A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders He Hit $3.5M ARR and Still Failed. Here’s His #1 Mistake. | Joseph Lee, Founder of Freshline
7 snips
Jul 10, 2025 Joseph Lee, founder of Freshline and now working on Super Demo, shares the rollercoaster of building a seafood marketplace that reached $3.5 million in revenue. Despite early traction, he reveals the hidden reasons marketplaces often fail, emphasizing the critical importance of finding the right market over mere grit. Joseph also discusses the unique challenges he faced, including COVID-19's impact and the complexities of fish distribution. His insights on rethinking startup advice and the difference between 'painkillers' and 'vitamins' are particularly illuminating.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Pitching at Boston Seafood Expo
- Joseph Lee and his co-founder attended the Boston Seafood Expo using attendee tickets to learn and pitch their idea.
- They didn't secure customers at the conference but landed their first customer at the airport on the way back.
Cold Calling Chefs Brings Rejection
- Joseph Lee and co-founder cold called chefs and walked into restaurants to sell seafood directly.
- They faced harsh rejection, with chefs sometimes calling them idiots and yelling during deliveries.
Middlemen Add Hidden Value
- Middlemen in seafood add value by smoothing inventory variability and providing services like freezing or repackaging.
- Bypassing them increases risk due to variability in wild-caught seafood supply and pricing.