300+ cold emails later… we got our first sponsor ($150)

I didn’t expect this to happen this early. After sending 300+ cold emails, getting ignored, ghosted, and honestly questioning if this idea even made sense… Apives just got its first sponsor. $150. It’s not a huge amount. But that’s not the point. The point is someone believed enough to pay. No investors. No network. Just persistence, late nights, and a lot of “seen but no reply”. There were moments I thought: “Is this just another directory idea that won’t work?” But then one yes changed everyth