Product Tested, Crew Approved

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Steven Swink, Founder of duuude, located in Rocklin, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

duuude.co is an online review website featuring the latest finds across the internet that guys want. We work with top brands to review and share the coolest apparel, goods, gadgets, gear, grub, and guides to help men find, explore, and get the coolest stuff- at the best price. Our customers range from both men and women (although primarily men) ages 18-55 years old who are looking for honest reviews on brands they either know well or are learning about for the first time. Our team finds reviews and scores and shares our real in-house reviews with our readers.

Tell us about yourself

About 3-4 years ago, we had this idea to find only the coolest stuff for guys, get a sample of it, review it, and write real, honest reviews. We didn't want just another consumption-esq page where it was just about the sheer volume of "Stuff." We wanted to find cool, practical, and actually good to have items that any guy might want to know about- and share that with the world. When we first started out, we had to find brands that wanted to collaborate on the exchange of a product to send for review- knowing we might not post it if the item stunk. So, after a few initial brands got on board, we started expanding to more of a range- including gear to gadgets, apparel, and grub. We are motivated by the sheer number of cool things out there that many of us do not know to exist and the fun it is to let others in on these cool finds so they too, can have the best stuff on the planet.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We are proud to have such a great relationship with so many brands and for us to be able to showcase a new company and give them a platform to share their product when they might not have the biggest following yet is really neat.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

It is always a challenge to stay up on the latest "thing" and trend and to not get sucked into the hype but also not miss a moment to feature a much sought-after product. We get pitched ideas all day long, and we have to funnel through and see which makes the most sense for the brand, the vibe, and our readers. We have to be mindful that it does take hard work to get the product sent to us, reviewed, then formatted into a digestible post.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Find your niche and stick to that focus (avoid running with too many ideas).
Test what works, and revamp what doesn't replicate what does.
Don't be so serious. Have fun, and embrace the journey.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://duuude.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duuude.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duuude.co/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/duuudecrew

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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