Business
6-Figure Side Hustle Fills ‘Glaring’ Gap for Coffee-Drinkers

This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Ryan Schneider of Costa Mesa, California. Schneider and Jeremy Moss are co-founders of drinkware brand Created Co and syrup brand Proper Syrup. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Proper Syrup. Co-founders Ryan Schneider, left, and Jeremy Moss, right.
What was your day job or primary occupation before you started your first business, Created Co?
Before starting my own business, I primarily worked in hospitality.
Working in restaurants teaches fundamental lessons about performance under pressure, teamwork and collaboration, and it requires you to pivot quickly when things don’t quite go as planned. Cutting my teeth in the hospitality industry was essentially a master class in business operations for me.
Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful for this background — it provided the perfect training ground for understanding how quality products and service excellence combine to create something special.
When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
Created Co launched about 10 years ago, and Proper Syrup launched in April 2022. The inspiration for both came from my long-standing friendship with my co-founder, Jeremy Moss. As coffee enthusiasts with hospitality backgrounds, we initially recognized a gap in the market for elevated ceramics that could enhance the café experience and better represent a brand’s identity.
Our vision for Created Co went beyond just producing beautiful ceramic and stainless goods — we wanted to build a platform that celebrated artists and creators. Los Angeles, with its vibrant creative community, provided the perfect backdrop for our mission of bridging coffee culture, art, hospitality and community engagement.
The inception of Proper Syrup came from a realization that far too often, baristas reach for a mass-produced, artificial syrup to complete an otherwise meticulously crafted coffee drink — it highlighted a glaring disconnect in the industry. The specialty coffee world had evolved dramatically: Beans were being sourced with increasing care, extraction methods were being perfected and even alternative milks had been revolutionized. Yet the syrups being used hadn’t kept pace with this evolution.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Proper Syrup
This realization sparked our mission to create something better. We developed Proper Syrup as a natural alternative that would complement, rather than compromise, the complex flavor profiles of specialty coffee. Our focus was clear: craft syrups that match the quality and integrity of today’s coffee culture, using real ingredients and thoughtful recipes that enhance rather than mask the coffee experience.
With Proper Syrup, we’re addressing a crucial gap in the specialty beverage industry. It’s about respect for the product, the process and, ultimately, the people enjoying these beverages.
What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground?
For Proper, our initial focus was on product development, specifically creating a syrup that would stand apart as quality in a noisy market filled with average products. We spent a lot of time testing recipes, exploring small-batch production methods and experimenting with premium ingredients like real vanilla beans, agave and artisanal salts like Jacobsen Salt. This process led us to our own formula and recipes that were really able to bring something new to the specialty syrup industry.
Once we had our base recipe, we expanded our flavor collection and offered pistachio, salted caramel and strawberry — profiles that weren’t commonly found in traditional syrup lineups. We also provided elevated versions of all of the classics, like vanilla, hazelnut, pumpkin spice and caramel. Vanilla is our best-selling product.
Proper has evolved beyond our initial vision for coffee shops. The brand has taken on a life of its own, especially in digital spaces, where our online social community has discovered creative new applications, like non-alcoholic spritzers, cocktail mixers and more.
The organic growth of the Proper community has been incredibly inspiring. We’re constantly amazed by the innovative recipes and challenges shared across social platforms. This consumer-driven evolution has become an integral part of our brand identity, and we love to see how our audience continues to shape the brand’s journey. Tag us in your next drink recipe, and we’ll probably repost you!
Image Credit: Courtesy of Proper Syrup
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle, and how did you navigate them?
The greatest challenge has been managing the complexity of growing multiple ventures.
As an entrepreneur with a family, I have learned the importance of prioritization and giving myself permission to step back when needed. Sometimes, that means putting certain tasks off while focusing on mission-critical decisions or my family.
Our success wouldn’t be possible without the teams we’ve built for both Created Co and Proper Syrup. We’ve been fortunate to have members with strong entrepreneurial mindsets and diverse skill sets that are perfect for small startup companies.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? What does growth and revenue look like now?
Created Co was essentially bootstrapped from the beginning, which meant starting lean and scaling strategically. We were fully committed to making it work, and fortunately, we gained enough momentum in our first year to create a foundation for growth. We began with a very modest operation and have since expanded to include dedicated sales, marketing, operations and design teams.
Proper Syrup had a different trajectory. While we can’t share exact numbers, I can say this: We were able to accelerate its launch thanks to our established network of distribution partners, understanding of trade shows and industry spaces and comprehensive market knowledge from our experience with Created Co. This allowed us to hit the ground running and achieve market share more quickly.
Proper Syrup is doing six figures, and its growth continues through wholesale distribution serving coffee shops across the country. We’re also expanding into boutique spaces.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Proper Syrup
While we’ve seen strong demand in direct-to-consumer sales, with products selling out completely, we’re trying to strategically manage growth to ensure consistent supply for our wholesale partners. As we scale production capacity, we’re simultaneously investing in our online community to prepare for a stronger ecommerce presence.
What do you enjoy most about running these businesses?
We’ve built businesses around things that naturally bring people together: coffee, specialty food and beverage experiences, thoughtful design and the excitement of discovering something new. What’s most rewarding is seeing it all come together to be a part of people’s daily rituals and special moments while fostering creativity and connection within communities.
What’s your advice for others hoping to start successful side companies or full-time businesses of their own?
Go for it. Get the work done. Build meaningful relationships. Don’t be afraid to try new things.

