Zeta was the first startup I launched, built during my time as a GATSVI fellow in a 10-day incubator. The idea was to help small and medium-sized businesses modernize their branding to better connect with Gen Z — a generation whose influence was rising fast but still largely misunderstood by traditional marketers. We offered a mix of market research, social media refreshes, and brand strategy tailored to younger audiences.

This was all pre-pandemic, when most SMBs still treated online presence as optional. In hindsight, Zeta was early — maybe too early. I had a thesis that aged well, but I failed to capitalize on the timing. I didn’t realize how important it would become for SMBs to invest in their digital brand just a year later, when COVID made it a survival necessity.

The startup didn’t succeed, and it taught me a lot. SMBs, I learned, are tough to sell to — especially as a new founder without a track record. Many didn’t have the capital or urgency to invest in branding. I also struggled with consistency in lead generation; I’d go all-in for a week, then burn out. And truthfully, I was new to branding myself. Zeta exposed just how much I had to learn about strategy, design, and the psychology behind a brand.

Zeta didn’t scale, but it gave me real-world experience in sales, product thinking, and failure — and it sparked my long-term interest in design as both a craft and a lever for business.