Swish Goswami’s entrepreneurial journey began as a college student with an idea to help address malnutrition among students. His first venture, FoodShare, aimed to connect students to affordable food options by repurposing leftover and donated food on campus. Although FoodShare didn’t succeed, it taught Swish valuable lessons in product development, fundraising, and team building. This experience sparked his passion for entrepreneurship, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Swish went on to co-found Dunk, a media company with his friend Elliot, building an online community of over 11 million basketball fans across Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. Dunk worked with major brands, including Gatorade, Warner Music, and Sony Music, marking Swish’s early success in digital media. His next venture, Surf (formerly TruFan), allowed users to be compensated for sharing anonymized data with companies. After five years, Surf was acquired by Datacy, marking another milestone in Swish’s journey.
Now, Swish is the head of growth and marketing at Parallel Studios, a gaming company with a bold vision to create a science fiction franchise that spans games, movies, TV shows, and more. Parallel’s flagship digital trading card game is currently available on PC, and Swish is excited to bring it to mobile soon.
Navigating Challenges and Remote Team Management
Swish encountered significant challenges, especially during the pandemic, which required adapting his team’s structure and workflow. “Moving to remote management was tough at first. I learned to over-communicate and encourage the team to do the same. It’s important to replicate those spontaneous, in-person conversations online, and regular check-ins make a big difference when everyone’s remote,” he shares.
Staying Motivated and Overcoming Setbacks
Motivation has never been an issue for Swish. “I’m driven by the problems I’m solving, the people I work with, and my mission—to make a positive impact for myself and my family.” He faced a challenging moment when a potential acquisition of Surf fell through. “That was tough. But within three weeks, we secured another deal by staying positive and focused,” he recalls. Swish’s resilience and commitment to his mission helped him navigate setbacks with a sense of purpose.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Swish encourages new entrepreneurs to embrace imposter syndrome and prioritize learning. “You don’t need everything figured out to start a business. Building is a constant learning process, so keep adapting and don’t worry if you feel like you don’t know it all.” He also emphasizes the importance of networking. “Early on, my network helped me find team members, investors, and customers. Maintaining relationships, even when people don’t need anything from you, opens doors you can’t predict.”
Celebrating Milestones and Looking Ahead
Swish’s proudest moments include selling Surf after navigating challenges like the pandemic and a market recession, as well as launching Surf’s browser extension, which grew to 200,000 users within its first year. “Seeing that scale so quickly was incredibly gratifying,” he shares.
Currently, Swish is focused on growing Parallel Studios and building a science fiction universe that captures the imagination of fans. He’s also interested in tackling climate issues, particularly in emission reduction and carbon removal. Additionally, Swish is excited by advancements in AI and their potential to enhance productivity, though he’s also concerned about AI’s potential to accelerate job displacement and spread misinformation.
For Swish, the goal is to spotlight important issues and drive meaningful impact across industries.
For more information about Swish Goswami, visit Parallel Studios’ website.