From $0 to $10K in 90 Days With a Google Sheet
How one founder turned a spreadsheet and a weekend into a real business.
“Small fires light the biggest rooms.”
Jamal Carter didn't have a business plan. He had a Google Sheet and a problem. His friends kept asking him for help picking the right running shoes. He was a former college track athlete and knew shoes better than anyone in his circle. So one Saturday, he built a spreadsheet.
The sheet had columns for shoe name, price, best use (trail, road, track), cushion level, and his personal rating. He shared it with ten friends. They shared it with their friends. Within two weeks, 400 people had viewed it. Jamal added an email signup form at the top. Fifty people signed up in the first three days.
He started a weekly email. Just a few paragraphs about what shoes he was testing, which ones were on sale, and honest reviews. No fancy email tool — just Gmail and BCC at first. By month two, he had 600 subscribers and shoe brands were reaching out to send him free pairs to review. By day 90, he had earned $10,200 through affiliate links, a small sponsorship, and a $29 "premium picks" PDF he sold through Gumroad. All from a spreadsheet.
Why this matters to you
Jamal's story isn't about shoes. It's about the fact that you don't need a website, an app, or a big budget to start a business. You need something you know well, a way to share it, and the willingness to start ugly.
The Google Sheet was his MVP — his minimum viable product, which just means the simplest version of your idea that people can actually use. It wasn't polished. It didn't need to be. It was useful. That's what mattered.
Your Move
Think about what people already ask you for help with. Maybe it's meal planning, home repairs, budgeting, or picking a laptop. Write down the top questions you get. Then build a simple resource that answers them — a spreadsheet, a short guide, a checklist.
Share it with ten people this week. Ask them to share it if they find it useful. Add a way for people to give you their email. You don't need a business plan yet. You need proof that people care. A Google Sheet is enough to get that proof.
More in Founders