Episode #19 - Ramin Popal

#15MinuteFounder

In this episode of The 15-Minute Founder, we sat down with Ramin Popal, a self-made entrepreneur who went from selling iPhone cases at age 12 to building a multimillion-dollar empire by 21.

We covered everything from mindset, money, and motivation to tactical advice on dropshipping, team-building, and productivity.

Here’s the full conversation.

Highlights

Q: Let’s start with a tweet you wrote:

“When my business wasn’t making money: ‘Go get a 9-to-5 job.’
When it started bringing in money: ‘You just got lucky.’
When it made me a millionaire: ‘Can you help me start a business?'”

Take us back to that first phase, when your business wasn’t making money. What was going on?

From an early age, I was always trying to find ways to make money because I knew the traditional route wasn’t going to get me to millionaire status. Back then, around 6 or 7 years ago, starting an online business like dropshipping or an agency wasn’t cool.

Most people around me thought I was crazy. They’d say, “What are you doing?” and told me to get a 9-to-5. It was tough. People genuinely didn’t believe you could escape the typical path, so I had to push through that negativity.

Q: Was that negativity something you felt, or were people actually saying things to you?

Oh, they said it to my face. Friends, neighbors, even family would say, “This isn’t going to work. Just stick to college and get a job.” But I knew I had one life, and I wasn’t going to waste it.

Q: You were 16 at the time. Where did that conviction come from?

I have no idea. I just questioned everything. I saw the school system didn’t make sense, and I looked at rich people and thought, they’re just humans. No superpowers. I figured I could do it too if I stayed open-minded.

Q: What was your first business?

My dad used to buy and sell at garage sales, so I understood “buy low, sell high.” At 12, I sold iPhone cases from China on eBay. At 16, I started an Instagram theme page and tried Shopify dropshipping.

I also started a marketing agency helping real estate agents and dental clinics get leads. Through those experiences, I built skills; sales, marketing, client relations, branding, that shaped everything I do today.

Q: When did things start working? What was the breakthrough?

At 18, I went ghost, said no to parties and restaurants, and worked 15-16 hours a day. I was doing $1,000/day on my dropshipping store and around $67,000/month with my agency, all while in university. But people still said, “You just got lucky.” I was like, “Yeah, lucky to work 16 hours a day for 12 months.”

Q: What was that ghost mode like?

I told everyone, “You’ll know when I come out to party.” Now when I go out, I do it in style, flying business class, driving supercars. But back then, I was all in, every day. It was like the marshmallow test, delay gratification to get 100 marshmallows later.

Q: At 21, you became a millionaire. Was that hard to process?

Yes. It hit me hard. Life shifted. I had 30–40 people working under me, managing hundreds of thousands in revenue per month. It was overwhelming, but I eventually learned to balance enjoying the moment while planning for the future.

Q: For those unfamiliar, how would you explain dropshipping?

It’s selling products online without holding inventory. You list a supplier’s product on your store, mark it up, and when someone buys, the supplier ships it. You keep the difference. It’s low risk and cheap to start—less than $100.

Q: What about the agency you started?

I’d help businesses get leads through social media. I knew how to grow Instagram pages, so I pitched that to real estate agents. But I shut it down after 6-7 months, too many business owners didn’t take it seriously. I realized I’d rather apply those skills to my own ventures.

Q: Eventually people stopped doubting and started asking you for help. What was that shift like?

It was funny. The same people who doubted me started asking for help. I asked one guy how much he’d pay, and he said a few thousand. That’s how my education program started, by accident. But it blew up because people saw my lifestyle and wanted to learn from me.

Q: Was it satisfying when people who doubted you came back asking for help?

I didn’t take it personally. I understood their mindset. But yeah, it felt good to know I inspired people in my neighborhood, country, and now globally. I’ve shown them you can make it, no matter your background.

Q: What drives you today—money, power, fame, or pleasure?

Money. It’s a tool that unlocks opportunities. It lets me take care of myself and the people around me. People say “money doesn’t buy happiness”, that’s just a cover-up for not having it.

Q: What’s a contrarian take you hold?

You can have it all. The body, the friends, the lifestyle, the business, the girl. People say you have to sacrifice one, but I’ve had all of it. Also, money does buy happiness, if you use it right.

Q: What if someone says “I don’t have time”?

It’s just an excuse. Track your time hour-by-hour. Prioritize. At first, you’ll need to sacrifice things. But once you level up, you can make time for it all.

Q: What about people who are ready but afraid to take action?

Write down everything you want in life, money, house, car. Then write down everything painful right now. Use those to fuel your fire. If that doesn’t work, just look at your bank account.

Q: Biggest mistake in business?

I’ve lost $2–3 million through bad hires and business mistakes. But I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve never doubted myself. If someone else has done it, so can I.

Q: Walk us through your day.

Wake up, phone in hand, messages, calls, action. I read sticky notes on my mirror with goals written as if I’ve already achieved them. Then gym. Then back to work with my brothers and friends. I don’t meditate or ice plunge anymore. Now it’s straight to business.

Q: Sticky notes of goals you’ve already achieved? Example?

One says “I’m worth $100M.” If I want that, I have to think and act like someone who already is. At 17, I wrote, “I make $1M a year,” and made all my decisions through that lens.

Q: How do you hire top talent?

I ask: “How big do you want to go?” and “How much do you want to make?” If their goal is only $10K/month, they’ll stop there. But if they want big things, they’ll keep pushing.

Q: How do you prioritize what to work on?

Leverage. What’s the power move? Who do I need to meet? Where do I need to go? One time, we booked a flight to Vegas a few hours before takeoff to close a deal. It looked like luck, but we were prepared.

Q: Rapid-fire questions. Coffee or tea?

Neither. No caffeine. I wake up energized by life.

Q: Favorite meal?

Chipotle burrito bowl.

Q: Most impactful book or movie?

Atomic Habits. It helped me eliminate distractions and pack every hour with intention.

Q: Role models?

I take pieces from many people: Russell Brunson, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bob Proctor. No single idol, just a board of mentors I learn from.

Q: If you had a billboard in Times Square, what would it say?

Two quotes:

“How bad do you want it?”

“If anyone else can do it, so can you.”

Time stamps:

01:07 – The origin of his fierce conviction

04:23 – Lessons from early hustles

06:37 – The “ghost mode” strategy

17:12 – The truth about money and happiness

19:48 – His hot takes on “having it all” and why “dropshipping is dead” is just an excuse.

27:45 – Tactical advice for taking action

33:13 – His unique daily routine and the power of acting like you’ve already achieved your goals

40:12 – How to identify top talent and inspire your team to think BIG