- Underestimated
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- Earned, Not Given
Earned, Not Given
These two founders didn’t talk their way into leadership. They worked their way there.
Eric Harrison
May 13, 2025
They didn’t start with pitch decks or big ideas. They started by showing up early, staying late, and doing whatever it took to keep the lights on.
This edition of Underestimated is about the founders who know that nothing beats someone willing to do the hard things first.
 | Suresh Narayanan spent years working in aviation—alongside his brother, inside M&A firms, and deep in the weeds of maintenance. What kept bothering him wasn’t the work. It was the turnover. Mechanics weren’t being treated like professionals. So he built Jets MRO to fix that—offering family-first benefits, predictable schedules, and real transparency. “If something’s not right, it’s on us. Stop complaining. Fix it. Do the work.” This one’s for the founders building a company they’d want to work for. Read Suresh’s full story here! |
Martin Brown co-founded two youth sports businesses that failed before building Jersey United from scratch. He cleaned buildings for $10 an hour just to buy equipment, printed flyers himself, and slowly grew the business from training camps to full competitive teams. “You’re going to screw up, it's going to cost you money. But if you dwell on it, you’ll never move forward.” This one’s willing to do whatever it takes to build the business their way. Read Martin’s full story here! |  |
If these stories hit a little too close to home, good.
You’re not the only one figuring it out as you go. There’s a whole group of us doing the same—comparing notes, trading wins, and building real businesses without pretending to have it all together.
Some of those people are already in Thrive.
Some aren’t yet.
You’ll know which one you are.
— Eric 👋
 | Thrive is where founders find their people. |