In the early days of Sene, we used to go door-to-door at coworking spaces and knock on every single office to sell our clothes. Cash was tight so we needed the money. But it was embarrassing for me. I remember telling my cofounder Mark Zheng : “I don’t know if I want to do this anymore, I hate being rejected.” Mark said: “We’re this close to running out of cash and you still want to preserve your dignity?” It clicked for me that day how irrational that fear was. I started popping in those tiny WeWork offices with gusto, taking pleasure in each fear I overcame. It was a formative experience for me. Then came the Kickstarter that launched everything. Are there any formative experiences you’ve had in your journey? Any fears you beat? I’d love to hear.
I travelled a lot internationally. Every time I was headed to the airport I’d ask myself “what am I doing?” I’d get to my destination city, no cell phone, sometimes not even a place to stay lined up yet. At least in Latin America I had ok Spanish, but not great. Trying to figure where to go, where to stay, how to get there, in a foreign land, in a foreign tongue, can make you want to curl up in a ball or get back on a plane home immediately. Effectively murdered my shyness. And how we have Google maps everywhere as long as it’s not China as the destination (or maybe they let it work on foreign phones now ). Maybe we should go see ?
Love this. For me, building a personal brand here on LinkedIn has been a game changer.
Oof, that line about “preserving your dignity” hit me in the ego. 😂 One of my turning points was realizing silence after a pitch isn’t personal—it’s just part of the process. Rejection still stings, but now I see it as data, not doom.
Ray Li, pushing past those early barriers when cash is tight really does shape an entrepreneur's path.
Great stuff. Making hundreds, thousands of cold calls was a very formative experience for me.
Wise words from Mark. It has been awesome to see y’all grow Sene and transform over the years!
Fear of rejection is real, but your story reminds me that clarity of purpose beats temporary pride. Inspired.
Such a nostalgic reflection! The early days of building something great always come with challenges, but they also shape the foundation for future success. It’s amazing to see how far you’ve come.
Love this story and thank you for sharing, Ray! Curious—do you think you'd still have pushed through if Mark hadn’t challenged you in that moment?
Ray, I’ve known you for years and it’s been incredible to watch your growth and Sene’s rise. Wishing you nothing but continued success and a future full of good people and good work. Your post brought back something personal for me: When I started Cool Cat Stuff on Amazon Live, it was tough. We barely had products to talk about. I had to find ways to keep the show fun and fresh for the same small audience, night after night. That challenge taught me how to create value from repetition, how to keep it real and entertaining—even when the resources were low. But my real turning point came when I convinced myself it wasn’t enough. I thought I had to do “more” to help animals. So I took a job working overnights at an ER animal hospital. And honestly—it broke me. I wasn’t built for that work. But it gave me a whole new level of respect for the vets and vet techs doing it every day. I realized the work we do with Cool Cat Stuff—raising awareness, helping pet parents, funding rescues, and building toward Vet Van Fleet—does make a real difference. In fact, this might be how I make the biggest impact. I just needed to step out of it to see it. Anyway, thanks for sparking that reflection. Keep going. You’re doing something great.