Business Club (acquired)

Searching for a Technical Co-Founder(CTO) Hi everyone, I’m on the lookout for a technical co-founder and CTO to join me on an exciting journey with Strats. We’re also looking for passionate builders who want to be part of something impactful and grow with us long-term. In this post, I’ll share: 1?? What Strats is and what we’re building. 2?? How I’m navigating the search for a CTO without a tech background. I hope this resonates with fellow founders and aspiring builders! 1??What is Strats? In 2021, I was active in entry-level e-commerce communities, sharing advice and helping others. But I noticed the same questions kept popping up, and it frustrated me—conversations weren’t progressing. So, I created a Notion guide—a collection of videos, tools, and resources that I and my friends used to build e-commerce businesses. I shared it casually in community chats and on Instagram, and to my surprise, over 300 people signed up in one week. But I didn’t double down on this; instead, I stopped advertising it and only shared it directly with people who asked for information. Fast forward three years, I met someone at a RANDOM USC Persian Club party who thanked me for helping him achieve his first $100,000 in revenue using that guide. I knew it had driven results for a few people online, but this was my first in-person interaction. Perhaps I’m onto something here? With Strats, we’re taking this further. Our vision is to build a portfolio of websites and web apps that offer clear, actionable solutions for people solving specific problems or learning new skills. Thanks to AI advancements, we’ve realized we can rapidly launch these projects, test ideas, and reach product-market fit (PMF) faster than ever before. Tools like Replit and Cursor enable us to prototype and ship products quickly, with an initial planned tech stack of React/Tailwind and Supabase/Airtable. If you’re curious, I’d love to share demos—just DM me! 2?? How I’m Searching for a CTO As someone without a tech background, finding the right CTO is a unique challenge. Here’s what I’ve been doing: 1. In-Person Circles: I’ve spoken with friends and contacts, but convincing someone to leave their job is tough, even when they believe in the vision. 2. YC’s Co-Founder Match: This has been promising. In the past week, I’ve had six calls with individuals who’ve built impressive projects or are students at top CS programs. Messaging prospects on both LinkedIn and YC has been effective. 3. Expanding to LinkedIn: I’m now broadening my search here to connect with more talented builders who share the same passion. If you’re a technical co-founder, an aspiring builder, or just someone excited by the opportunity to rapidly launch impactful projects, I’d love to connect. Let’s build something meaningful together. Send me a message.

Two days ago a student at New York University called me for advice as he entered his first semester there. This isn't the first time I get this question as Business Brilliance has over 2500 students in our discord. Wrote this as the fall semester just started at most schools:

Big News, Business Brilliance! ?? We're thrilled to announce that we've officially acquired Business Club (acquired), a community of rising business leaders and top students at schools like USC, UC-Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, and more. We're eager to continue uniting ambitious students worldwide by joining our new West Coast allies with our flourishing Business Brilliance chapters across Ivy League and Ivy Plus schools including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UPenn, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, UCL, LSE, and more. Watch the statement from Business Club founder William Lee and Business Brilliance COO Alexander Goldman here: https://lnkd.in/dNDhUP6P. This move invigorates our mission to reimagine the power of collaboration, bringing in fresh energy, innovative strategies, and a whole new level of impact. We're combining forces to expand our global reach, and we're excited to see where this will take us! Most importantly, stay on the lookout for new opportunities to meet other inspiring students at in-person events in NYC, SF, London, and more. Stay tuned for updates by following across our socials—big things are coming! ?? Digital platform (make a profile!): https://lnkd.in/gJfV8S2i LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/dEzb6jra Instagram: https://lnkd.in/dbKFieYG In or near NYC? Come say hi at our Central Park Walk on Saturday, Sept 21. RSVP here! https://lnkd.in/d_AhMCdr

The end of Business Club. We are joining Business Brilliance. We started at Glendale Community College, grew to 100,000 members on clubhouse, downsized to 7 university chapters at schools like UCLA & UC Berkeley. It has been a wild journey and it will only go up from here.

