Siamak Taghaddos: The Entrepreneur’s Champion Behind Grasshopper
From Dorm Room to Disruption
In 2003, while still at Babson College, Siamak Taghaddos co-founded Grasshopper—a virtual phone system designed to empower small businesses. What began as a single product has since blossomed into a multi-million-dollar brand serving nearly 100,000 entrepreneurs, all achieved without venture capital.
Now, through Grasshopper Labs, Siamak is expanding the brand’s vision to become the "Virgin for entrepreneurs"—offering tools and inspiration to help startups thrive. A self-described "one-man ad agency," he spearheads creative campaigns (like the viral "New Dork" music video) that blend humor, hustle, and heart.
The Grasshopper Ethos: Resourceful, Relentless, Unconventional
Biggest Challenge: Scaling with limited resources. "We started with nothing—now we’re 50 people strong, bootstrapped to over $10M in revenue."
Creative Hustle: Grasshopper’s chocolate-covered grasshopper campaign (25,000 FedEx’d treats!) became a low-cost, high-impact case study in guerrilla marketing.
Viral Genius: The "New Dork" video—a Jay-Z-inspired anthem for entrepreneurs—racked up 160,000+ views in 24 hours and landed features in TechCrunch, WSJ, and even a shoutout from Ashton Kutcher.
Inspirations & Daily Fuel
Websites: Mashable, TechCrunch (tech news), Uncrate (cool gadgets), BlackBook (culture).
Role Models: "Entrepreneurs who build movements—like Richard Branson."
What’s Next? A Call to Action
Siamak is rallying high-profile founders and organizations to launch a national campaign urging President Obama to prioritize entrepreneurship as an economic engine. "Innovation starts with scrappy dreamers. Follow me @staghaddos to join the movement."
Why Siamak Stands Out
Bootstrapped Brilliance: Proves you don’t need VC millions to scale.
Marketing Maverick: Turns chocolate bugs and rap parodies into brand gold.
Advocate for Entrepreneurs: Pushing policymakers to recognize small biz as job creators.
"Empires aren’t built in boardrooms—they start in basements."