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Business
Uber CEO Wants to Partner With Tesla, Musk on Autonomous Vehicles

During an earnings call last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the electric vehicle maker would start offering paid rides in June for its full self-driving robotaxi service. Now Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is making it clear that he doesn’t want to compete with Tesla — he wants to partner with the company to offer robotaxi rides through Uber’s ride-hailing platform.
“Listen, no one wants to compete against Tesla or Elon if you can help it,” Khosrowshahi told technology analyst Ben Thompson in an interview published in Thompson’s newsletter Statechery on Thursday. “Their capabilities are pretty extraordinary, but I think the same economic laws apply to them.”
Related: Uber’s CEO Says Human Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced
Khosrowshahi said that Tesla would benefit by allowing its robotaxis to offer rides through Uber. Instead of riders accessing the robotaxis solely through the Tesla app, they could tap into rides with the self-driving cars through Uber too.
Working with Uber could help maximize Tesla’s profits by expanding its reach. Uber completed an average of 33 million trips per day, according to the company’s latest earnings report.
“That is going to create much, much more revenue,” Khosrowshahi stated. “Ultimately that’ll increase the value of the Tesla so that the residual value of that car improves.”
Khosrowshahi added that if Tesla puts their robotaxis on Uber’s network, the self-driving cars would join 150,000 other Tesla vehicles on Uber today, adding to an established presence.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg via Getty Images
This isn’t the first time Khosrowshahi has indicated an interest in partnering with Tesla. In an interview with the Financial Times that aired in October, Khosrowshahi said that he would “love” to bring Tesla’s robotaxis to Uber when the technology was ready. He said that he aimed to collaborate with the autonomous industry, pointing to partnerships announced in late 2024 with Alphabet’s Waymo and Cruise.
Uber already has robotaxis on its app in certain areas through its partnerships, including Phoenix, Arizona, and Austin, Texas. The company put its own dreams of building a self-driving car to the side in 2020 when it sold its autonomous vehicle research division to self-driving startup Aurora.
Khosrowshahi told the Wall Street Journal last month that autonomous vehicles would take over Uber rides in the next 15 to 20 years, putting human Uber drivers out of work.
Khosrowshahi took over Uber in 2017, leading the company to its first annual operating profit in 2023. After reporting a loss of $1.8 billion in 2022, Uber reported an annual profit of $1.1 billion in 2023 and $2.8 billion in 2024.

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Business
Hot Tip: StackSocial Just Dropped the Price of a Babbel Lifetime Subscription

Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
Being able to communicate across languages is a necessity for business owners who want to expand into international markets, manage a diverse team, or make connections around the world. Free options like Duolingo are available, but they’re free for a reason.
If you want a language learning platform that takes itself seriously, try Babbel. Developed by more than 100 expert linguists, Babbel provides 10,000+ hours of lessons across 14 languages. Plus, the price for a lifetime subscription just dropped. Instead of paying $599, it’s now just $129.99.
What makes Babbel a worthwhile investment?
Whether you’re aiming for fluency to negotiate with international clients or just need essential phrases for business travel, Babbel’s lessons are tailored to practical, real-world scenarios. Topics range from professional conversations and navigating meetings to cultural nuances.
Babbel gives you 14 languages to choose from, including
- French
- Spanish
- German
- Italian
- Russian
- Danish
Business owners don’t have much time to spare, but tight schedules still have room for a few language lessons when they’re only 10 to 15 minutes long.
The app works seamlessly on smartphones, tablets, or desktops, and your progress syncs to your account. Offline access also means your team can make productive use of travel or downtime without requiring Wi-Fi.
Babbel goes beyond traditional learning methods, incorporating speech recognition technology to refine pronunciation and cultural understanding. This helps make sure that users not only learn vocabulary but also communicate authentically, avoiding misunderstandings that can arise in cross-cultural interactions. That’s especially important in high-stakes conversations in the professional sphere. Personalized review sessions reinforce key concepts, making the learning process both efficient and effective.
Use code LEARN40 by February 17 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get a Babbel lifetime subscription for $129.99.
Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) – $169.99
StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Business
Automate Your Job Search and Get More Interviews for Only $40

Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
If you’re trying to move up in your career with a new position, you can get up to three times more job interviews by using LoopCV, the company claims. A lifetime subscription to the Premium Plan is on sale for only $39.
Since you’ll have lifetime access to LoopCV, you can use it to search for jobs throughout your career. It’s connected to more than 30 platforms and job boards, including LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster Jobs, Workable and many more. There is even a LinkedIn Apply extension included.
The monthly allowances are 50 job title searches and 300 emails or applications. You can create a custom email address just for your job searches, label some applications high-priority, and even perform global searches for remote jobs worldwide.
First, create a profile and upload a resume or CV. Then choose your settings, including locations, job titles, and other options. Once LoopCV shows you jobs that fit your criteria, you can apply for them manually or let LoopCV apply for you.
LoopCV allows you to apply automatically to just the jobs you like best, via email or by filling out application forms. When the program applies automatically, it uses your resume or CV. You can literally apply to hundreds of jobs at a time.
LoopCV also provides you with data that can help you improve your odds of getting interviews. It gives you statistics on which resumes/CVs got the most attention, how many companies opened the emails you sent, how many replied, and more. This allows you to A/B test various email and resume/CV versions so you can use the one that works best.
Get a lifetime subscription to the LoopCV Premium Plan while it’s available for just $39.
LoopCV Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription – $39
StackSocial prices subject to change.

A blog which focuses on business, Networth, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Self Improvement, Celebrities, Top Lists, Travelling, Health, and lifestyle. A source that provides you with each and every top piece of information about the world. We cover various different topics.
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