👋 Building a venture + product studio in public

About 12 years ago, I transitioned from being a solo freelancer operating under my own name to setting up PEAK SHIFT. I always had a grand vision for what the studio could become.

It was a humble beginning though. Just me and my lonesome self – tackling design, development, devops, client relations, sales for this new venture – essentially still a one man show trying to do what a full-service studio would. Coming from a tiny island in the Caribbean, I was fuelled by the belief in creating not just world-class digital products, but making online services accessible to as many people as possible in areas where access was lacking.

Today, the team spans from New York to Belgrade, where we're in the process of establishing our first physical office. We're broadening our offerings to companies and founders; from our core services in product design, development, and strategy, to encompassing media production, developer engagement and experience strategy, branding, creativity, and advisory.

Navigating from those early days to where we are now wasn't a straight path, but it's one that led to Free and Open Source technology. A company takes the form of the people that are part of it. Our team and work has always tended towards regions that were emerging. So overcoming hurdles and making technology accessible for the masses has been a crucial part of our journey, shaping the robust and diverse services we offer today.

We're always early, both in exploring new industries and in partnering with founders who just have a spark of an idea. We help them ignite the vision enabling them to raise millions of dollars. We've worked with pioneers like Ben Price from The Bitcoin Company, designer of the first version of OpenSats, and with the founders of Zabo (exited to Coinbase), as well as Bumi from Alby when their project was just an MVP at a hackathon. As a venture studio we've even launched our own projects like this very platform BOLT.FUN so it's time for us to use it ourselves!

As 2024 approaches, I'm proud to have all the pieces come together, thanks to such a skilled team of creatives, designers and strategists that will take us to the next level. If you're keen on watching our studio's growth, follow us here on BOLT.FUN, where we'll be building in public.

Sneak peak...

• Next month, we're offering a sneak peek into our world with 3 hours of free consultancy, ideal for refining pitches or boosting product UX. But that's just the start.

• Stay tuned to BOLT.FUN for exclusive insights into our upcoming projects.

• Interested in hiring our consultancy, or running an agency yourself? Comment down below. Big things are underway – don't miss out!

... and happy holidays!
— Johns B.