Austin Founder Stories
Local business news, founder interviews, and expert columns from Austin Founders Feed. Every story is published here on our own site, with the full issue linked back to the newsletter.
How WhatsGoodATX Grew to 10K Austinites Organically
Michelle Rueda built WhatsGoodATX to help Austinites discover the city's weirdest and most interesting events. She shares how the platform grew to almost 10,000 Austinites organically, without a dollar of ad spend, and why patience is the DNA of every successful niche community.
How David Gonzalez Kept Austin's Internet Marketing Party Alive for 18 Years
For nearly 18 years, David Gonzalez's Internet Marketing Party has been one of Austin's longest-running marketing communities. His edge isn't the room or the guest list — it's a think-tank format where solutions are banned for the first hour and better questions do the work.
How Nate Strayer Built Austin's Largest LED Volume Stage
Nate Strayer turned a COVID detour into Stray Vista Studios, home of Austin's largest LED volume stage — an 80-foot curved LED wall that Google booked before the AC and bathrooms worked. Here's how he built before the market looked obvious.
How Nelson Lin Plays the Real Estate Market to Beat Chain Restaurants
Nelson Lin runs Soup Leaf Hot Pot with his mom, the oldest hot pot restaurant in Austin. He's also director of research at Aquila Commercial. That overlap — restaurateur and real estate insider — is the moat.
The 40-Year Overnight Success: Why Jason Scharf Says Austin Is Still Early
Jason Scharf started Austin Next as a hack to meet people after moving from San Diego. 100+ episodes later, he's built one of the sharpest theses on why Austin works — and what founders should steal from it.
How Austin's Best Day Ever Foundation Brings Joy to Families Who Need It Most
Matt Worthington turned personal loss into a movement — building Best Day Ever Foundation, a 501c3 that has delivered 400+ tailored experiences to Austin individuals and families going through their hardest seasons.
How Moby Turned $90K in Ad Spend Into a $1.12M Year in Austin
Moby runs a B2B paid ads agency in Austin, where he helped a solopreneur dentist scale from $40K to $1.12M in a single year — proving that when paid ads are aimed at the right audience, leverage shows up fast.
How to Build Communities that 10x Your Business in Austin
Alec Rios is building Young Professionals Network in Austin around events, media, and nonprofit service — proving that when you get the right people in the room with intention, community compounds into something powerful.
The Story Behind Austin Founders Feed
Ken and Warren share how they built Austin's #1 newsletter for founders — from a LinkedIn connection to a thriving community.
