Teng Bao

Yo, peep this story about Teng Bao, this guy’s the real deal in the startup world. So, he’s a YC W13 alum, which already puts him in the top tier of founders. But what’s crazy is his process, starting from scratch and crushing it across all kinds of tech and finance gigs before co-founding Strikingly, one of the coolest website builders out there.

Teng’s background is kinda wild. He’s got a BA in Economics from the University of Chicago, that’s some serious brainpower right there. But he didn’t just stop at books. He jumped into the trenches, working in product design, frontend dev, and tech leadership at places like Campusamp, HireBrite, and even as a Tech Lead at Moneythink. Plus, he’s been in finance too, a Sales and Trading Analyst at UBS, so he’s seen false equivalence of the coin: tech and money.

Then, he co-founded Strikingly, back in 2012. This isn’t just any startup, it’s the first Chinese company to graduate from Y Combinator, which is a big deal. The dude knew how to spot a gap, making websites super easy to build and mobile-optimized way before everyone else jumped on that train. He’s all about empowering entrepreneurs and creatives, helping them get their ideas online without bullshit. And it shows, Strikingly raised a bunch of dough: $1.5M seed, then $6M Series A. They’ve gone beyond the West, nailing solutions for WeChat and Alipay mini programs, which is advanced thinking.

What I get from Teng is that he’s all about building stuff that matters. His path shows a guy who’s never satisfied with just doing the normal, he’s always pushing boundaries, whether that’s in product, design, or markets. His process from Chicago’s finance scene to launching a successful SaaS for the Chinese and Western markets? That’s about hustle, vision, and a deep understanding of both tech and business. No Cap, he’s the kind of founder who’s in it for the long haul, always looking for the future trend to enable people.

Bottom line: Teng Bao is a tech innovator who’s bridged East and West, made a splash in SaaS, and proved that with the right mindset, you can turn ideas into global solutions. The dude’s a reminder that the grind, combined with smarts and a bit of guts, can actually change the game.