In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom sits down with Eric Birkemeier, founder of ShredLights and now part of Meepo Electric Skateboards. Eric’s story is a wild ride - from 3D-printing in the SDSU ZIP Launchpad and selling Jordans out of thrift stores, to building a niche hardware company and ultimately exiting to a global electric skateboard brand.
They unpack how Eric turned an early failed Kickstarter into a business with over $1M+ in revenue (with zero ad spend!), the importance of discovering product-market fit through real customer feedback, and the emotional rollercoaster of running and eventually selling a hardware startup during a downturn. From bootstrapping to navigating COVID, tariffs, and copycats - Eric shares what it really takes to get to the finish line (and how the finish line is just another beginning).
Key Topics Covered:
From basement builds to business: Eric’s early love for inventing and entrepreneurship
The SDSU ZIP Launchpad, finding community, and the startup that wasn't a fit
Why the wrong customers helped him discover the right market
Pivoting from skate culture to the growing micro-mobility movement
Scaling from 3D printers to overseas supply chains - and the lessons from doing it the hard way
How Kyle and Eric’s founder relationship helped them navigate burnout, illness, and transition
Building trust with manufacturers and how one trip to China changed everything
Financial forecasting, staying lean, and prepping for an acquisition
The gritty, real story behind selling a business - and what Eric’s learned about what comes next
