This year, EVC is experimenting with a new initiative focused on highlighting Ross' resident founders to help aspiring entrepreneurs learn from their experiences, and encourage them to start new businesses.
If would like to be features in future spotlights, please email bankier@umich.edu with the following:
- A Profile Picture
- Explanation of your experience (3-5 sentences)
- 5 Most impactful learnings
- Who should reach out (i.e who can learn most from you?)
EVC Spotlight: Jack Kramer
MarketSnacks
How I became an entrepreneur
Shortly after graduating college I was a banker. A friend and I noticed that financial news was dense, jargon-filled, and boring to people in our generation. We started MarketSnacks that day, and haven't missed a day since. Our digestible financial news coverage makes it easier to inform yourself about the markets, and to have fun while doing it. We knew we were on to something when it expanded beyond our friends and family -- just by word of mouth -- to hundreds and then thousands of people. That's when we went public about the side business to our employers (who consented), started an LLC, and found revenue opportunities in ad sales and syndication. Fast Forward to 2017 -- a friend and alum of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list nominated us, and we got selected to the 2018 list! It's all happened while maintaining full time jobs on Wall Street (and now as a student!). This summer we're taking MarketSnacks full time.
5 impactful learnings:
- Have a bias for action -- lower the psychological barriers to making small changes that can improve your product.
- Content is king -- if you're in the media industry, talk with your customers often to seek feedback, even if it's a cold email to one of them.
- Legacy companies are desperate to connect with Millennials -- If you can offer a way for them to do that, they will listen.
- Find a partner you can trust -- building a business is hard, and you'll need someone to cover for when you have a bad day (or week)