Ask Linny:
So You Want to Start a Business
Welcome to the first edition of Ask Linny, where I’m going to answer the questions I get asked most often. And nothing comes up more than “How do I start a business?” So let’s get into it.
1. You don’t need as much money as you think (but you need more runway than you expect)
I started SET with $20,000 in credit card debt. Not ideal, not recommended, but it happened. Here’s what I learned: you don’t need a massive nest egg to start, but you DO need to be realistic about your personal burn rate.
Before you quit your job or go all in, ask yourself: how long can I survive without income? I’m talking rent, groceries, insurance, everything. Ideally, you want 6-12 months of personal expenses covered because your business isn’t going to pay you right away. And if you’re putting money into the business, understand that it’s going to take longer than you think to see it back.
The business itself….start scrappy. You can bootstrap a lot further than you think if you’re willing to do everything yourself in the beginning.
2. Finding a manufacturer is a relationship, not a transaction
This one took me forever to figure out. I went through multiple manufacturers before finding the right fit, and honestly, it was a lot of trial and error.
Start by being crystal clear on what you need: quantities, quality level, price point, turnaround time. Then actually talk to people in your industry. I learned more from other founders over coffee than I ever did from google. People will tell you who they work with, what to avoid, red flags to watch for.
When you’re vetting manufacturers, ask for samples. Multiple samples. Test everything. And pay attention to communication……if they’re a nightmare to deal with before you’ve given them money, imagine after.
Also, understand that the cheapest option usually costs you more in the long run. Quality and reliability matter more than saving a few cents per unit.
3. Your idea doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, it has to solve a real problem
People always ask how I knew SET was “the one.” Honest answer? I didn’t.
But I knew I had a problem I was tired of trying to match separates and wanted cute matching sets. And when I talked to my friends about it, they had the same problem. That was enough validation to start especially during a time where no one was doing it. I started working on this idea in 2017.
Your business idea doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. It needs to make someone’s life easier, better, or more fun. And you need to be obsessed enough with solving that problem to push through the hard days (because there will be a LOT of hard days).
I also think there’s something to be said for starting a business in a space you actually understand. I lived in activewear. I knew what I wanted to exist. That gave me a head start.
4. You have to be willing to sell before you have anything to sell
This is probably the most important thing: I started building SET’s audience before I had product not just on my personal page but I also started the IG account so that if a friend or someone wanted to tag the brand there was a landing account that existed with a moodboard as posts.
I posted about the concept, showed behind-the-scenes of the development process, asked for feedback on colors and styles. I built a community of people who were invested in seeing SET come to life because they felt like they were part of creating it and again this was during a time where NO ONE was doing this.
I need to pause here and say something: in 2018, NO ONE was building this way. Brands weren’t letting customers behind the curtain. They weren’t asking for input or showing the messy middle. Everything was polished, perfect, aspirational and totally one-sided.
We were the originals when it came to actually letting customers in. And I don’t say that to brag, I say it because it’s important to understand how different the landscape was. There was no playbook for founder-led, community-first brands. I was literally making it up as I went, and people told me I was crazy for being so transparent.
But that transparency, that willingness to bring customers into the process? That became SET’s superpower. It’s why we built such a loyal community so fast. People didn’t just want to buy from us they wanted to be part of what we were building.
Now everyone talks about community. Every brand claims they’re community-first. But there’s a difference between saying it and actually doing it. And if you’re starting a business now, understand that your customers can smell bullshit from a mile away. They know when you’re performing community versus actually building it.
By the time we launched, I had people waiting to buy. I didn’t have to convince strangers to trust a random new brand I had a group of women who already knew the story and wanted to support it.
If you’re not willing to put yourself out there and talk about what you’re building before it’s perfect, you’re going to have a much harder time getting traction.
