Endeavors

How I Outsmarted a Trademark Troll Shaking Me Down for $552

One of my favorite wins in business started with a trademark troll trying to extort me for $552. Here’s the story.

My co-founder, Dr. Raj, had just published an article in Health Magazine. As the medical editor for the magazine, her work was featured regularly. This particular article included a generic, stock photo of a woman—nothing fancy or AI-generated, just a plain image.

The photo looked like a non-AI version of this…

At the time, we were building content for our website, tulforlife.com, to boost credibility, SEO, and web traffic. (Side note: We eventually acquired tula.com, but that’s another story.) When Dr. Raj’s article went live on Health Magazine’s site, I reposted it to our blog, crediting her as the author and linking to the original article. Standard stuff, right?

Life went on. We kept building our business, sharing content, and selling products. Then, out of nowhere, I got a letter in the mail.

It was a trademark violation notice. The claim? We had used the stock photo without proper rights. The demand? Pay $552 or face a lawsuit.

Enter the Trademark Troll

After some digging, I discovered that this company’s business model was essentially a scam. They scraped the internet for photos being used out of compliance, then sent demand letters to unsuspecting businesses. Their game? Intimidation for profit.

Now, $552 might not sound like much, but in the early days of TULA, every dollar counted. Paying even $100 for a random blog photo felt like a gut punch. But the alternative—getting sued—wasn’t any better.

I was furious. A classic trademark troll was shaking me down, and I felt so incredibly frustrated that I had to deal with this bullshit.

Seeking Advice

I called a lawyer friend, who advised me to pay the fee and move on. “It’s not worth the hassle,” he said.

“Fuck that!” I snapped.

Next, I called my brother, who’s also a lawyer. His advice was slightly different: reach out to the troll, explain that the author of the article is our co-founder, and chalk it up to a misunderstanding. Maybe, just maybe, they’d let it slide.

Spoiler alert: they didn’t.

My brother got on a call with the troll’s representative, but it quickly turned hostile. “She basically told me to pay up or get sued,” he reported.

My brother was as angry as me. Maybe more.

Back to square one.

The Lightbulb Moment

Frustrated, I decided to dig deeper. Where did this photo even come from?

I ran a reverse image search on Google. Among the results, two stood out: one linked to the trademark troll’s website, and the other to a personal blog. On the blog, I found the same photo, along with others like it.

That’s when it hit me: what if I bought the photo outright? If I owned it, they couldn’t sue me for using my own property.

Taking Action

I called my brother with the idea. “Let’s buy the photo directly from the photographer,” I said. “We’ll ensure the rights cover digital and all-time usage—past, present, and future.”

“I love it!” he replied.

I reached out to the photographer, negotiated the deal (because of course, I had to), and secured the rights to the photo. The contract explicitly freed us from all liability and granted perpetual ownership.

Here’s the email exchange…

And, here’s the agreement…

Now armed with full ownership, we prepared our counterattack.

Turning the Tables

My brother called the troll to inform them that we now owned the photo outright. Their response? They went ballistic. “You can’t do that!” they yelled. “You still have to pay us, or else…”

So, we played their game.

We took their original legal letter demanding $552, copied it word for word, and switched the defendant’s name from mine to theirs. Then, we sent it back to them, demanding they pay us $552—or else.

I was so happy…

“FUCK OFF TROLLS!”

Guess what?

We never heard from them again.

Victory Over the Troll

And that’s how we outsmarted a bottom-feeding, low-life trademark troll, turned the tables, and declared absolute and glorious victory.

Sometimes, the best wins come from refusing to roll over—and finding creative ways to fight back.

How I Outsmarted a Trademark Troll Shaking Me Down for $552 Read More »

Personal Day – A New Health and Beauty Company

Last week marked a significant milestone with the announcement of our new company, Personal Day.

Having had the privilege of working on successful brands like TULA and Dibs Beauty, I’ve learned important lessons about what truly makes a health and beauty brand resonate. One key takeaway? Authenticity matters. In an industry flooded with celebrity names stamped on generic products, real success comes from a brand with a genuine story, purpose, and mission.

When I first met Lili Reinhart, I had no idea who she was (no offense, Lili!)—nor was I familiar with her role in Riverdale. But as I got to know her, something clicked. It became clear that Lili wasn’t just another face. She embodied what most great entrepreneurs do: a deep understanding of the problem at hand, with a desire to roll up their sleeves and do the work.

Lili’s personal battle with acne and mental health isn’t just a backstory; it’s her driving force. She brings real passion and lived experience to the table—qualities that are essential for building a meaningful brand. Her entrepreneurial spirit shines through in every conversation. Of course, she’s also an incredible actress with a dedicated community, but it’s her authenticity and dedication to this mission that truly set her apart and is part of the reason we got excited to build this brand.