$1,000,000,000+ Lesson. Analysis of the top 28 companies to grow consistently for a long period of time. I recently read the book Good to Great by Jim Collins, and I had to share its incredible value. This book is a game-changer, packed with insights that can transform any organization from mediocre to exceptional. The concepts are not just theoretical; they are backed by extensive research and real-world examples. Jim Collins is a renowned business consultant and former professor at Stanford University. For Good to Great, Collins and his research team spent five years studying the performance of 28 companies to identify the key factors that differentiate great companies from their merely good counterparts. This rigorous research lends significant weight to the book's findings. My Key Takeaways from his book: 1. Level 5 Leadership Insight: Great companies are led by Level 5 leaders who combine personal humility with professional will. Example: Walgreens' leadership exemplified this, driving the company to sustained success without seeking personal glory. Under Level 5 leadership, Walgreens' stock returns increased by an average of 6.9 times over 15 years. 2. The Hedgehog Concept Insight: Understand what your company can be the best at, what drives your economic engine, and what you are deeply passionate about. Example: Wells Fargo identified its core strength in banking services and focused on customer service, resulting in a stock price increase that was 7 times the market average over 15 years. 3. The Flywheel and the Doom Loop Insight: Transformations follow a process of building momentum (the flywheel effect) rather than sudden breakthroughs. Example: Circuit City built momentum through disciplined execution and continuous improvement, leading to a market outperformance of 18.5 times over 15 years. 4. First Who, Then What Insight: Get the right people on the bus before deciding on the direction. Example: Nucor focused on getting the right people, which enabled it to become the most profitable steel company in America, with returns 5.1 times higher than the market over 15 years. Why You Should Read the Entire Book These takeaways are just the tip of the iceberg. Good to Great dives deep into each concept, providing detailed explanations, examples, and actionable insights. The book is worth your time because it offers a comprehensive framework for achieving and sustaining greatness in any organization. The principles are timeless and can be applied to various industries and contexts. Feel free to share other interesting books to check out or if you have read this book share your takeaways. I need to read & learn more. #Leadership #BusinessStrategy

I wanted to know what makes Elon, well, Elon. And why didn't I make it into an Ivy League school straight out of high school? Turns out, it's all about their ability to learn. So, I dove deep into this topic, researching how top performers master the art of learning. From Growth Mindset to the Pareto Principle, I discovered some game-changing strategies. I put all my findings into an article that breaks down these powerful techniques. If you're curious about how to level up your learning game, check this out. *I don't care if you don't read it, but I guarantee this is worth your time. I made this for myself. Would love input/feedback.

As of last week, I have completed my journey as an undergraduate at UC San Diego with a B.S. in Human Biology and a minor in Business. It has been an honor and privilege to be a student in one of the most rigorous biological sciences programs the nation! ?? These last four years at UCSD (with the first being fully remote) have been the best years of my life— learning how to live independently, navigating through both challenging and inspiring courses, participating in various organizations, and meeting lifelong friends. I want to thank the faculty at UC San Diego, my peers, friends, and family for their unconditional support these last four years. I will miss being a Triton, but I look forward to taking this next step into adulthood! ?? #ucsd #graduation #alumni

$7,000,000,000. The most successful person I ever talked to so far, I found through LinkedIn and he was a cold lead. I want to share 3 things. 1. His background 2. How I got in touch with him 3. What I learned from our call 1. This individual started as an intern and climbed to become the CEO of his organization. He took it from 8 figures a month in revenue to over 9 figures a month. He then left and launched his own business from scratch, taking that business to a multi-billion dollar merger. After the merger, he decided to start a Private Equity firm(currently runs this) that invests in solid operators. 2. I met this individual by leveraging a mutual touchpoint. When I was in college I started Business Club and he did something like that as well back when he was attending Harvard University. I sent him an InMail message on LinkedIn with premium and mentioned this. He replied fairly quickly and we scheduled a call. The touchpoint I leveraged was what lead to him replying as I was the ONLY person who really messaged him about what he did at Harvard decades ago. 3. On our call, I learned his entire business strategy was to take the successful strategies from his first organization and rework them in other industries. He tripled down on what worked, realizing that their systems and the fundamental business model were applicable in other markets. He didn't literally build something from the ground up; he took proven strategies and adapted them to new markets.

Reflecting on an Incredible Year with Business Club Over the past year, Business Club has organized numerous impactful events across various universities. Among these, I had the privilege of hosting two standout sessions featuring industry leaders: Google's Global Head of Partnerships, Don Tirsell, and Jotform's Chief Marketing Officer, Steve Hartert. Additionally, I had the opportunity to attend BusinessToday's International Conference, where I engaged with C-level executives from diverse sectors. Looking forward to another year of growth, learning, and meaningful connections.

Here's a very solid networking strategy to use at in-person events where you want to meet new people: