Swimming in Shark Tank with Pineapple Tart
Here’s a photo of me swimming with a whale (not a shark! 😆) in the open sea of Cebu back in 2018. 🐋
I’m writing this from Malaysia now, where I'm spending Chinese New Year enjoying my time with my family, friends and some alone time.
Still hustling with my Macbook, the sound of firecrackers and eating my body weight in pineapple tarts. No, this isn’t a metaphor.
Why Shark Tank?
I barely watch K-dramas and C-dramas (less than 5 in the last decade?), but reality shows? Obsessed. From Owning Manhattan, Making the Cut to Shark Tank, I love watching people pitch, hustle, and get brutally honest feedback.
While I was deep in my startup's financials this CNY (remember my last newsletter?), Shark Tank’s raw, no-BS feedback hit differently this time. It's a reality check that every entrepreneur needs, and it’s pushing me to reflect on what I'm really doing here.
Here are a few golden nuggets that stuck:
💡 Mark Cuban’s Rule: “You don’t have to be great at everything. You just have to be great at one thing.”
🔹 My Take: Moonscape’s “one thing”? Turning complex fintech problems into simple, profitable solutions. (And surviving on coffees)
💡 Barbara’s Truth Bomb: “Never confuse enthusiasm with a business plan.”
🔹 My Reality Check: My MVP excitement ≠ a revenue strategy. Time to adult.
💡 Mr. Wonderful’s Favorite Word: “Royalties. Royalties. Royalties.”
🔹 My Compromise: Fine, Kevin. I’ll track my burn rate and look for those recurring revenue streams… and no, Kevin, I’m not dead to you.
The CNY Grind (No Mahjong this year, Just Spreadsheets)
While others were playing Mahjong, poker game and firecrackers, I was hunched over my MacBook, tackling the numbers I once avoided:
📊 Market Sizing: Singapore has ~2M potential users. I’m aiming for 10K–30K paying users in the first 2 years.
💸 Revenue: At SGD 5/month, that’s SGD 600K–1.8M/year. Add affiliate deals (~5% sign-ups at SGD 50 each), and we’re looking at an extra SGD 25K–75K/year.
⚖️ Investor Metrics & GTM: Burn rate is ~$3K/month, CAC is a rough guess for now, and LTV/CAC? Let’s just say I’ll get a pro to help soon.
I’m also in full solo hustle mode for the GTM—growing via content, SEO, and partnerships before throwing money at ads.
The hustle isn’t easy, but it’s real.
Every step of the way, I’m learning and adapting.
What's Next?
🚀 Q1: Soft-launch MVP to 100 beta users.
The excitement is real, but this phase is all about testing and learning. You’ll be the first to hear about what works and what doesn’t. Expect some brutal honesty as I share the real feedback.
💰 Q2: Refine pricing based on feedback.
Pricing is one of the toughest parts. How much do users value my product? What’s the sweet spot between affordable and profitable? I’m figuring it out—and I’ll be sharing all the pricing hacks I learn along the way.
📅 Q3: Let’s get through Q2 first?
The journey never stops. I’ll be tackling growth strategies, partnerships, and content in the next phase. I’ll share everything from my wins to my mistakes, so you can avoid them too.
Next, I’m going to be diving deep into 2 recent workshops I attended: TechLadies (January 17) and Hedera Workshop (January 21).
One key lesson from TechLadies was the importance of resilience and staying focused, even on tough days. Their stories reminded me that, as founders, we’re never truly alone.
Hedera Workshop offered game-changing insights that have already started shifting how I approach my product strategy and marketing.
Okay. Now, it's time for me back to hustle. Stay tuned for a deep dive in the next edition!
Happy Chinese New Year!
Peggy.T
Chief Moonscaper
