๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ.
Founders Espresso Shots: featuring shot-size inspiring stories, key lessons, and practical tips from Hidden Champion Founders to boost their entrepreneurial journey.
๐ Growth Hack
Turning Digital Events into Viral Community Growth
One of Emeralsโ most unexpected growth levers was organizing digital concerts and events with popular artists. These initiatives sparked massive interest and brought thousands of new users to their virtual world. Michele and his brother personally reached out to creators and musicians, skipping traditional channels and leveraging authenticity and spontaneity to build traction.
โPeople respond better when you break formal boundaries. We just messaged them directly and said, โWanna do something cool together?โ And it worked.โ
Advice: Be bold in outreach. Authenticity and direct connection often beat polished pitches.
๐ก Founder Spotlight
From a Private Server for Friends to a 320K-User Startup
Michele and his younger brother started Emerals at just 17 and 13 years old, building a private GTA V world to play with friends. What began as a hobby quickly became a thriving virtual city, now with over 320,000 users globally. Michele manages business and strategy, while his brother handles community and tech. Together, they turned their passion into a serious startup.
โWe didnโt realize how fast it would scale. One user brings anotherโand suddenly itโs a real business.โ
Advice: Start small, stay curious, and let momentum guide your next step.
Dear reader, weโre about to launch โWiki-Foundersโ โ a searchable, community-driven space to discover, follow, and learn from real founders (not just the unicorns).
*If youโre a founder, you can join to share your story and gain visibility in the startup and VC world.
๐ Founder Tips
Courage, Discipline, and Empathy
Michele highlights three personal qualities that helped him grow as a founder:
๐ก๏ธ Courage โ to follow his own path and face failure head-on.
๐ Discipline โ as more reliable than motivation.
๐ Empathy โ to build a team culture based on shared happiness.
โMotivation is a spark. Discipline is the engine.โ
Advice: Develop habits that keep you grounded and surround yourself with people who share your vision and values.
๐ Startup Tools
Voice Polls and Community-Led Development
Emerals thrives on real-time feedback. The team holds open-stage sessions on Discord, where users suggest new features, vote in live polls, and discuss directly with the admins. Every update is community-driven, turning players into co-creators.
โEvery changelog reflects what the community asked for. We listen, vote, and build accordingly.โ
Advice: Build a feedback system thatโs live, open, and interactive. Your users will help shape a better product.
Hello! Did you know you can also listen to the podcast on Spotify?
โ Cup of Founders Wisdom
Donโt Scale AloneโAsk for Input
One of Micheleโs biggest lessons was learning to consult others before making major decisions. As the company grew, he realized that collective inputโespecially from his co-founder brotherโoften led to better outcomes than solo judgment.
โBeing wrong is okay. But being stubborn and isolated in your decision-making is not.โ
Advice: Talk it out. Collaboration saves time, stress, and costly mistakes.
๐ Boost of Inspiration
A Virtual Playground with No Limits
Emerals isnโt just a gameโitโs a sandbox of dreams. Michele envisions the project as a launchpad for even bigger ventures. His drive comes from wanting to give back to his roots, support his brother, and push the boundaries of digital experiences.
โEmerals is my training ground. What we build here prepares us for something greater.โ
Advice: Let your mission serve others. When your โwhyโ includes your family, team, and community, no bad day can stop you.
Sip up, and Scale up!
Stay tuned for more startup stories and actionable insights in the next edition of Founders Espresso.
Andrea Marino
Founders Espresso