Wish Dish | Share Your Story

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Entrepreneur Spotlight: George Yu’s WindPouch

One of this year’s most unique new products, WindPouch™, is taking the outdoor recreation market by storm.

The product, a self-inflating hammock that takes only seconds to set up, has been met with a recent flurry of consumer interest and demand. WindPouch™ appears to potentially be on the verge of huge commercial success. But for the product’s young inventor and company founder, George Yu, success hasn’t always been easy to come by.

“Being an entrepreneur is a definitely a love-hate relationship,” says Yu.

“I love working for myself, running my own business and creating products, but it can be stressful. There’s always a big chance of failure. It’s a risky endeavor, but that’s what makes it so exciting.”

Born the son of first-generation Taiwanese-American immigrants, Yu credits his parents’ strong work ethic for his much of his recent success. “To me, my parents have always represented the American Dream. They worked so hard to provide for my brother, sister and me. They always said that if I worked hard, anything would be possible.”

“Growing up, I had an innate love for business and entrepreneurialism. I started my first lawn mowing business at the age of 14 and was cutting about 25 lawns a week!” says Yu. But George’s professional path was not always clear. “Later, I got my undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, where I studied biology. As I reached my senior year, I felt really unmotivated and unexcited about a career path in biology.”

After graduating, Yu took some time off to reevaluate his future. “I knew I loved business, so I started experimenting with selling various products through online vendors. Though I never had any huge successes, this time was important because it rekindled my love of business and entrepreneurship.”

But as many entrepreneurs discover, starting a business and finding the right product or service for the right market can be difficult.

Forbes estimates that nearly ninety percent of start up companies ultimately fail. Like many entrepreneurs, Yu dabbled in many industries before finding his niche. “I worked as an electronic cigarette supplier for a while, and then tried a smartphone repair start up.” All of these early ventures found some minor success before fizzling out. “I knew I wanted to create a product for myself, and eventually came up with the idea for WindPouch™.”

The young CEO found new product inspiration in one of his favorite pastimes. “I’ve always enjoyed traveling, especially being outdoors and in nature. I feel that most people nowadays spend so much time inside. We’re addicted to our technology, you know? Unfortunately, it seems that means a lot more time being cooped up inside.”

Yu says his interest in camping and hiking lead to the creation of his outdoor-based product. “I love relaxing in my hammock. I find it very comfortable and can spend hours just reading, thinking, napping. But finding the perfect trees to tie up to can be a pain. I knew there had to be a better way, that would be just as comfortable but even easier to use and set up. WindPouch™ became that product.”

Yu says he even uses the product himself. “I love it! It has totally replaced my hammock. I use it every week.”

After launching the WindPouch™ website for pre-orders, buzz surrounding the product began to build. “Our order numbers have been steadily growing,” says Yu. “It’s a good start, but I’m definitely not satisfied. We still have a lot of work to do.”

When asked what advice he might give other budding entrepreneurs, Yu says, “follow your passion and work hard.” WindPouch™ plans to release additional products, accessories and designs in the coming months.

“Never stop learning, and never stop giving it your best. The market is tough and the competition is fierce.” Learn more about WindPouch™ at http://www.windpouch.com

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Entrepreneur Spotlight: George Yu’s WindPouch

“Being an entrepreneur is a definitely a love-hate relationship,” says Yu.

But as many entrepreneurs discover, starting a business and finding the right product or service for the right market can be difficult.

Yu says he even uses the product himself. “I love it! It has totally replaced my hammock. I use it every week.”

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