A Notebook Specifically for Chefs idea → $100k/Month

Hello Rebels

🏖️ Creative Entrepreneur fun one-liner:

Why did the entrepreneur bring a calculator to the meeting? To add value and subtract obstacles!

Onto Today’s story….

Stefan Johnson, a designer at a notebook company, had a passion for photography.

During a photoshoot with a Michelin-star chef, he noticed the chef was having problems with his notebook.

He found a solution and built STONE into a $100k/month business.

Here is how he did it

Stefan Johnson, the co-founder of STONE,

had a unique journey that led him to create a simple product that would revolutionize the culinary world.

He had a design background and worked at Bookblock, a company that manufactured leather and customized notebooks.

Combined with this, he also had a passion for photography.

Stefan was conducting a photoshoot at a restaurant with the Michelin-star chef Michael Caines.

Michael, who had a prosthetic arm, was using his notebook on his metal kitchen surface, and his notebook was sliding around.

Stefan realized that there was an opportunity to create a solution.

On his way back from the shoot, Stefan shared his idea with his Eliot, who would later become his co-founder.

Together, they brainstormed seven unique features that would make the perfect chef's notebook, such as using stone paper, a material made of limestone that is naturally water and greaseproof.

They partnered with Bookblock and were able to quickly produce prototypes.

They sent the prototypes to 80 respected chefs for feedback.

To their surprise, the response was overwhelmingly positive.

The chefs praised the notebook's innovative features, such as its water and grease resistance, making it an ideal tool for the kitchen.

Stefan and Eliot knew they had a product with potential.

They decided to launch it with a Kickstarter campaign.

To build buzz around the launch, they gifted the notebook to influential chefs and celebrities.

Big international chefs shared images of this product, and an almost cultish exclusivity naturally grew around it.

Young chefs eagerly awaited the release of this new tool that their icons were raving about, making marketing a breeze for the STONE team.

In April 2018, they launched a Kickstarter campaign that hit its target within 24 hours.

It became one of the most backed food projects in Kickstarter history, with over 5,000 backers and exceeding their goal by 250%.

The campaign generated close to $250,000 in sales,

validating the demand for their product and providing the initial capital needed to grow the business.

However, fulfillment proved to be a challenge,as some backers grew impatient with the delivery process,

not fully understanding the nature of Kickstarter campaigns.

They had one person complain because they told them the notebooks would be sent with DHL and they arrived with UPS.

Stefan saw it as an emotional learning curve,

being able to step away from the emotion and just doing his best to improve the process bit by bit,

removing the nastiness from the feedback and taking it in stride.

Since the successful Kickstarter campaign,

they continued to align their products with the most respected figures in the culinary space,

spending a significant portion of their marketing budget on gifting.

This strategy led to their products being used by renowned chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing, and Pierre Koffmann,

instantly making STONE recognizable within the industry.

Instagram has also played a crucial role in their success.

Their high-production video content featuring big-name chefs proved particularly popular with their target customers.

Stefan says, "Our products are luxury items, and we always wanted our content to follow suit."

Instagram's targeted advertising also helped them immensely.

Their unique selling proposition of a waterproof notebook also drew press coverage, resulting in more sales without significant PR expenses.

Sales started to increase,

They also launched new products catering to different sectors of the food and drink industry,

such as barista notebooks, bartender journals, and winemaker guides.

Kickstarter helped them to get a committed customer base.

They regularly offered their early backers discounts and early access to their latest products as a thank you for their support.

This helped them to retain customers while also expanding their product range.

On their website, they also published food stories from chefs around the world.

Stefan says, "Ultimately, we want STONE to become a lifestyle brand that is synonymous with the food and drink industry."

"Just as brands like Patagonia and Carhartt have established themselves on the back of specific activities and occupations,

we want STONE to be the go-to for professionals and consumers in the food and drink space,renowned for its design and physical performance."

Sales continued to grow, and now they are making $100k/month.

Stefan says, "Make sure it's a product that people want."

He says that if you have a good product people really want,

it is way easier to sell and you don’t have to struggle to sell.

He adds, "Be sincere with what you do. If you believe in your product, that will shine through."

6 reasons why he succeeded

1. Validated their product

• Before the official launch, they gifted the STONE notebook to influential chefs and celebrities.

• Big international chefs shared images of the product, creating an almost cultish exclusivity around it.

• This built buzz and anticipation for the product among their target audience.

2. Launching on Kickstarter for validation and capital

• STONE launched a Kickstarter campaign in April 2018, which hit its target within 24 hours.

• The campaign became one of the most backed food projects in Kickstarter history, with over 5,000 backers and exceeding the goal by 250%.

• Launching on Kickstarter allowed them to validate demand, generate initial capital, and create a committed customer base.

3. Utilizing Instagram for targeted ads and content

• Instagram played a crucial role in their success, with their high-production video content featuring big-name chefs proving popular with their target customers.

• They used Instagram's targeted advertising to reach their ideal audience effectively.

4. Capitalizing on unique water proof notebook

• Their unique waterproof chef’s notebook drew press coverage.

• This press coverage resulted in more sales without significant PR expenses.

5. Creating more products

• They launched new products catering to different sectors of the food and drink industry, such as barista notebooks, bartender journals, and winemaker guides.

• Creating more products for similar niches allowed them to get more sales.

Hope you enjoyed the story and their success tactics.

Keep Zoooming!

Yours “Anti-hustle” Vijay Peduru