Thinking about quitting your 9-5 and starting your own business? This episode breaks down how one founder went from side gigs and countless setbacks to running two digital companies.

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From selling American candy at age six to launching two high-growth startups, Will Hawkins reveals the truth behind building his digital businesses - Appifany and Rentsy 

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This discussion goes deep into the real journey of starting, scaling, and surviving in the world of startups.

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Tune in to hear about:

- How Will built Appifany to help entrepreneurs turn app ideas into real businesses

- The early lessons from DJing, candy sales, and startup failures

- Why product-market fit matters more than passion

- How to manage co-founder relationships and roles

- Why starting small and testing locally was key to scaling successfully

- The challenges of running multiple startups at once

- The power of mentorship, community, and resilience in entrepreneurship

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If you’re wondering how to start a business, build an app, or transition from your 9-5 into your own company, this is the conversation you need to hear.

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Key Moments:

00:01:00 Early entrepreneurship 

00:04:40 Entrepreneurial vs academic upbringing

00:10:20 Starting Appifany

00:15:00 Brutal setbacks

00:21:00 Learning from failures

00:28:00 Co-founder relationships (like marriage)

00:42:00 Rentsy origin story & strategy

00:47:40 Why haven't they gone national?

00:53:00 Three tips for younger entrepreneurs

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Listen now to discover how to turn your business idea into reality without risking everything.