Minimum Viable - Oct. 10, 2025

IDEA: Have you ever been texting with your friends discussing the next trip you want to take together? Should you get a beach house in Florida, get a cabin in Colorado, or a party house in Nashville? Well, unfortunately, it usually doesn’t matter what you decide because that’s where the conversation ends. For some reason, this trip that everyone wants to take never ends up happening. It could be because no one wants to plan it, no one wants to put down their credit card down and deal with collecting money from everyone, or no one can hard commit to a particular date. Whatever it may be, the chances that a trip occurs skyrocket if you can get the trip past the initial planning roadblock.

PRODUCT: Create an platform for users to upload group text, emails, or Whatsapp conversations. Once uploaded, have AI scan the convo and create options for a trip with potentials flights, lodging options, and excursions. Allow users to pick and choose which options they like and book directly in the app. Work with travel agencies, airlines, and hotels to get commissions.

MVP: AI text scanner and trip builder.

REVENUE MODEL: Commission based. Get kickbacks from lodging and transportation companies when booking.

EXIT STRATEGY: Sell to a global travel agency or transportation company for 4x revenue.

Founder Bio: Luke Swestun is a personal brand strategist and founder of Swestun.com, helping entrepreneurs and leaders build visibility and influence online. He focuses on turning ideas, stories, and strategy into brands that connect, communicate, and convert.

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m focused on building my personal brand and helping founders and leaders do the same. You can connect with me and see my work at Swestun.com. I’m also preparing to launch my social media creative studio soon.

Why did you want to become an entrepreneur?

I spent seven years in finance in London before I realised I was building someone else’s dream instead of my own. I wanted freedom. Freedom over my time, my work, and my direction. Entrepreneurship gave me that.

Was there a specific moment or a “that’s it” reaction that made you make the jump?

After a while, I started realising I couldn’t do this for the rest of my life. The idea of staying in the rat race until I retired or following the same path everyone else was on didn’t sit right with me. I’d already been running side hustles for years, selling on eBay, building Shopify stores, creating brands, websites, and content, learning everything by doing. Eventually I decided to back myself fully and go all in.

What is something that we should know about the early days of starting a company?

It’s challenging. You have to wear a lot of hats and figure things out fast. You end up learning every function of a business, from marketing and sales to operations and systems. The growth is constant if you stay in it long enough.

Is entrepreneurship for everyone? And what is something people should be 100% sure about before they start?

No, it’s not. You have to be comfortable with uncertainty and able to lead yourself when no one is watching. Be sure you can handle silence, rejection, and slow progress. Most people quit there, but that’s where the growth happens.

Publication: Cornell Chronicle

Link: Ithaca startup aims to free diabetes patients from daily burden

Summary: Cornell startup Persista Bio, founded by Linda Tempelman and Minglin Ma, aims to free Type 1 diabetes patients from daily insulin use. Its O2Line technology encapsulates insulin-producing cells to protect them from immune attack while supplying continuous oxygen through an implantable generator, keeping the cells alive and functional. In animal studies, the system reversed diabetes without immunosuppressive drugs. Backed by a $2.1 million NIH grant, Persista is preparing for large-animal trials and clinical translation. Based in Ithaca, the company envisions its platform also enabling oxygen-supported cell therapies for other metabolic and inflammatory diseases beyond diabetes.

Spin: This is huge. I am not a diabetic myself, but I imagine the constant finger pricking and insulin pumping has to be exhausting to keep up with. Not only would this reverse diabetes and extend lives, but this technology could be used to treat all sort of diseases. This is a startup to keep an eye on. It sounds a lot like what Theranos wanted to be.

Today’s Motivation comes from an episode of How I Built This with Guy Raz. “The Accidental Triumph of Mailchimp” is one of the best episodes in the entire series. It was re-released a few weeks ago from the original 2021 air date because it was just that good. Ben Chestnut, one of the founders, is a personal hero of mine for taking a side project and bootstrapping into a $12 billion exit. But here’s the thing: it was never supposed to make money.

Listen here.

IDEA: What do people do when they go to a laundromat? Of course they wash and dry their clothes but what about while their clothes are being laundered? Why not make a little more than a few quarters off them and serve them a beer while they scroll Instagram for an hour? I guarantee patrons will find any excuse to run another load of colors.

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