Underdog Founders - David, CEO of Dirtysixer
We're bringing entrepreneurship back to its roots - less Patagonia vests, more bold founders that don't give up until they win.
Sometimes I'm lucky and get to meet founders with the courage to try something that isn't supposed to work.
Meet David Folch (left), a giant French dude with a fast smile.
David wasn’t supposed to become a founder.
He certainly wasn’t supposed to nail Shaquille O'Neal as a client.
David studied journalism in Paris.
He worked as a photojournalist for 15 years.
He also happens to be really tall.
“Can’t walk indoors in Asia without hitting my head” tall.
One day, he got tired of busting his ass for work that he loved, but didn’t allow him to save much for rainy days.
You know what else he got tired of?
Breaking his ankle while riding a small bike that makes him feel like a weird giant.
So, one day, David starts contacting bike manufacturers to get a custom bike for his size.
Experts tell him there's no point in building a “giant ugly frame without a market”.
Without any manufacturing experience, David sets out to build a bike for himself and other super tall humans.
Fast forward a couple of months, and Shaquille O’neal has a huge smile on his face.
He can finally ride a bike that’s big enough for his giant body.
He tells all his NBA friends about it. Lebron James, Kevin Durant and +20 NBA stars bought bikes from him.
David Folch founded DirtySixer Bikes almost 10 years ago.
His bikes have been featured in the NY Times and most industry magazines.
He currently manages his own production line in Taiwan and ships globally.
Because he didn’t listen to experts and set out to solve a problem he knew well.
We need more Davids.
If you know underdogs trying to build cool things, I’d love to meet them.
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Cheers,
J