Luke Kim is a course creator, entrepreneur in residence at Alchemist, columnist at Times of India writing about AI, partner at Truth Cartel, a marketing agency specializing in Web3—and new teacher at UC Berkeley Startup Studio
Luke’s journey began at UC Berkeley’s Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET). As an eager 18 year old, he walked into the center and was greeted by the Managing Director, Ken Singer, who told him “Come to Estonia. Build a startup.” That invitation set the stage for a career that would span across industries, continents, and business models.
“This photo from Estonia shows Cohort 1 of the SCET Study Abroad Bootcamp. Many of us are now co-founders, colleagues, and even married!”
“The SCET crew in our dorm. We had 3 people in each room so it was always a party."
"Where it all started."
Before venturing into entrepreneurship, Luke worked an array of jobs for a year— secretary, cleaner, security guard, boxing instructor, bartender, ice cream server, and more. Realizing that wage labor wasn’t sustainable, he discovered commission-based sales and moved to Estonia to find opportunity. Since then, he has been an executive and investor in various businesses, including multiple engagements as chief marketing officer and chief executive officer.
As an SCET contributor, he started out hosting hackathons and events as a student. As an alum, he helped build the Berkeley entrepreneurship community as a director at Startup Grind Berkeley. After a few years of frontline experience in the early days of crypto, he returned to Berkeley to help start Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator under SCET. Now, he has returned once again to share the secrets that got him to where he is today.
Over his 10+ years with SCET, Luke has reached some incredible milestones as an independent business owner, including sold-out launches, and growing his businesses with his best friends to millions in revenue per year. He has multiple lines of cash flow with his entrepreneurial compatriots, traveling the world to transform passion projects into profit.
Luke’s journey from working hourly jobs to leading multimillion dollar businesses is a testament to the power of shifting from earning a paycheck to creating long-term value. Whether you’re looking to escape the 9 to 5 or achieve financial freedom, learn from someone who has walked the walk. Here are some of Luke’s most valuable insights on building a sustainable entrepreneurial path.
Check out the UC Berkeley Solopreneur Course and learn directly from Luke→
I. Find Your Personal Brand, Find Your Advantage
“One of the first hackathons ever at SCET. Find training environments like hackathons, courses, accelerators, etc. in order to test yourself and de-risk your learning.”
When it comes to creating a personal brand and narrative, for students or working professionals, Luke recommends communicating your value proposition to brand yourself as “profitable.”
“To be profitable, you need to tell people how to pay you.”
The #1 goal of a business builder is to incentivize buyer behavior by converting the curious. Without a healthy bottom line, your lifestyle, mental health, and bank account will suffer. Without profit, you will make yourself poor and cause the people you work with to struggle for money. In order to live your best life and make a good living, focus on turning humans into buyers.
Most solopreneurs and entrepreneurs who are passion-driven tend to prioritize impact and mission over the bottom line. This is a rookie mistake that ensures the failure of your business.
1. Founder-Market Fit
Start by identifying the markets where your background, identity, or experiences give you a natural edge.
Luke references a friend who built an education tech company in college, where the advantage was that it was by students, for students. Despite facing numerous competitors, being a student gave the startup a relatable and authentic edge.
Being an incumbent in the market who naturally fits within the target audience gives you the advantage over others trying to break into the same space.
2. Founder-Problem Fit
“No matter who you are, there’s a million-dollar idea in you. It’s all about packaging what you can offer in the most lucrative and compelling way.”
Next, pinpoint the challenges you’ve personally experienced. Whether it is a cultural, religious, professional, personal, or romantic problem, everyone has faced a challenge. The key is to recognize that every problem hints at a potential solution.
For example, a company that created red cups that change color if the drink has been tampered with—a simple yet powerful innovation to address campus safety. Built by college partygoers, for college partygoers.
This product emerged from the college party scene by someone who deeply understood the problem.
II. Becoming a “Solo Profit Machine”
“Strategy session with my first startup team and Ken Singer. A formative experience where all of us in the program realized that business, just like martial arts, requires a ‘black belt’ to show you the way.”
Luke explains - “if you figure out how to turn yourself into a solo profit machine, then that cash cow lies between your founder market fit and your founder problem fit.”
Start by considering the markets where you’re naturally an incumbent. Then, reflect on problems you’ve encountered. That intersection is where your entrepreneurial journey begins.
Think of Yourself as a Pokémon
Luke explains that we’re all like Pokémon.
Just as each Pokémon has distinct strengths (e.g. fire, earth, wind, etc.), humans also possess unique traits that make them suited for specific challenges.
Identify your spikes—your unique skills and strengths—and leverage them strategically.
Taking the First Step: Start with What You Know
In today’s digital age, opportunities are abundant.
“Anyone can become anything online.”
Begin by delivering something you can confidently deliver and earn your first dollar of independent profit.
To kickstart your journey, Luke suggests a simple exercise:
- Sit down at a cafe and write down the markets where you have Founder-Market Fit.
- List the problems that align with your Founder-Problem Fit.
- Cross out the tasks you dislike.
- Circle the areas where you’ve already made money or could potentially make money.
III. Should You Become an Entrepreneur?
“SCET founders at the US embassy in Estonia.”
While wage labor provides stability, entrepreneurship offers freedom and the potential for exponential growth.
In this world, Luke explains that “you eat what you kill.” There’s no cap on your success, but it also means taking risks and betting on your skills, expertise, and resourcefulness.
If you believe that your abilities can take you farther than a traditional job, entrepreneurship becomes a compelling path. Even if you fail once or twice, the growth you experience could set you ahead in the long run.
Why It's Easier Than Ever to Start Your Own Venture
The rise of remote work, hybrid models, instant communication, and global connectivity eliminates many traditional barriers.
Where solopreneurs or entrepreneurs initially had to delegate, AI can now automate those tasks. With such digital tools, you now have extra hours in the day to build and invest in your own venture.
Can Everyone Be A Solopreneur or Entrepreneur?
“Still one of my favorite photos. The day I realized it's possible to have a FULL BLOWN career as an entrepreneur, that I want to train entrepreneurs in the future, and that I finally have a job that pays more than wage-labor (meaning I could afford UC Berkeley without going away to the South Korean military)”
“Definitely.”
“I have this core belief that humans are ingenious creatures that use tools to survive. Apes became smarter with the opposable thumb. I mean, as humans, we have this thumb, plus laptops.”
“With the internet, instant communications, and accessible international travel, we’re like mushrooms. We’re interconnected, almost like a mycelium network for people.”
If you lack traditional marketing skills, you can leverage AI tools to transform your online presence. If you’re uncomfortable speaking on camera, deepfake technology can create videos without you having to say a word. Modern tech has democratized entrepreneurship, enabling anyone to pursue it regardless of abilities or expertise.
“Traditionally, entrepreneurship education has been about building venture-backed teams to create unicorn startups. Solopreneur education is different - it’s about building a business uniquely for you. Solopreneurship is the most accessible form of entrepreneurship; think of it as experiential education in the arena. You can create revenue lines for yourself by turning your knowledge and knowhow into cash cows and lead magnets.”
IV. The New Challenge: Standing Out
The democratization of technology means that it’s easier to create a business. However, it also means that characteristics that once differentiated you (e.g. unique skills or niche expertise) are now more accessible to anyone with the right tools.
Now, the real question is: how do you differentiate yourself?
Today, differentiation requires more than just skills. It requires novelty, and values-based pricing and delivery.
For example, there was a solopreneur who developed a marketing service specifically for busy CEOs. Instead of generic content creation, they interviewed CEOs and repurposed the recordings into consistent, high-quality social posts. This approach resonated with executives who wanted to maintain thought leadership but lacked the time to film themselves. The solopreneur beat other video makers and copywriters by offering a complete, time-efficient service that drives business-to-business (B2B) sales while attracting inbound leads.
What Exactly is Novelty?
Novelty is not always about reinventing the wheel. Often, it’s about reimagining old concepts in a new way or addressing unmet needs in a fresh, innovative way.
For example, Airbnb initially seemed to be an impractical idea—a glorified version of Couchsurfing. Many venture capitalists doubted that people would pay to stay in a stranger’s spare room.
But when Airbnb’s pilot in San Francisco sold out, it proved two key points:
- People are willing to pay for second spaces.
- This couch surfing model could actually be commercialized.
By rethinking how people use underutilized spaces, Airbnb created a market where none seemed to exist.
Alternatively, novelty can also come from addressing an existing but unfulfilled need.
A year ago, there was a surge in CEOs seeking AI-driven content solutions. If you pitched a service that combined AI-generated SEO content with a specific niche (e.g. the medical field), you could have stood out. Delivering more content at a lower cost using AI, while also offering added value like earned media placements, would have made your offering uniquely appealing.
In both cases, novelty lies in recognizing an opportunity and executing it in a way that adds value.
V. Pricing Strategy
The Mindset Shift: From Employee to Entrepreneur
When setting pricing packages, it may be tempting to aim for maximum revenue right from the start. However, this overlooks the strategic value of building lasting client relationships.
An employee mentality focuses on securing the highest dollar amount in the quickest possible timeline. In contrast, successful entrepreneurs recognize the value of sacrificing short-term profit to demonstrate impact and secure repeat business.
As Luke explains, “I’d rather make negative money on my first contract and show such impressive results that I get long-term business, ultimately increasing my annual revenue.”
Three Pricing Models
Building lasting client relationships to maximize long-term revenue requires choosing the right pricing model.
Luke outlines three pricing strategies to consider, at a basic level:
1. Fee-Based Contracts: Testing the Waters
The fee-based model is the simplest and most straightforward approach. Clients pay a set fee for specific deliverables, making it ideal for the initial stages of a relationship when both parties are still testing compatibility.
This model works well when testing new relationships or proving initial value.
The objective is to close the deal. After that period of time, there will be a renegotiation and proposal for something bigger.
2. Credit Systems: Flexibility and Client Control
A unique model at Luke’s agency is their implementation of a credit system. The deliverables are tied to a certain fee, which are equivalent to a certain number of credits.
Clients are able to purchase a number of credits, and deploy them when needed, whether immediately or at a later date, offering a flexible, on-demand service structure.
This model is particularly advantageous for clients with fluctuating needs or those who prefer on-demand services.
3. Retainer Models: Building Long-Term Partnerships
The journey from a short term contract to a monthly retainer is rooted in building trust and demonstrating reliability.
Trust emerges from the agency’s ability to deliver results, while reliability is demonstrated through consistently delivering outcomes. To build both, focusing on smaller, successful projects through fee or credit based contracts allows the agency to demonstrate its value in early stage contracts, building a foundation to transition into ongoing, retainer agreements.
This positions the agency to be a more long-term strategic partner rather than just a one-time service provider. Moreover, clients on retainer have the flexibility to add more services a la carte as their needs and priorities evolve.
The Final Takeaway
“Full circle. Getting on stage to share our secrets and pay it forward.”
Luke firmly believes that anyone can become a solopreneur, venture-backed entrepreneur, or start a side hustle. Humans are inherently resourceful and modern tools are superpowers.
The entrepreneurial landscape is constantly evolving, but one principle remains constant: standing out requires both creativity and a clear demonstration of value. Whether you’re leveraging AI or redefining traditional practices, the goal is to make your offering uniquely valuable and memorable.
So, can everyone be a solopreneur or entrepreneur? Yes. But succeeding as one requires not only the right tools, but the entrepreneur mindset and ability to innovate, adapt, and consistently deliver value.
“SCET continues to grow today, producing alumni of competence and character who commit to paying it forward as they achieve success. That’s the SCET way.”
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