How to Build a $25 Million Startup: One Entrepreneur’s 6 Success Principles

Steve Pastor didn’t come from a Silicon Valley startup accelerator. He built his $25 million business the old-fashioned way: with grit and creativity.

Now, the founder and CEO of Kings of Neon is sharing his blueprint to help the next generation of entrepreneurs build bold, profitable businesses of their own.

After selling more than 50,000 custom signs, lighting up brands like Amazon, BMW, YouTube, Visa, Reddit, MGM Grand, and Levi’s, and expanding into four countries with a team of 40, Pastor knows what it takes to create a company that lasts.

And he believes anyone with the right mindset can do the same.

“You don’t have to be born into the right network. You don’t need to wait for permission. You just need the right playbook — and the courage to back yourself,” says Pastor.

Pastor’s own story proves the point – Starting as a worker in a Western Australian diamond mine, he moved through sales jobs, built a DJ business, and spotted an opportunity in neon signage — a sleepy industry he knew could be revolutionised with creativity, technology, and entrepreneurial hustle.

Today, Kings of Neon is on track to exceed $10 million in annual revenue — and is pioneering new ways to help brands stand out, including AI-powered signage tools that allow customers to design custom signs in minutes.

But Pastor’s bigger mission now is to teach others how to create their own success stories.

His entrepreneurial philosophy is built on 6 key principles:

• Master one thing, be dangerous at everything else.
• Cashflow is king — manage it like your life depends on it.
• Hire people who run with you, not behind you.
• Fix problems fast — procrastination kills momentum.
• Stay humble, stay learning, stay building.
• Create a business that funds your dream life — not one that drains it.

“It’s not about chasing the biggest valuation. It’s about creating something real — something you’re proud of. I want to show people that it’s possible — and that they can have a hell of a good time doing it,” Pastor says.

With Kings of Neon continuing to scale, Steve Pastor’s next chapter is clear: Lighting the way for a new generation of brand-builders, creators, and entrepreneurs.

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