I'm Yoroomie, Mike Williams
Want to learn how to build, launch, and scale an online marketplace? Interested in building profitable startups from someone doing so?
I'm sharing everything I've learned along the way from taking ideas to profitable startups, then acquisition. Even what I'm learning now on the other side angel investing. I do everything in the open (transparently).
I'm an entrepreneur that builds, works with, and invests in startups (usually marketplaces).
I currently run Thinkbox, a startup studio and Studiotime. The two previous startups I started were acquired (one funded and one bootstrapped). Since then I've gone on to invest in 15+ startups that have raised $110M+ and also a partner in two funds. I love sharing about everything.
You Might Have Seen My Work In:
I'm known for sharing everything I know about marketplaces. I currently run one (Studiotime) and share real insights (things others don't) of doing so. I'm also angel investing to learn what it's like on the other side investing. Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to know when I share.
Yoroomie?
Yo, I'm Mike Williams or you might know me as Yoroomie.
I'm a serial entrepreneur that builds, works with, and invests in startups. I currently run Thinkbox, a bootstrap startup studio. We build and launch our own startups, work with other startups, and make early stage investments. We've raised $0 from investors and also reinvest our revenue and profits into the startup ecosystem by backing some amazing founders and companies (15+ startups that have raised over $110M and two funds).
I'm also the founder of Studiotime, which is the first company launched out of Thinkbox and the largest online community of music studios in the world. It's been called the "Airbnb of music studios" and has been featured in VICE, Forbes, BBC, and more. Studiotime is in over 35+ countries. I share the story of how I cancelled dinner, built it in an evening, and launched it here. Studiotime was then bootstrapped out of Thinkbox and it's a highly profitable startup today.
I also built and launched Yoroomie App, which was acquired within six months (all cash deal). This was our first acquisition for a Thinkbox company. I've written in-depth about how we built the app in 30 days, growth hacks we used to scale it, and then what we learned from it being acquired here.
Prior to all of the above, I was the founder and CEO of Codeity, a hiring platform that was scaled to 500+ companies that used it to hire developers. It was a funded startup (we raised a seed round) and was acquired in 2015 by Angelhack (press release on that here).
As you can tell, I love taking ideas to validated startups and building profitable companies. I'm obsessed with marketplaces and blockchain/crypto-assets, music, and fashion (in addition to startups) so most of what I am involved with is at the intersection of tech, those interests, and marketplaces. I also like sharing everything I'm working on, learning, and insights. Sometimes this is through content on my social, and other times it is by contributing to Huffington Post, freeCodeCamp, Hacker Noon, and a few other publications. In my spare time I also mentor with the Founders Institute (startup accelerator program) and help the companies I've invested in.
I'm known for sharing everything I know about marketplaces, learning, and insights. I run startups (like Studiotime) and am building out a bootstrap fund in the open (transparently). Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to know when I share.
Home / About / Startup Resources / Work With Me
Yoroomie?
Yo, I'm Mike Williams or you might know me as Yoroomie. Long story, but it's my nickname I was given by some of my friends (and former roommates) and it's stuck.
I'm an entrepreneur that builds, works with, and invests in startups (usually marketplaces). I'm always working on something and sharing, which you can be the first to know when I do by signing up for my newsletter.
What I Currently Do
I currently run Thinkbox that I started, which is a bootstrap startup studio. We build and launch our own startups, work with other startups, and make early stage investments. We've raised $0 from investors and also reinvest our revenue and profits into the startup ecosystem by backing some amazing founders and companies (15+ startups that have raised over $110M and two funds).
I'm also the founder of Studiotime, which is the first company launched out of Thinkbox and the largest online community of music studios in the world. It's been called the "Airbnb of music studios" and has been featured in VICE, Forbes, BBC, and more. Studiotime is in over 35+ countries. I share the story of how I cancelled dinner, built it in an evening, and launched it here. Studiotime was then bootstrapped out of Thinkbox and it's a highly profitable startup today.
