This is the only newsletter you need to grow your startup. Every week I share a proven system, technology and inspiration, you won't find anywhere else. Join over 6,500+ successful founders and get instant access to the systems, strategies and technology to generate $1M per month, and much more. A multiple time founder, entrepreneur, marketer, advisor, mentor and coach, who loves to talk about business & entrepreneurship, marketing, branding, and technology. Subscribe and join over 6,500+ newsletter readers every week!
The Hard Knocks of Failure (Uber's Drizly), The Thrill of Success (Deel), and a Tool That Makes Global Banking Effortless (Wise)
One Triumph, One Tragedy, and One Game-Changing Tool for Founders (and Fools)Startups rise, startups fall, and some change the game. Today, we’re dissecting the cautionary tale of Uber's Drizly, learning from the billion-dollar success of Deel, and giving you a must-have tool to solve business banking headaches—say hello to Wise Financial, the easiest way to manage global banking and payments. TL;DR:
"The secret to success is to be ready when your opportunity comes." — Benjamin Disraeli
This inspiration ties in perfectly...
Drizly seized an opportunity and thrived, Deel is redefining global work, and Wise is making international banking effortless. 🚀 💀 The Failure: Uber’s $1.1B Bet on Drizly (That Aged Like Warm Beer)Once upon a time, Drizly was the Uber of alcohol delivery—until Uber actually bought it. Acquired for a whopping $1.1 billion in 2021, Drizly was supposed to make liquor-on-demand mainstream. Instead, it became a lesson in regulatory nightmares, data breaches, and why buying a struggling startup for a billion dollars doesn’t magically make it a winner. Why It Was Destined to Fail:🚩 Too niche – Booze delivery isn’t an everyday essential like rides or food. Final Nail in the Coffin? In 2024, Uber decided to shut down Drizly entirely and integrate whatever scraps were left into Uber Eats https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/drizly 📉 Moral of the story: A billion-dollar price tag doesn’t guarantee success—especially when you inherit a mess. 🚀 The Success: Deel – The Global Payroll PowerhouseWhile some startups sink, others rocket to the stratosphere. Meet Deel, the payroll and compliance unicorn that made hiring across 150+ countries as easy as sending a Slack message. Deel launched in 2019, just in time for the remote work boom. While other companies were figuring out how to unmute themselves on Zoom, Deel was busy solving one of the biggest headaches for startups: paying international teams legally and efficiently. By 2024, Deel hit a $12 billion valuation and is now the go-to HR tool for global hiring. Check it out https://www.deel.com/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/deel Why It Worked:✅ Timing was everything – The remote work explosion made this a must-have, not a nice-to-have. Want to hire international talent without the legal migraine? Deel did it first—and they did it right. 🤖 The Tech Optimization You Need: Wise Financial - Business Banking Without BordersRunning a business in today’s world is like juggling flaming swords while blindfolded. And when it comes to business banking, founders often get the short end of the stick—slow transfers, high fees, and limited access to global transactions. Enter Wise Financial—a game-changer for startups and businesses looking to manage money seamlessly across borders. Wise Financial makes it easy to: 🔗 Get Wise today and unlock global banking without the red tape. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/transferwise Wrapping UpOne startup’s downfall is another’s blueprint for success. Learn from failures, double down on what works, and use the right tools to make your entrepreneurial journey smoother. 🚀 Want expert guidance on scaling your startup? Sign up for a free strategy session at empoweredentrepreneur.ca. Stay bold, stay brilliant, and remember—your next big move starts today. - The Empowered Entrepreneur Team (P.S. If you enjoyed this, share it with a founder who could use a little wisdom—minus the unnecessary failures.) If you are a financial advisor, wealth manager, investments consultant, I want to hear from you. I want to share your wisdom with the world. What's working, what's not working, what's the next big move in the markets and how to best protect yourself, your family and your business while maximizing profits. Meet with me https://cal.com/getkompound Investors looking to fund the future of success. Let's talk about some of the investment opportunities we see at ThinkFISH. I would be happy to provide you access to our deal flow and introduce you to some incredible founds and opportunities. Want to make sure your startup lands on the right side of history? Let’s map out your strategy. 🎯 Book a free startup strategy session and let’s turn your vision into a winning game plan. Until next time—keep building, keep optimizing, and for the love of all things SaaS, stop manually copying and pasting. 🍸 - Your Friendly Neighborhood Startup Whisperer |
Empowered Entrepreneur
This is the only newsletter you need to grow your startup. Every week I share a proven system, technology and inspiration, you won't find anywhere else. Join over 6,500+ successful founders and get instant access to the systems, strategies and technology to generate $1M per month, and much more. A multiple time founder, entrepreneur, marketer, advisor, mentor and coach, who loves to talk about business & entrepreneurship, marketing, branding, and technology. Subscribe and join over 6,500+ newsletter readers every week!
Lessons from the Trenches: Wins, Losses & a Smarter Way to Move Your Money TL;DR: One startup flew too close to the sun (and melted). Another rocketed past the competition. And if you’re still paying ridiculous fees for international transfers, Wise is here to make you feel… well, wiser. "The secret to getting ahead is getting started." — Mark Twain 🚨 Startup Autopsy: Quibi – The $1.75 Billion Flick That Vanished Remember Quibi? The short-form video platform that raised $1.75 billion and then...
Success, failure, and a little tech magic to make your life easier. Hey Founders, If startups were a game, the rules would be written in disappearing ink. Some rise like SpaceX, some fall like MySpace, and somewhere in between, we find the hidden playbook for success. Today, we’re breaking down one startup that cracked the code, one that imploded like a bad Tinder date, and one tool that’ll save you from both fates. Let’s dive in. Don't worry, it's shallow waters.. just 3-5 minute read if you...
Patrick McGuire February 15 2025 Another EV Bites the Dust, a Payments Empire Rises, and the Ultimate Growth Hackers 🚀 💡 A deep dive into Canoo’s crash, Square’s triumph, and the automation tool every startup founder needs. 🔥 Welcome back to your favourite startup reality show (newsletter, but honestly, startup life is one heck of a show), where some founders and investors find unicorns 🦄 while others light millions on fire🔥🔥🔥 and call it ‘R&D.’ Today, we break down another EV startup...