So, that’s the scoop on Personal Day—and a bit of love for Lili and fun to revisit the health and beauty category, in a similar, but different way to what we did at TULA. We’re excited about the journey ahead and invite you to follow along.

Fun times ahead!

More news on our announcement here and below.

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ThunderVC Pod = EP 50 How Dan Reich Cracked the Code to Multiple Successful Exits

I had a chance to join Jason Kirby on his Podcast to talk all things startups, fundraising, M&A, and bouncy balls. Jason also started and sold a few companies and is now running a company called Thunder VC where he’s helping founders navigate the wild world of fundraising and M&A.

His show notes and full video are below. It’s a good one.

→ Don’t Be Afraid to Pivot “Why My Mom Became My First Customer Service Rep”
→ Choose Partners Wisely “The Day I Realized My Business Partner Was on the FBI’s Radar”
→ Embrace the Unexpected “How Throwing College Parties Led to a Marketing Company”
→ Turn No’s into Yes’s “The VCs Said No. So We Did Everything They Said We Couldn’t.”
→ Follow the Wave “When Facebook Was Rising, We Rode the Social Media Wave”
→ Stay True to Your Vision “Why I Left a Cushy Corporate Job to Build My Dream… Again”
→ Build Relationships, Not Just Companies “How Saying No to an Investor Led to Multiple Deals Down the Road”
→ Think Beyond the Fundraise “The Goal Isn’t Raising Money. It’s Building a Profitable Company.”
→ Give Back “Why I Angel Invest: It’s Not About the Money”

ThunderVC Pod = EP 50 How Dan Reich Cracked the Code to Multiple Successful Exits Read More »

Joining Michael Karnjanaprakorn On His Podcast

I recently had a chance to catch up with my friend Michael Karnjanaprakorn. We’ve known each other for at least a decade or so now from the early days of the New York Tech ecosystem. This was a fun one.

Full video below and here.

And, some highlights that Mike pulled out from our conversation.

Dan Reich: “Business is a video game.”

I asked Dan Reich who has sold four companies to Salesforce, Buddy Media, and Procter & Gamble:

“Why are you still building companies instead of retiring and riding off into the sunset?”

He shared a conversation with a fellow serial entrepreneur:

CEO: “Do you still play video games?
Dan: “Yeah, I do still play video games.”
CEO: “So do I. But this business is a video game, and it’s a game that other people gave me money to play. If I win, not only will I make them money, I’ll make money too. And I love the video game.”

Dan reflects on this analogy:

Dan: “He was right. The journey is the prize. I tell everyone I have a career conversation with: People who optimize for money are not happy, and people who optimize for happiness end up finding money.

In this episode, Dan dives into:

• His transition from 4x founder to building a venture studio.
• His playbook for building companies.
• His advice for navigating a post-exit journey.

Joining Michael Karnjanaprakorn On His Podcast Read More »

Joe Grand hacked time to recover $3 million from a Bitcoin software wallet

In 2022, I embarked on a crazy journey to unlock a Trezor hard wallet holding over two million dollars worth of cryptocurrency. It felt like a wild goose chase, each step filled with tension, anticipation, and ridiculous commentary in my group chats. As we got closer to cracking the wallet, we realized that there were many others out there facing similar predicaments, desperately needing help to recover their lost digital fortunes.

When Joe Grand finally succeeded in freeing my coins, it was a moment of immense relief and high-fiving. But more importantly, it sparked an idea. We saw an opportunity to assist others who found themselves locked out of their cryptocurrency treasures.

Thus, OffSpec.io was born—a company dedicated to helping people recover passwords, private keys, and other crucial cryptocurrency data from hardware and software wallets. Our mission is to provide a lifeline for those navigating the complex and often unforgiving world of digital assets, ensuring that no one has to endure the anxiety and uncertainty that I experienced.

And just this week, Joe did it again, this time with some help, and a very different problem and approach.

The video and story are here. Also posted below.

And if you or anyone you know are in need of some help recovering crypto currency, please drop us a line.

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A Post-Exit Podcast

There’s a ton of myths out there about folks who’ve started and then sold their companies, especially when it comes to what they end up doing next.

In the same vein, a lot of entrepreneurs who’ve poured their heart and soul into one big project for years suddenly find themselves lost or confused once it’s all over, wondering, “What now?”

We spoke about this and more on the “Exit Paradox” podcast.

Video here and below.

A Post-Exit Podcast Read More »

Dibs Beauty Gains LCatterton Investment

Today, the Dibs Beauty team is announcing our partnership with LCatterton.

The best part of being an entrepreneur is getting to work with amazing people, and I’m excited to be able to once again team up with the folks at LCatterton, and of course, Ken Landis. And just as good, getting to work with Courtney Shields and Jeff Lee from day one on this venture. Exciting times ahead!

