Hey Everyone,

This is not the typical MyFirstJob newsletter. In fact, after the last two plus years of doing this, and the 12-week hiatus we’ve been in, I’m not sure I can even write those anymore. 

For those that have been following along, I hope you know that I’ve been building MyFirstJob like you’re “supposed” to; with clean lines, a polished pitch, the perfect deck, the organization, and the structure. But so much time has passed since we started. 

So much has changed. 

And in following that path and trajectory, I lost something important: me.

I lost sight of the side of me that teaches. The side of me that leads. And the side of me that connects. I lost my voice. 

I’m currently on a mission to change that. Starting today, I’m stepping out from behind the curtain in a way I never have before. It’s going to be awkward and uncomfortable, but it’s about time I introduce myself to everyone and make myself available to build and grow this the right way from here.

The Hard Truth

I need help!

I wish I could tell you all that this has been an easy journey. I can’t. Building something like this is super hard. It’s expensive. And most of all, it’s lonely.

From day one, you wear every hat imaginable and even some you didn't know existed: fundraiser, product owner, manager, builder, recruiter, customer service, and marketer.
You send hundreds of passionate and heartfelt messages to people who have the power to help you with a single click, and get nothing but silence back. You never know if it’s because they didn’t see it… or because it wasn’t “interesting enough.” And that’s a brutal place to sit as a founder, no matter how mentally tough you think you are. 

I thought I could muscle this whole thing to the finish line, and I believed my work ethic could carry it all. I was terribly wrong. 

And I’ve made A LOT of mistakes along the way. Big ones.
I did the opposite of what every business book says. I didn’t “build lean.” I built heavy.
I thought if we just built it right, people would come. But this isn’t a movie. And “right” became something we weren’t built for. 

Here’s what you need to know about where we are now and where we’re going in the future:

I didn’t start MyFirstJob because it was easy.
I started it because there’s a gap that no one is fixing. In the three years since I started building it, that still hasn’t changed. 

The Why

There’s a huge disconnect between what schools teach and what teenagers actually need to succeed in the real world. And there’s a huge gap in how employers treat entry-level employees.
Kids aren’t being taught soft skills or given a fair shot. They’re not getting the tools to actually get that first job — or to thrive once they have it.

Yes, MyFirstJob is an educational app. Yes, it’s a job-matching platform.
But the heart of it? It’s about giving teenagers and students a voice.

A place to say:
I’m ready for the world. I want you to see me.

It’s also about pushing back on a system that underestimates them.
It’s nonsense that they don’t notice you.
It’s nonsense that they think you’re replaceable.

We know more than we’re given credit for.
We’re ready to learn, to work, to take over the jobs and businesses of tomorrow.

I built this because, when I was 15, I knew my potential,  but I didn’t get the shot.
I was undersized. Coaches overlooked me. I hadn’t hit puberty yet, so girls overlooked me, too. I didn’t fit the “box” people wanted to see. And because of that, I had to wait years before anyone gave me a real opportunity.

I don’t want today’s teenagers to wait…because tomorrow needs them now more than ever. 

Where We’re At

Here’s the reality:

• The app is live on iOS, Android, and web. Here is the link to the webapp. You can find it on the mobile stores by searching MyFirstJob.
  

• All major functions and features work — but it’s not perfect. There are bugs. And it’s an ecosystem so it needs users from all sides to work the way it was intended and built to.
  

• The biggest problem right now? Jobs. Employers don’t want to post without more students, and students don’t want to sign up without more jobs. The classic chicken-and-egg problem.

  • The second biggest problem? Upgrading the system and integrating more AI features. To be blunt, I need a technical co-founder - someone who understands the code and can make changes and updates better than I can (this has proved nearly impossible to find for 3 years).
    

I am actively working to integrate AI tutors, coaches, and even agents. I’m also working on pulling in entry-level jobs from job boards through APIs so the system feels alive while we work on building organic employer connections (this part takes a ton of time). That means reworking our matching algorithms and making sure the jobs fit the mission.

We’re also quietly testing a new video-chat coaching feature so I can work directly with teens and parents one-on-one.

Why I Can Help

For 23 years, I’ve been in the trenches:

• Restaurant Owner: 3x D.P. Dough calzone franchises (opened and exited). 3x Cold Stone Creamery stores and 1x food truck in Colorado (scaled and exited), hiring and managing 45–100 young employees at a time.
  

• Hospitality Management: At La Quinta, I traveled extensively throughout the Southeast, transitioning properties, hiring, and training housekeeping teams for hotel turnarounds.
  

• Sports Travel Director: At Rush Soccer, I handled travel logistics for 34,000+ teenagers worldwide.
  

• Coach: Years of youth basketball coaching (5th and 6th graders), teaching not just skills but confidence, teamwork, and leadership.
  

I’ve hired, trained, and mentored hundreds of teenagers and students. I know what it takes to take someone from “no experience” to confident, capable, and employable.

And I love it. This isn’t just a business idea for me. It’s my calling.

The Ask

I can’t do this alone anymore. I don’t want to.

You’re reading this because you care about this mission, or because you care about someone who could benefit from it. And I need you to be with me in this.

Hit reply to this email and tell me:

• What do you need from us?
  

• What does your teen need?
  

• What do you wish someone had taught you before your first job?
  

I’ll read and respond to every reply.

We have 230 users in the app and 630 people on this newsletter. That’s not small. That’s a starting lineup. And if we move together, we can make this into something that changes lives.

The Promise

The runway is short. The road is tough. But I’m not quitting.
Not now. Not ever.

Thank you for sticking with me through the messy parts, for giving me the grace to learn as I go, and for believing in something that’s bigger than all of us.

This is just the beginning.

Let’s make it count.

Josh
Founder, MyFirstJob