I also work with Founder's Institute as a mentor, in addition to advising a select few startups.
What I Did Before
I also built and launched Yoroomie App (fitting for my nickname), which was acquired within six months (all cash deal). This was our first acquisition for a Thinkbox company. I've written in-depth about how we built the app in 30 days, growth hacks we used to scale it, and then what we learned from it being acquired here.
Prior to all of the above, I was the founder and CEO of Codeity, a hiring platform that was scaled to 500+ companies that used it to hire developers. It was a funded startup (we raised a seed round) and was acquired in 2015 by Angelhack (press release on that here).
The Yoroomie Startup List
Since I've done quite a bit, I made a list view for all of the companies that I've started in the past (and current), side projects I've built, companies I advise, and also companies I've invested in. You can see the full list here.
Things Outside Of Tech I'm Proud Of
I cycled semi-professionally during college and then was a professional cyclist (UCI Professional Team) for one season after graduating.I went to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for college (while cycling professionally still) and have my commercial pilot's license. I went from no flight training, private pilot, instrument rated, multi-engine, and then commercial flight rated in one of the fastest tracks anyone had completed it at the time I was in flight school.
I'm known for sharing everything I know about marketplaces, learning, and insights. I run one (Studiotime) and am building out a bootstrap fund in the open (transparently) to learn what it's like on the other side investing. Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to know when I share.
The Yoroomie Startup List
Since I've done quite a bit, I made a list view for all of the companies that I've started in the past (and current), side projects I've built, companies I advise, and also companies I've invested in below.
Companies Started
Thinkbox
Studiotime
Yoroomie App (acquired)
Codeity (acquired)
Investments
Brandable
Burrow
mParticle
Zeotap
ProducePay
Public Goods
The Picks & Shovels Co. (Interchange)
Cognomotiv
Drive Motors
Gone
Krue
Rinse
Service
Trusted (acquired)
VetPronto (acquired)
Fund Investments
Shrug Capital (Limited Partner)
Bitwise Asset Management HOLD 10 Crypto Index
Side Projects
Uni
Peerkey
Art Chatbot
Companies Advising
CryptoCribs
Point
Crumbs App (acquired)
I'm known for sharing everything I know about marketplaces, learning, and insights. I run one (Studiotime) and am building out a bootstrap fund in the open (transparently) to learn what it's like on the other side investing. Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to know when I share.
Startup Resources
These are step-by-step guides and tools I use to go from idea, validation, then scale for startups (two have been acquired so far).
Build A Successful Startup
How To Pre-Validate Your Startup And Get Thousands Of Users Before You Launch
Idea To App Launch In 30 Days 🚀
Real Growth Hacks That Generated Thousands Of Users 📈
Offline Growth Hacks
Marketplace From Idea To $10k Revenue In Weeks 💸
Build & Launch A Chatbot Over The Weekend 🤖
For more step-by-step guides on how to build, launch, validate, and scale a startup using the above tools, you check out my writing here and videos here.
Tools To Quickly Build & Validate Your MVP
Sharetribe- Create an MVP for a spaces, services, or goods marketplace (Airbnb, Task Rabbit, Etsy, etc) within minutes. Sharetribe is what I used to build the Studiotime MVP with.
Carrd- Quickly create a landing page, website (like this), or web based MVP in minutes using templates that can be easily modified without coding.
Airtable- I use Airtable as part spreadsheet and part database. It's useful for integrating with Carrd and Zapier to ask for information from users, format this, display, and also deliver instead of building out a complex database. You can simulate app-like functionality with Airtable without having to code.
Zapier- Easily integrate and automate your workflows, tasks, and tool stack that you use for to build your MVP or even automate operations. I use this with Studiotime and most other MVP's I've built.
Chatfuel- Quickly create a Facebook Messenger chatbot without coding. This was what I built Art Chatbot on, tested, and launched within hours.
If you find this useful and want to work with me to help take your idea to validated MVP, launch, and scale, please send me a message using the button below.