Narek Vardanyan
About Narek Vardanyan
My friend and I had an idea. Someone suggested crowdfunding. We aimed for $1 million... We raised $15. Disappointed but curious, I reached out to successful crowdfunders. I wanted to learn. No one replied. I started a blog. This time, I introduced myself as a blogger, eager to interview them. Suddenly, 90% responded and agreed to interviews. I asked about what succeeded and what failed, recording every detail. I published and promoted these insights. First lesson learned: the key to receiving value lies in providing value first. My findings were too good to discard. I compiled them into a book and listed it on Amazon. It became the #1 bestseller in the crowdfunding category. Many began to ask me for advice. I opened a consulting firm, then an agency. TCF quickly became one of the top innovation marketing agencies. We created an ecosystem of companies, acquired one of the largest gadget media platforms, Gadget Flow, opened an office in China and grew the team to over 100 members. Over the course of 7 years, we helped to launch over 1,000 innovative products and generate $100M in sales. Yet, I noticed a pattern: despite successful launches, many products still failed. Digging deeper, I discovered a fundamental problem: the way companies do research. It hasn’t changed in 100 years. That's when I founded Prelaunch.com. It’s based on a transformative idea. Instead of paying random people and asking them what they think about your concepts, potential customers place small deposits to reserve products. Skin in the game. And it works. My friend, a loan officer, had never started a business. He had a toy idea for his son but no one believed in him. Not even me. Prelaunch showed that it's indeed a great idea. We also helped six Fortune 500 companies create new products and better understand their customers A goal in life: to create an ecosystem where impactful ideas flourish. My second goal: never wear cufflinks again. As of now, I’ve already achieved the second. I’m working on the first. I regularly share tips on productivity and growth in my newsletter. Subscribe: https://www.narekvardanyan.com/