Data built a $250k Ice Cream Shop


Hi friend!

It's been a minute. I went to SXSW a few weeks ago and that took more out of me than I was expecting. A lot of fun and got a lot out of it, but whew, that was overwhelming. Some of the learnings below. Also - what would you name this newsletter? Open to ideas!

It's a brand new deep dive in this week's newsletter! Let me know what you think via the poll at the bottom!

What hurdle are you trying to overcome with your business? I'm happy to help!


Here's this week's deep dive:

What happens when a Head of Data Science from Airbnb opens an ice cream shop? You get a store that had 1,000 potential customers before making a single scoop, flavors tested through Instagram with 10,000 views per post, and a neighborhood hub that became the go-to spot for a 9,000 person community.

Elena Grewal opened Elena's on Orange in November 2022, bringing her data scientist mindset to the world of ice cream. Within just seven months, this small neighborhood shop hit $250,000 in annual revenue – all because Elena understood exactly which metrics actually matter.

Let's dive into how Elena transformed from leading 200 people at Airbnb to serving up data-driven scoops in New Haven, Connecticut.


Recommended Tool of the Week:

This email/section contains affiliate links. I earn a commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you :)

Webflow is my tool of choice when it comes to building websites. Is it the easiest website builder out there? No, probably not.

Is it the most versatile and friendly to non-coders like myself? Yes.

If you're looking for a step up from Squarespace or Wix (which are still wonderful!), Webflow is like those but you can customize every single pixel.

Try Webflow for free here


Helpful Content from Others:

Bluesky's CEO at SXSW

Hot take: The internet is about to change significantly and will have a greater impact than AI. There, I said it.

I went to a couple of sessions with the Bluesky team on a panel and I'm so impressed. They have a vision for the future of the internet that is so refreshing and it sure seems like it's a matter of time before it becomes a reality. Meta and Threads clearly think it's on its way given what they have in beta. #Fediverse

Overlay your budget with where your audience is influenced

Rand Fishkin is someone I admire a lot and he recently gave a presentation at a conference where some of the slides have people ranting and raving. This one particular slide had me thinking a lot. You might not have a big budget to put towards these areas, but your time is also a resource to consider here.

Another newsletter you should check out:

Image for The Workin' Process by ProcessDriven

The Workin' Process by ProcessDriven

By Layla at ProcessDriven

Join 13K+ leaders who receive weekly best practices to systemize small teams of 3-30 people. Subscribe to feel more "in control" while ALSO boosting team productivity.

Thanks for reading!

Matt

P.S. Looking for recommendations on software or content? Check out my personal recs here. Some links in this email and in recommendations are affiliate links, so I do get some credit if you sign up for things with these links :)

Matthew Gira

How bootstrapped businsses go from $0 to $250k in annual revenue.

Read more from Matthew Gira
Thumbnail featuring Allea Grummert smiling in a yellow cardigan, holding a coffee mug next to a desk with a laptop. The image includes a profile bubble with her photo and name, along with text reading '$5K investment to $250K biz' highlighting her busines

Hi friend! I published the condensed, narrative version of this deep dive with Allea Grummert (founder of Duett) a few months ago, but here's something different—the full interview. Which format do you prefer: the complete conversation with all its natural flow and additional details, or the more structured version where I highlight key insights and guide you through her story? Which version do you prefer? Condensed, structured version Full interview What hurdle are you trying to overcome...

Jesse Lakes, co-founder of Geniuslink, pointing at business analytics on a laptop screen with a caption stating 'But still making $2 million/year

Hi friend! I'll be at SXSW next week! Let me know if you'll be there. I'd love to see you in-person! This week's deep dive is a story I've shared a little bit a couple of years ago, but never as a full deep dive. Excited to share this one as I met these founders pretty early on in my creator journey and they've been a huge resource for me. What's one hurdle you're trying to get over with your business? Happy to try to help if I can! Now, here's this week's deep dive: Here's this week's deep...

Thumbnail image featuring Sara Jennetten, founder of Blank Mason, in her store with text overlay reading '4,500 Followers = $250K', highlighting her business success despite modest social following

Hi friend! Thanks for all of the feedback on the Bootstrapped Report. Glad to hear that it's been helpful to many of you! We'll keep building on it as we go here. If you missed it, here's the Bootstrapped Report! If you're interested in building a business from other's content, this week's deep dive should be fascinating to you. What's one hurdle you're trying to get over with your business? Happy to try to help if I can! Now, here's this week's deep dive: Here's this week's deep dive: These...