Learn fast: The Sole Supplier founder George Sullivan talks intense founder journey in sneakers market

Startup founders take note. If you’re building something right now, remember that nobody cares about your brand as much as you do. At least, not yet. So says George Sullivan, Founder at The Sole Supplier, which was founded in 2013, with the aim to provide accurate trainer news and release information for the UK and European market.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: "Ten years ago, I launched a sneaker website. Brands didn’t just reject me - they laughed at me. I put blood, sweat, and tears into building the site after work. I created content daily and posted it to social. I thought it was the best sneaker site in the world. Our audience? A few hundred a month, max."

He added: "But brands didn’t care. Not a single one said yes to my early pitches. One brand exec told me straight: "We can’t partner with a website that looks like this. I was pissed. I thought creating content = partnerships. I was wrong. Fast forward ten years and we now reach 40 million+ trendsetters monthly. And work with some of the world’s biggest brands."

"If you’re building something right now, remember this: Nobody cares about your brand as much as you do. At least, not yet. Your work won’t get noticed overnight. And true recognition takes years. Keep going. Stay consistent. Learn fast."

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Startups will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which will open for entries in March, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.