local-businesses
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Slava Bogdan and the distance a gift has to travel
A history student from Yekaterinburg helped build Flowwow around the small shops people pass every day. Now, as CEO of Udora, Slava Bogdan is taking that idea across borders - while learning how much a founder has to let go.
Jeff Zheng and the Importance of Being Nearby
After years teaching computers what people want to read, NewsBreak founder Jeff Zheng turned his attention to the neighborhood. A coffee shop in Mountain View helps explain where he wants to go next.
The Bag That Stayed Put
Bounce began with two founders pedaling luggage across New York. The useful discovery was that travelers would happily come to a neighborhood shop instead - and, years later, that the company should keep its attention on bags.
Flowwow learned the hard way: a bouquet is a promise
Half the orders in an early holiday test went unfulfilled. Flowwow built a business by closing that gap - then took its local-shop model into cakes, gifts and an international operation now called Udora.