $0 to $7,500 on eBay in 7 Days

It’s about a month after schools have closed in my area. It’s a full fledged pandemic and the entire world is seeing…

millennialnextdoor.medium.com

I’ve read other stories that were similar, where businesses grew super quickly in a short time. Others have made nothing for years and then started to take off, earning a healthy income, years later.

You’ll read a bunch of both in Starter Story, and I like that a lot.

Why I joined Starter Story

I love reading a good success story but, more than that, I’m addicted to learning.

So, if I can read about someone's journey, uncovering their successes and pitfalls, it can help me in my own business and teach me something new!

That was the appeal for me.

Since joining, I’ve learned a ton of important lessons about business and made some money from it too!

How I made over $27,000 since joining Starter Story

I made money from two sources, as a result of my Starter Story subscription:

Freelance work
Affiliate commissions

Starter Story earned me over $20,000 — Here’s how

It all started a few years ago. I was hanging around on Reddit and I found this user posting founder stories. It was…

medium.com

One of my favorite parts of Starter Story interviews are the “Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?” section…

Starter Story, image created by the author

This is when the founder shares hiring opportunities for writers, social media managers, web designers, etc.

Here is an excellent opportunity to pitch for freelance opportunities. I did this a few times for freelance writing positions and landed a gig!

Next, affiliate commissions!

Refer Starter Story, like I’m doing in this article and earn a commission when your referral results in a sale!

Affiliate income is one of the ways I earn passive income.

I do it with Pinterest, Medium, TikTok, and other ways.

I Tried Pinterest Affiliate Marketing For a Day — Here’s What Happened

My One Day Pinterest Affiliate Marketing results

millennialnextdoor.medium.com

Steal my Medium Affiliate Marketing Strategy

Medium affiliate marketing! It's one of the smartest ways to make money with affiliate marketing. You use your content…

medium.com

Starter Story is a high-earning affiliate program, too!

Anyway, I’m a fan of the platform, as you can see.

Read founder’s stories, get inspired, learn what other entrepreneurs are doing right (and wrong), get an opportunity to land freelance work, and join their affiliate program to refer others to the platform you enjoy!

Do you get inspired reading success stories like I do?

Is this something you’d invest in?

Note: Affiliate links are in this article which means if you click a link and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

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