What can a dorm room video game project teach you about building a real internet business? In this transcript, Mark interviews serial entrepreneur Brian Kaldenberg, who built his first profitable online business from an Iowa State dorm room and then pivoted to a thriving proofreading service. Brian's story is a masterclass in finding opportunity, differentiating from competition, and grinding through the hard work that real business demands.<\/p>\n
Brian Kaldenberg's entrepreneurial journey started with NCAA Football on PlayStation 2. He noticed that gamers wanted real player names in the game but the existing provider gave files away for free on a donation basis. Brian registered GameRosters.com in March 2004, built a better product, and through search advertising and SEO grew it to over $200,000 per year in sales. He eventually acquired his only competitor.<\/p>\n
A critical insight from Brian's story: neither GameRosters nor ProofreadingPal were original ideas. Someone else was already doing both. Brian saw competition as market validation, not a reason to quit. He focused on finding ways to differentiate rather than inventing something entirely new.<\/p>\n
When Brian recognized that GameRosters had plateaued due to its seasonal nature, he pivoted. His wife needed her thesis proofread, they found a proofreader on oDesk, and that experience sparked the idea for ProofreadingPal. The business launched with several key differentiators: two proofreaders review every document for higher quality, turnaround times as fast as 90 minutes, 24\/7 availability, and all native English-speaking proofreaders.<\/p>\n
Brian is candid about the cost of building ProofreadingPal. The first two years meant 90-to-100-hour work weeks. He was tied to his cell phone and office, unable to take vacations. He staffed live customer service from 8 AM to 10 PM daily from the start, which immediately differentiated the company from competitors who were not available nights and weekends.<\/p>\n
The marketing strategy centers on Google search advertising as the primary channel, supplemented by Bing and Yahoo search ads, Facebook advertising targeting competitors' fans, and remarketing to site visitors who started but did not complete checkout. For customer retention, ProofreadingPal mails branded gift packages to new customers and makes courtesy follow-up calls to reinforce their differentiators.<\/p>\n
Brian's advice for anyone starting out: Rome was not built in a day. Focus on customer satisfaction and ask customers what they want to see next. Your customers will give you the secrets to making your product better. Do not wait until all the lights are green before you go.<\/p>\n
Mark recorded this interview in spring 2014. The entrepreneurial principles Brian shares are timeless, but the landscape has shifted.<\/p>\n
The gig economy and online services market has exploded.<\/strong> ProofreadingPal was ahead of its time in offering professional services delivered entirely online. By 2026, this model has become standard across dozens of industries. The barrier to launching a service-based online business has dropped significantly with platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and specialized marketplaces.<\/p>\n AI has transformed the proofreading and editing industry.<\/strong> Tools like Grammarly, ChatGPT, and specialized AI editing software have changed how people approach proofreading. Human proofreading services now must differentiate on the value that AI cannot provide: nuanced understanding of context, academic standards, and discipline-specific conventions.<\/p>\n The two-proofreader model remains relevant as a quality assurance principle.<\/strong> In software development, code review serves a similar function. Brian's insight that redundancy improves quality and helps identify talent applies broadly across service businesses.<\/p>\n If you found this episode helpful, you might also enjoy:<\/p>\n Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts<\/a> or subscribe at latenightim.com\/internet-marketing-podcast\/<\/a>. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.<\/p>\nResources Mentioned<\/h2>\n
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