You don’t need investors, inventory, or hype to build a real brand. You need resourcefulness, trust, and relentless learning.In Episode 6 of Once Upon a Student, we sit down with Nino Pérez-Salado, a student entrepreneur who turned a small budget and a laptop into Plusgear Sports, one of Austria’s fastest-growing sportswear brands.Nino shares his raw journey from testing dropshipping ideas during university to building a trusted, customer-first business featured on Austria’s Dragons’ Den. Learn how experimentation, failure, and direct conversations with customers shaped his strategy and why he believes slow growth often leads to stronger businesses.Whether you’re a student founder, creative thinker, or someone dreaming of launching something real, this episode offers rare, honest insights from someone who's been in the trenches.Key Takeaways:- Why building a brand without product or inventory actually worked- How customer complaints became a growth strategy- Why storytelling is a powerful startup skill- The truth about scaling physical products as a student- What every founder gets wrong about feedbackTimestamp00:01:51 – Intro00:01:02 – The Student Side-Hustle: Making Money While Sleeping00:06:58 – Juggling University & Business: The Power of Practical Application00:11:18 – The Truth About Dropshipping: Beyond the Hype00:14:52 – Embracing Failure: The 5 Tries to Success00:17:44 – De-Risking the Dream: How to Test a Product Before It Exists00:21:43 – When Disaster Strikes: Leadership Through Crisis00:28:16 – The 97% You're Missing: Learning from Those Who Don't Buy00:30:51 – The Art of Customer Support: Turning Haters into Fans00:37:06 – From Online Ads to National TV: Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone00:44:12 – The Founder's Trap: Separating Your Self-Worth from Your Business00:47:14 – The €500 Startup: How to Start Building a Brand Next Week00:50:30 – The Storytelling Engine: Your Most Powerful Skill00:52:16 – AI as a Tool, Not a Crutch01:01:08 – The Inventor's "Why": Finding Fulfillment in Solving Problems01:08:21 – The Reality of Success: Preparation, Timing, and LuckNino Pérez-SaladoLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nino-pérez-salado-974a17158/Plusgear: https://plusgear.atIG: https://www.instagram.com/plusgear/?hl=enFollow Us:Once upon a Student: https://www.instagram.com/once.uponastudent/ WU Entrepreneurship Center: https://www.wu.ac.at/gruendenMaciej Pajak (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/maciej-ryszard-pajak/📺 Watch more on YouTube: Subscribe for more inspiring conversations!🎥 Video & IT by WUtv