From Barefoot Sneaker Idea To $60K Launch Day

Launch your product in the next 90 days 🚀 Start here: https://tinyurl.com/2czex3rr — Episode 70: Masters of Crowdfunding — In this episode, Mark sits down with Dr. Sofoklis Sarellis, physical therapist, sports performance coach, and creator of Symbol, a barefoot athletic training sneaker built to handle lateral movement and change of direction. Sofo shares how a personal frustration with barefoot shoes falling apart during agility training led him to sketch, prototype, and patent his own sneaker from scratch, and how a nearly $60K opening day on Kickstarter came down to studio photography, founder-led content, and staying the course through years of uncertainty. Links: Work with us: https://tinyurl.com/2czex3rr Symbol: https://symbol.win/ — Check out our other channels: @launchboom_official @LaunchBoom_Games What we cover: 00:00 Introduction 01:05 The Symbol Origin Story 02:44 From Basketball Shoes to Barefoot Training 03:05 Working with the US Air Force as a Sports Scientist 04:21 Designing a Shoe With No Manufacturing Background 06:19 Finding a Manufacturer Willing to Build a Natural Toe Box 08:50 Launch Day: Almost $60K in 24 Hours 11:19 The Symbol Marketing Strategy 12:07 Why Studio Photography Outperformed Video Ads 15:50 The Power of Founder-Led UGC 17:54 What's Next for Symbol 20:00 Advice for Future Creators 21:40 Outro