The Shortcut Is Caring More Than the Next Person

Customer-obsessed. Customer-obsessed. Customer-obsessed.

Author

Eric Harrison
April 04, 2025

Most people try to scale too early—before they’ve even nailed what customers actually want.

Today, we’re sharing two stories of founders who did the opposite. They took a hit, listened hard, and rebuilt their businesses around what actually worked. Not what looked good on paper. Not what investors wanted to hear. Just… what solved the problem.

Both stories are about letting go of the original plan—and finding something better on the other side.

Oliver King thought he was building software. What he built instead was something way more valuable.

After churn wiped out his early traction, he stopped following the product playbook and got dangerously close to his customers. Now he runs a lean, profitable business helping other builders figure out how to sell—and stay sane doing it.

“The ones who stayed? They kept asking me to be more hands-on. So I leaned into that.”

This one’s for anyone who’s ever had to start over smarter. Read his full story here!

Michael Hoffman didn’t set out to build a video tech company. He just kept listening to what customers actually needed.

When they wanted more video, he built the tool. When they wanted him to run it for them, he said yes—even though it broke the original model. That mindset turned Gather Voices into a growing, customer-led business rooted in real stories.

“We didn’t want to be a service business. But our customers needed that version of the solution. So we made it work.”

This one’s for anyone who’s ever built the right thing by throwing out the roadmap. More about Michael here!

If these stories hit a little too close to home, good.

You’re not the only one figuring it out as you go. There’s a whole group of us doing the same—comparing notes, trading wins, and building real businesses without pretending to have it all together.

Some of those people are already in Thrive.
Some aren’t yet.
You’ll know which one you are.

— Eric 👋

Thrive is where founders find their people.

Our members are vulnerable about their challenges, and passionate about helping each other solve them. It's the community I would have given anything to find when I was struggling to build my first business several years ago. If you're tired of pretending you've got it all figured out, Thrive is where you don't have to. Join us.