Kaeda
Mechanical keyboard business
September 2024 – September 2025
Kaeda was a mechanical keyboard building and consulting business I started when I was 13. I worked directly with customers to help them choose and customize keyboards around their preferences, ergonomics, and workflow.
What started as an interest in mechanical keyboards became my first real attempt at building something people were willing to pay for.
What I did
I handled most parts of the business myself, including talking with customers, recommending components, sourcing products, pricing builds, selling, fulfillment, and building the website.
A big part of the work was understanding what each customer actually wanted and putting together a keyboard that fit their needs rather than just recommending the same setup to everyone.
The results
In its first eight months, Kaeda generated more than $4,000 in revenue, served more than 30 customers, and received more than 200 website visits in its first month.
Kaeda received a $1,000 grant through the Forge Fellowship, founded by Anand Sanwal, founder of CB Insights.
Kaeda was also featured on the Future Titans podcast, where I shared how I started the business at 13, found my first customers, and turned an interest in mechanical keyboards into a real business.
What I learned
Kaeda taught me how different running a real business is from simply having an idea. I had to find customers, communicate clearly, price what I was selling, deliver what I promised, and adjust based on actual feedback.
More than anything, it gave me my first experience taking something I was interested in and turning it into a business with real customers and revenue.