College Students Turn $2500 into Millions by Solving One Problem... | UpFlip Video
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Meet Austin Maxwell, who turned a college kid's biggest problem, warm beverages at tailgates, into a multimillion-dollar business. What began as a C-grade class project at age 22 would revolutionize how people keep their drinks cold. The solution? A lightweight, iceless cooler that works like a koozie for your entire 6-pack.
Starting with nothing but scuba foam and a local seamstress who accepted a 24-pack beverage as payment, these young entrepreneurs built Kanga Coolers from the ground up. Eight years later, they've achieved an impressive $35M in lifetime sales and even landed a spot on Shark Tank, where their energy and quick-witted pitch became one of the fastest in the show's history.
But the path of entrepreneurship wasn't always cold drinks and celebrations. Austin and his team lived on ramen noodles, knocked on countless doors, and hustled their way through the early days. What sets their story apart isn't just their innovative product; it's how three college friends supported each other through the ups and downs of building a business.
In this episode, Austin shares the raw truth about being a young entrepreneur, how having co-founders kept him sane during the tough times, and why sometimes the best business ideas come from solving your own everyday problems.
Resources:
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👉 Check out Austin’s business - link
Timestamps:
00:00 - Start
00:43 - The world’s FIRST iceless cooler
01:34 - Warehouse inventory
01:59 - Scale of operations
02:38 - Newest but already the bestseller
03:17 - Daily product movement
03:39 - All thanks to a class project
05:06 - Building the first prototype with… beer?
06:07 - A 2-year period of disbelief
07:51 - $100k in 4 months
09:12 - Fan blitz
11:27 - Experiencing the Shark Tank effect
14:03 - Buying vs Leasing
15:04 - Hall of OGs
16:32 - Revenue and margins
17:54 - Current product showcase
19:43 - Challenges of seasonality
21:03 - Power of networking
21:50 - “Spike Day”
22:55 - Let’s do the 3-bucket challenge for 30 days
24:11 - Casting a wider net by niching
26:10 - Going beyond the cooler
27:31 - It’s good to be everywhere!
28:49 - Marketing and ad spend
29:56 - Unforeseen surreal future
30:35 - The secret to marketing (it’s free!)
31:34 - Shark Tank accepted a $0 revenue project?!
32:56 - Revenue ups and downs
33:17 - Get your “imperfect” product out there
35:22 - Fine line between friendship and leadership
36:58 - So, why choose a Kangaroo?
38:35 - Get “angry” and prove them wrong!
39:44 - Follow the 80/20 Rule
40:37 - Integrating art into the biz
42:08 - 8 years for work can be replicated in 2?!
43:22 - Know what, just get started!
44:01 - Outro
#entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurs
