When his customers didn’t stick, he did.
Oliver King didn’t expect to end up running a service business.
He wanted to build software. That’s what everyone tells you to do. High-margin. Scalable. Fundable. So he built a tool, launched it, and brought in early revenue. The idea was solid. The tech was there. But the customers weren’t staying.
“I had early traction, but churn hit hard,” Oliver says. “That was the wake-up call.”
Instead of forcing the product to work, he stepped back and started asking different questions. What were the customers who did stick around actually paying for? Why were they renewing? Why were others dropping off?
“The ones who churned were confused. The ones who stayed? They kept asking me to be more hands-on,” Oliver says. “So I leaned into that.”
That decision led to the business he’s building today- a company called Mythmaker that helps early-stage founders navigate the chaos of go-to-market with better positioning, sharper offers, and scalable processes. He works hands-on with clients, often running entire sales motions for them, while quietly building a suite of AI tools to amplify his reach.
He’s now earning more revenue with fewer customers- and building the kind of business that most product founders ignore: one built on real problems, real results, and real relationships.
It didn’t start that way.
After college, Oliver landed a job at a hedge fund through an aqua-hire. He wasn’t applying to finance jobs. He wasn’t sending résumés. He had just built a computational tool that someone saw and wanted access to- and that was enough to get him in the door.
That’s how he’s always done it. Not by playing the game the right way. By building things that make people stop and pay attention.
“I’ve always found side doors,” he says. “I’m not great at pitching myself. But I can build things. That’s how I’ve always gotten opportunities.”
He left that hedge fund job a few years later and launched a startup with a co-founder. It didn’t take off. They weren’t in the same city, the business model didn’t hold up, and most of the time, he felt like he was spinning his wheels with no real direction.
“It was a weird time,” he says. “I was doing the things founders are ‘supposed’ to do- but I wasn’t moving forward.”
“I didn’t even realize how off-track I was until I talked to other people who were in it too,” Oliver says. “You need those people around you- not just to keep you accountable, but to remind you that you’re not crazy.”
What came next was quiet but intentional. He focused on revenue. Doubled down on what was working. Scrapped the product-first mindset and rebuilt his positioning around client outcomes. That pivot changed everything.
Today, Oliver works with early-stage B2B founders who are great at building- but haven’t figured out how to sell. He builds systems, sharpens positioning, and creates offers that resonate with actual buyers. And because he works with the kind of founders who build, not talk- he sees the impact quickly.
“Most founders overcomplicate go-to-market,” he says. “It’s not about automating everything. It’s about being really, really good at the few things that actually move the needle.”
That’s what he helps clients do.
It’s not glamorous. It’s not venture-funded. But it’s working- and it’s growing. He’s building it his way, on his terms, with customers who see the value and stick around.
The plan going forward? Keep it lean. Stay close to customers. And scale the parts of the business that don’t require more headcount.
“I’m not trying to build an agency with 30 people,” Oliver says. “I’m trying to build something that works for my life- something that’s efficient, impactful, and sustainable.”
If that sounds like a low bar, you’ve probably never tried to build a business from scratch.
Oliver’s not chasing headlines. He’s building real solutions for real founders- and doing it in a way that actually works.
And he’s just getting started.
Want to chat and see if we're a fit? https://www.thrivers.co/check-the-vibe
