Sydney Sweeney's bathwater soap wasn't an impulse stunt.
It came after four and a half years of earning the right to make a big bet.
Kiel Faulkner, who ran partnerships at Dr. Squatch, explains how it happened in a Session with @TheStartersHQ.
I gave up $1,000,000 this year to launch this.
No, I’m not exaggerating.
Before this year, I was cash flowing the heck out of The Starters.
We were on a strong trajectory to clear $1M+ in earnings in 2026.
But while it provided a great lifestyle, something was missing.
I knew we weren’t living up to our potential.
After all, if I was taking all our profits instead of re-investing them… how could we?
So I thought bigger. And we went to work.
I dropped my salary to $0.
Every dollar went back into building the platform for a bigger vision.
A year later, it’s here.
The Starters is no longer just a freelancer marketplace.
We’re the human brilliance platform: the place where the best e-commerce expertise lives, and where brands go to learn, get advice, and hire.
See what we built 👇
So honored & pumped to have made @TheStartersHQ top 50 list!
What Mr @JaiDolwani has built is special
And this marketing campaign for their new launch is 10/10! Mad respect
I signed up for @TheStartersHQ when it first launched. As a founder new to CPG, having @JaiDolwani personally help me find the right talent made a huge difference.
Knowing how much work went into this new version from talent curation, design, features, educational content - pumped to see it go live.
Congrats on the launch, Jai!
AI is making your brand mediocre.
That’s why @thestartershq exists, to be the human layer behind your business. I am proud to be on The Starters as one of 100s of experts in dozens of fields.
Brilliant relaunch by @JaiDolwani and the team for @TheStartersHQ 🎉👏
I’ve been on the platform since very early on & have worked with some amazing clients from it. Super excited to see this next evolution!
Here’s to keeping brands human 🤝
Human Brilliance is the star of your business! 🌟
Think about it, before a dinner date, you check the ratings and reviews. It's the human experience that makes all the difference!
That's exactly what @TheStartersHQ is helping businesses achieve! 🚀
Ill bet you 10k right now that the first 22 seconds is your exact workflow...
thankfully @TheStartersHQ is letting you keep your AI workflows but add the true horsepower to help your brand shine. Real people that have already overcome your exact situation.
Couldn't be more stoked for what @JaiDolwani and team are building.
This is one of the easiest ways to get expert help into your brand. Reasonable price. Great players (shameless self plug) and @JaiDolwani is very hands on.
De slopify your go to market @TheStartersHQ
I am a bull on human to human connections. As we all use AI more and more this will only increase our desire for humanity. Excited to see @JaiDolwani launch @TheStartersHQ and to be part of the initial mentor cohort supporting entrepreneurs as they build their businesses.