Ric Ruben
3.5K posts
Ric Ruben
@ricruben
Digital Marketing Agency Founder⚡️
Katılım Kasım 2009
695 Takip Edilen1.1K Takipçiler
I'm looking for business partners. People who want to build a portfolio of cash-flowing internet businesses. But first, some context:
4 years ago, I walked away from WeWork. I had sold my company to them, watching as they raised and then incinerated $20 billion. It was unbelievable. Painful.
I vowed never to be part of something like that again.
In the aftermath, I found myself at a crossroads. This was 2020 and the tech world was obsessed with chasing unicorns, but I wanted something different.
Something sustainable.
I spoke to the people I respected in Silicon Valley. And declared I wanted to build cash-flowing businesses and raise $0 of VC.
They looked at me like I had three heads.
"You're going backwards," they said.
"You're wasting your time," they warned.
"You'll startups will eventually get crushed by VC-backed competition."
Damn, lol.
But I was tired of my fate hanging on a "yes" from VCs in Palo Alto. I craved control over my destiny.
So, against all advice, I started Late Checkout, my holding company.
It was profitable from day one - a stark contrast to my WeWork experience and a rarity in VC land.
My goal - scale internet businesses powered by community, and on our own terms.
The journey wasn't easy. We burned through millions and made more mistakes than I care to admit.
But we persisted, and gradually, we cracked the code on scaling SaaS, marketplaces, and agencies.
We discovered that the real power lies in building engaged audiences, fostering tight-knit communities, and finding creative ways to grow.
Take our agency, @meetLCA, for example. You've probably never heard of it, but we're pulling in clients at an average of $1 million per year creating the interfaces for lots of the AI products and non-AI products you use everyday.
It's like we've created a modern hybrid of IDEO and McKinsey, reimagining the future for our clients. And we did it all without a dime of VC money. Just one little funnel that works every single day.
This has been the most enjoyable chapter of my career.
I highly recommend holdcos for internet companies.
You might enjoy it too.
So, who am I looking for in a business partner:
Maybe you're a solopreneur, and it's getting lonely. You've built something great, but you're hitting a ceiling.
Or perhaps you're running a VC-backed startup, but you're dreaming of turning it into a cash-flowing powerhouse. (And maybe buying out your VCs – I can help with that.)
Or you might be an indiehacker who builds incredible products that just aren't getting the attention they deserve.
If any of these sound like you, here's what I'm offering:
For businesses doing $500k-$5M, we could acquire a stake and scale it together.
For those starting something new with a solid track record, we might provide the capital you need.
Yes, you'll share the pie. But you won't go it alone. You'll work directly with me and my team. We'll be there to unblock you when you're stuck, to unstick you when you're trapped. We bring our playbook, our network, and our capital to the table.
This isn't a distant, "call me quarterly" arrangement. We're in the trenches with you, day in and day out, helping you build something truly remarkable.
This is the type of thing that sounds fun to me.
And might sound fun to you.
So, I decided I'd put it out there.
So here’s my ask of you:
1) If this sounds like you DM and reply to this post. Ill respond to the most interesting ones
2) If this isn’t you, all good. Like always, I’ll share my learnings along the way.
It feels like internet startups are at a crossroads.
More and more are choosing the non-VC route.
Id love to work with you.
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Ric Ruben retweetledi
We're excited to share that Adlamp is live on Product Hunt!💥
AI-Driven Ad Optimization: Boost ROI, Save Time
producthunt.com/posts/adlamp
We would love to have your support and comment.
Thank you so much!
#buildinpublic
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Help me and also win for yourself, a massive @SmthandSnclr hamper of cocktail gummies and more
upvir.al/ref/66695ae6b0…
@brettrorylipman
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Friends of X, we have been quietly building in the background and are getting very excited to show what's behind this landing page!
For now, its just a waitlist (which may or may not come with extra benefits) ;)
emailauditengine.com
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@Bril_Finance @SeiNetwork Alo Alo Alo
sei1nz0ceyhs3vymz5eqpvqkg5dfa0j3xylx2y38av
@smwise55 @B_rightBrooks @GammyGMI
GM #brillionaires – Bril Test net coming soon.
Tag three friends and drop your sei address below if you are ready for spicy yield on @SeiNetwork.
You just might receive some test Bril 😉
bril.finance
English
Drop your IG links and Il follow you there, fake Betty’s are following everyone and trying to scam them so real Betty may as well follow everyone and NOT scam people 😂💖 the below is my only account. Be aware of any small differences in username instagram.com/betty.dfz?igsh…
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From free claim via @Ledger to 0.122 fp (in this 🧸) , and such low supply available.
This space continues to amaze and excite!
Well done @agoriamusic 👏
And seeing @seedphrase, @osf_rekt & @Cat555552
join the fam brings added conviction :)
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