👩💻 Meet Yehong Zhu
Yehong is the founder and CEO of Zette, a venture-backed media tech startup that gives readers pay-per-article access to paywalled publications.
Yehong Zhu, Zette
Removing the barriers to content
The idea for Zette came in 2016 when Yehong was a journalist at Forbes. Yehong realized, “It was at a turning point in digital media because the industry was still navigating the transition from print to digital, starting with ad-supported content. I could see that a subscription model would make more sense for individual publishers—but if everybody started paywalling their content, it would turn the internet into a walled garden, inaccessible to readers who couldn’t afford to subscribe to everything that they wanted to read.” She became interested in a better way and said she was inspired by the way Netflix and Spotify democratized streaming access for content.
Starting a company during the pandemic
While the idea for Zette might have started in 2016, it wasn’t officially founded until 2020. Launching a company during a global pandemic was no small feat: all the fundraising, recruiting and startup playbooks had to be re-written for this new era. She was able to adapt and raised $1.7M in a pre-seed round that closed in March 2021. She said the challenges the team faced taught them valuable lessons in resilience and adaptability, which are cornerstones of the entrepreneurial spirit at the company.
Growing through the setbacks
Resilience is a theme for Yehong with Zette, entrepreneurship and life. She said a lot of first-time founders might see starting a company the way amatuer climbers see climbing Mount Everest – they picture themselves at the top. She said she has now learned that starting a company isn’t about getting to the top of the mountain, but rather becoming the kind of person who can climb mountains, no matter how steep. She said this perspective would’ve helped her be less discouraged by setbacks or obstacles in the beginning. It’s really about putting one foot in front of the other each day and then looking back and realizing you’ve reached your destination.
What’s next for Zette?
The product is almost ready for launch!
Yehong is also working on a $6M fundraise, and is excited to hire more full-time employees. If you’re interested in joining the Zette journey, you can email her.
📚 Yehong's Best Stack Ever
The tools and software she uses to run her business.
Google Workspace documentation and organization (Daily)
Notion* wiki for up-to-date company resources (Daily)
Slack team communication (Daily)
Figma design needs (Daily)
Asana project management (Daily)
Calendly scheduling (Daily)
Gusto payroll solutions (Weekly)
Hubspot marketing (Weekly)
Polymer hiring and job descriptions (Monthly)
Agora employee onboarding (Monthly)
The one product she couldn’t live without? Google Workspace for its suite of tools, but Slack is a close second.
The advice Yehong would give to others
“In the end, none of the nay-sayers mattered, and many of the doors that were closed to us at first opened up later because we kept knocking them down. As I always tell my team: it’s the optimists that change the world, not the pessimists.”
✨Representation matters. Know someone who might be inspired? Share this newsletter with them✨
If you have any questions or feedback, you can reach me at [email protected]
Always remember to have courage and be kind 💫
Ellen at Best Stack Ever
*this newsletter is not sponsored or affiliated with Notion (or any other brands/companies)
