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🇮🇳 $100K Dev Shah, Micro Startups & Shani Guilds

Weekly #079 | Acquiring and building micro-startups

Author

George Samuels
December 4th, 2023

Introducing Dev Shah

Dev Shah is a 22-year old “micro startup guy,” and has been making interesting moves in the world of micro-business acquisition and development. I’ve been watching his journey as a student entrepreneur on X, and had the pleasure of chatting to him via Zoom last week. His work in the micro space showcases the power of innovative thinking and strategic [micro] acquisitions.

📊 Biz Summary

Here’s a list of Shah’s known micro ventures:

His entrepreneurial skills is evident in his ability to turn modest investments into valuable assets. He transformed a business he bought on Acquire.com for $4,000 — Sourcely — which was making $500 per month, into a venture now worth $100k with a monthly income of $4,000.1 

Sourcely caters to the needs of students and writers by streamlining the referencing process. It's a testament to his focus on niche markets and providing quality products. Additionally, his journey includes building a $25k admissions consulting side hustle at 18.

🫂 Team Secrets

As observed with many other micropreneurs in this newsletter, Shah is able to handle multiple projects by teaming up with co-founders or extremely good operators. For Sourcely, Shah teamed up with Elman Mansimov. Elman is an AI scientist whose “work has been acquired by a prestigious American museum.”

With Shah’s “micro search fund” (Pocket Fund), he’s also taking this partnership/team model to the next level by embedding it into the requirements to get involved with his micro startup acquisitions.

📈 Rising Trend

A notable trend in Shah's trajectory is the focus on micro-startups. Through his Pocket Fund (@microsearchfund), he empowers others by investing in and mentoring them to acquire and operate micro startups. This approach “democratizes” entrepreneurship, offering opportunities to budding entrepreneurs who may lack initial capital.

🔑 3 Key Lessons

"Turn your obstacles into opportunities and your problems into possibilities."

Dev Shah

  1. Acquisitions as Growth Leverage: Shah demonstrates how acquiring undervalued businesses and scaling them can lead to substantial growth.

  2. Niche Market Focus: His projects like Sourcely address specific needs, showing the value of targeting niche markets.

  3. Youth-Led Innovation: Shah's journey underscores the potential of young entrepreneurs to disrupt traditional business models with fresh perspectives and innovative solutions.

🏰 Historical Ties

The social institution most closely related to Shah’s “micropreneurial” activity (through Sourcely, Pocket Fund, etc.) is the Ancient Indian concept of shreni, or guild, through which trade was channeled.2

These guilds were organized groups of artisans and merchants who controlled and managed small-scale industries and businesses. They played a vital role in the economy, with each guild operating independently, akin to modern micro startups.

Like Shah's acquisitions, these guilds would often collaborate, merge, or acquire each other to expand their influence and capabilities. This practice was particularly prevalent in the urban centers of ancient India, where trade and commerce were booming. The guilds not only provided a platform for small businesses to thrive but also served as a support system for innovation and economic growth.

These ancient guilds reflect Shah's strategy in micro startup acquisition by showcasing how small, independent entities can come together for mutual growth and sustainability. It's an early example of how combining resources and expertise can lead to greater success, a concept that resonates with Shah's approach to nurturing and scaling micro startups.

🧰 Tools

🫵 What This Means For You

For aspiring micropreneurs, Shah's story is a blueprint for micropreneurial success. It highlights the importance of strategic micro-acquisitions, focusing on niche markets, and the power of youthful innovation in establishing and growing a “micro-empire.”

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