How Natalie Barbu Went from Zero to $2M ARR After Nearly Shutting Down Rella

Natalie Barbu's journey with Rella is nothing short of remarkable. After telling investors they'd shut down in January, one viral video changed everything - catapulting them from $3,500 to $21,000 monthly revenue overnight. Now at $2M ARR, Natalie opens up about the brutal reality of pivoting a VC-backed startup, why 98% of creators shouldn't launch companies, and how she transformed from beauty YouTuber to tech founder. In this episode, you'll discover: The exact moment Natalie knew she had to completely scrap her first product after two years of work Why she believes most creator-founded businesses fail (and what makes the successful ones different) How a single TikTok skit saved her company from bankruptcy and sparked hockey-stick growth The uncomfortable truth about taking a step back from content creation to build a tech company Why she pivoted from targeting creators to social media managers - and how it unlocked product-market fit The unique challenges of raising $1M as a creator founder and the questions VCs really ask How she went from filming makeup tutorials on Photo Booth to building a project management platform Natalie shares candid insights about the unglamorous side of being a creator-turned-founder, including dealing with Reddit critics, watching her engagement plummet, and the decision to reinvent her content strategy entirely around business and entrepreneurship. Whether you're a creator considering launching a company or an entrepreneur looking to leverage content for growth, this conversation reveals the blueprint for building a venture-backed tech company with a creator's mindset. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Near-Death Experience and Viral Moment 00:00:31 Meet Natalie Barbu: Creator to Tech Founder 00:01:25 The Beginning: YouTube in 2011 00:03:56 Content Evalution 00:05:28 Corporate Life to Full-Time Creator 00:08:29 Early Entrepreneurial Experiments 00:10:11 Should Every Creator Launch a Company? 00:15:24 The Birth of Rella 00:18:16 The Critical Pivot That Saved Everything 00:22:01 Raising $1M as a Creator-Founder 00:26:02 The Personal Cost of Building a Startup 00:27:09 Reinventing Herself as a Content Creator 00:33:33 The Rella Marketing Strategy 00:35:42 Why Creators Choose CPG Over Tech 00:40:49 What's Next For Rella 00:43:41 Advice for Creator-Founders HotStart VC  Subscribe to the HotStart VC newsletter: https://hotstart.beehiiv.com/   Become a HotStart Angel and co-invest with us in celebrity-founded brands starting from $5,000: https://www.hotstart.vc/hotstart-angels/   Check out our fund: https://www.hotstart.vc/   Scott van den Berg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-van-den-berg-22b534150/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottvandenberg_/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottvandenberg_   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scottvandenbergvc   Natalie Barbu Rella: https://getrella.com/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliebarbu/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliebarbu/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliebarbu   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NatalieBarbu   HotStart VC is a fund that exclusively invests in brands founded by celebrities and creators. We’re the go-to platform for celebrities and creators launching brands, providing capital, strategic support, and the infrastructure to scale.