L Catterton is betting once again on the founders of Tula Skincare. The private equity firm has just made a “significant” growth investment in color cosmetics brand Dibs Beauty, launched in September 2021 by Tula Skincare founders Ken Landis (who also cofounded Bobbi Brown Cosmetics) and Dan Reich, with Austin, Texas-based influencer Courtney Shields and former chief operating officer of A-Rod Corp Jeff Lee. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The full article is below.

Some links to the news:

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2022 In Review

What a time to be alive. I asked a machine to provide me with a template to reflect on the year, and now, I’ll do just that.

Personal Reflections: Our family grew to four with the addition of our son, Brayden. Our daughter Michaela is now three and a half years old, and the “time flies” cliche becomes emblazed in my skull a little more each day. I became an uncle, we moved to a new town, and the silver lining with Covid-19 became apparent: I could spend more time with my family and experience a work-life balance I never experienced before. And speaking of family, I was able to make another small dent in the universe by rededicating my childhood school, and renaming it in honor of my grandparents who were Holocaust survivors.

Professional Highlights: I achieved some of my financial childhood dreams with the sale of two of my companies, TULA and Troops, to incredibly iconic companies with Proctor & Gamble and Salesforce (and Slack). But the best part? The people that helped me build those businesses also had life-changing events. There is something incredibly rewarding about building a platform that lets other people do their best work, and seeing it come to fruition is one of the greatest gifts there is. This is one of the reasons I’m so drawn to entprenuership. And if that wasn’t enough, I went on a wild goose chase trying to free some crypto coins from a hard wallet, backed a bunch of amazing founders, and doubled down on beauty with another business I’m excited about called DIBS Beauty.

Challenges and things that keep me up at night: One of my grandfather’s best friends past away. He too was a Holocaust survivor, having survived Auschwitz. I used to think, “one day they won’t be here, and they won’t be able to tell their story.” That day is here. And as their voices diminish, the drum beat of anti-Semitism gets louder and louder with incidents and hate crimes being at an all-time high. Against this backdrop, we have a recession, a population with insufficient education and understanding of history, an economic environment that provides incredibly ripe conditions for scapegoating, and people with pulpits willing to use these conditions to their benefit at the expense of humanity, decency and democracy. We’ve seen this movie before. I’ve been warned about this movie before. Only now, I wonder to what degree my kids will experience this movie.

Looking ahead: I mix these things and more together and I’m still the most optimistic I’ve ever been. We have rockets launching into space and landing on floating barges, artificial intelligence driving cars for us and creating generative images on the fly, gene editing being commercialized, energy being created using nuclear fusion, and the list goes on. I believe that our political institutions will continue to erode, but I’m also confident that founders and innovation will outpace our self inflicted wounds. As one example, while politicians debate things like climate change for political theater, entrepreneurs will develop products and services that people will love (e.g. Tesla) and also produce benefits needed to combat climate change. In short, the spirit of American entrepreneurship will continue to win out.

Conclusion: Despite the hardships and global conflicts that exist, and yes, there are a lot, it’s never been a better time to bet on yourself and try to be a change agent for good. It’s easy to get hung up with the million and one broken things going on, but we each have an opportunity to make a difference in our own lives and the lives of others. The question we should all ask is, how do we do that? And with the year coming to a close, what will our New Years’ resolution be?

For me, I’ll continue to invest in myself, invest in my family, and be a change agent for good. Seems like an appropriate and simple list.

I’m looking forward to an even better 2023.

Happy holidays and happy new year!

2022 In Review Read More »

Salesforce Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Troops

When we started Troops, we wanted to reimagine how work gets done. We wanted to make work easier, more intelligent, and more collaborative. In 2016 we launched our first product making that vision a reality by injecting mission-critical, actionable workflows into a new medium people were gravitating towards. 

We brought our first product to life and shared it with the world:

Troops is a Slackbot for sales teams. It makes it easy to use CRM data to do your job — no more trudging through Salesforce. Troops lets you instantly push and pull CRM data in and out of Slack, turning it into the sales hub for both you and your team.

Since that time, we’ve been a leader in the industry, working with some of the fastest-growing companies in the world, including Salesforce and Slack. We’ve done this by delivering real-time insights from systems of record like Salesforce to systems of engagement like Slack, bringing together information and actions that customer-facing teams need to close new deals and support existing customers.

Today, we are pleased to announce that in furtherance of that vision, we have signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Salesforce.  The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of Salesforce’s fiscal year 2023 (ending July 31, 2022), subject to customary closing conditions. Upon closing, Troops will become part of Slack, a Salesforce company.

This announcement marks an incredible milestone in the Troops journey and we’d like to thank our community, our valued customers, our partners, our investors, and our team for all your support and partnership. 

We’re excited about the future and the best is yet to come!

Salesforce Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Troops Read More »

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