Startup Spotlight #42: Jemi

Jemi helps creators sell custom online experiences and merchandise to their audiences.

Oct 16, 2020

Latest F2F Case Study - Case Study: Blerp CEO Aaron Hsu's Search For Product-Market Fit

I got the chance to speak with Jason Cui and Annie Hwang, co-founders of Jemi, about what they working on at their startup, and any advice they have for emerging entrepreneurs.

Jemi helps creators sell custom online experiences and merchandise to their audiences. The startup has a bold vision of building the next generation of creative entrepreneurs.

The two started the company in April 2020 out of a shared passion for building for creators — Hwang was a product lead on Facebook's creator monetization team and Cui was (and still is!) a music producer. In just a few months, they've built a monetization product that creators love.

Jemi is hiring! Please send your resume to astoryforsoda@gmail.com for me to forward it to the cofounders. Share this article with others for them to apply for the role too!

Jemi cofounders Jason Cui (left) and Annie Hwang (right).

Problem: In a new era of digital content creation, it’s still very difficult for creators (musicians, actors, vloggers, etc.) to monetize in a meaningful way. Existing platforms either restrict creators to certain types of interactions or inflexible business models.

Market: Much has been written on the burgeoning passion economy, but conservatively there are 3M+ digital creators in the US alone that make $500/yr or more by posting content online. Were targeting these creators, and all the up and coming creators that have yet to explore effective monetization.

Solution: Jemi helps creators sell custom online experiences and merchandise to their audiences. It’s like Shopify, but for creators who want to sell both online experiences and physical goods.

Team: Annie Hwang was a former product manager on Facebook’s creator monetization team. Jason Cui was a former product manager at Uber and is also a music producer. They met as fellow computer science classmates and best friends at Harvard.

Recent Success:

Cui & Hwang: One of our key strengths that have already started paying dividends is keeping as close as possible to our initial creators. We really go the extra mile in maintaining consistent communication and taking in every single point of feedback.

Our active creators text us every day and have really become friends through the shared journey we’ve had over the last couple of months. We’ve found that this earns product love and trust more than anything.

Recent Struggle:

Cui & Hwang: One thing that we’ve struggled with is work-life balance. Our relationship is unique because, in addition to being co-founders and work partners, we’re also life partners and best friends!

This is undoubtedly a strength as a team and we wouldn’t have it anyway, but the days can get long and the lines between work and other aspects of our lives do get blurred. While we’re still in the early days of growing the business we’re both more than willing to give 110%, but we’ve been trying to leave enough room to breathe and smell the flowers whenever possible. :)

Founder Advice:

Cui & Hwang: The best motivator -- especially during tough times -- can be surrounding yourself with good people. As founders, we share the basic mutual emotions of trust and respect, but at the end of the day what makes us happy is working with people that make us happy and motivated.

The same thought can be extended to an entire team. If you’re lucky enough to be working on a problem that you’re passionate about with a team that feels like family, then the world is your oyster.

Three Cool Founders You Should Know About:

Cui & Hwang: Here are three founders you should check out next!

Jonah Kallenbach, Founder of Reverie Labs: Engineering next-generation therapies through machine learning-driven drug discovery.
Wil Eyi, Founder of Toolbox: On-demand marketplace for skilled laborers.
Uday Singh, Founder of Epihub: Shopify for anyone teaching online.

Who should I profile next? Leave your suggestion in the comments:

Why you should become a paid subscriber to Founder to Founder:

Get connected to elite tech entrepreneurs through in-depth Founder Case Studies
Receive exclusive documents crafted by top founders on how to build your company
Access a growing audience of venture capitalists, product managers, software engineers, and people passionate about technology
Hear real, raw experiences from entrepreneurs that you won’t see anywhere else

Previous F2F Q&A Articles:

Latest Forbes Articles:

If you enjoyed this article, feel free to check out my other work on LinkedIn and my personal website, frederickdaso.com. Follow me on Twitter @fredsoda, on Medium @fredsoda, and on Instagram @fred_soda.

Founder to Founder