Patrick Frank, a native of San Diego, California, ventured into the corporate rat race right out of college. “I was fired from every single job I ever had,” he recalls with a smile. “That is what prompted me to co-found Float Factory with my brother Tommy and explore the world of startups. We wanted to create something anti-corporate and pro-fun — basically the perfect startup business model for us.”
How Float Factory’s founders became entrepreneurs
Patrick and his brother, Tommy Frank, launched their first startup in healthcare. “We enjoyed the challenge,” Patrick recalls, “so during that time, we decided to do something fun to keep our heads in the right place. We’ve been best friends since we were kids and needed something that could take us back to those simpler days.”
That desire was the birth of Float Factory, a company now on a mission to make the world’s craziest inflatable water toys. “The idea came to us at a friend’s bachelor camping party on the lake,” Patrick says. “There we were — a bunch of guys floating around on inflatable unicorns, swans, and pizza slices. Somehow, the reality of floating around on the water didn’t seem quite as exciting as it had in the invitations.”
The next day, the Frank brothers were goofing off with some toy tanks in their tent, and inspiration struck. “We both agreed that tanks would make much cooler floats,” recalls Patrick. “We spent the entire day dreaming up crazy floats that had some built-in element of action.”
Float Factory rises to the top with rapid success
Float Factory’s first product launch was the Pool Punisher Collection, a line of military-style tanks sporting heavy-duty water cannons that pump water straight from the pool to soak friends up to 30 feet away. Following the Pool Punisher’s success, other products followed with two common traits: they are a ridiculous amount of fun, and they do a lot more than just float.
Since its launch in 2021, the startup logged over $1 million in sales and sold over 10,000 units.
This year, Float Factory is partnering with some of the most well-known brands in Formula One racing to promote its Fast Collection of floats. “The Netflix series ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ is causing a lot of buzz, and there are Formula 1 events in Vegas, Austin, and Miami throughout the year,” Patrick remarks. “We were determined to bring the racecar experience to the water. Our inflatable cars are based on iconic racing teams, equipped with multi-directional steering, zip around the lake or pool, and haul two drivers at once.”
The good problem of rapid expansion is still problematic
Patrick and Tommy Frank will be the first ones to mention how their early days with Float Factory were no tranquil ride on a lazy river. After all, they had two rapidly expanding startups to handle.
“We designed action-packed floats during our off-hours,” says Patrick. “I remember sitting in our office until three or four in the morning to hammer out Float Factory details.”
The brothers discovered even super-fun startups are challenging to launch. CEOs and founders have to make tough calls, and there is no crystal ball when it comes to finding out whether an idea will sink or swim.
The Frank Brothers’ thoughts on their entrepreneurial journey
Although the path to entrepreneurial success is rocky, Patrick wouldn’t have it any other way, as the number-one thing he and his brother value most today is their freedom.
“Every day, I talk to people in salary jobs looking for a way out,” he says. “They’re looking for a chance to express their creativity and to find freedom. As an entrepreneur myself, I find that creativity is freedom, and that is the most thrilling part of this journey.”
To the Frank brothers, being a successful entrepreneur means doing things that other people are afraid to do. They see a market repeatedly churning out the same products with a fresh coat of paint.
“We like to challenge ourselves to get so far off the well-worn path that people can’t help taking a look,” Patrick explains. “When we launch new products or marketing initiatives, we put ourselves out there and try the things no one else is trying. When things go great, we own our wins, and when things flop, we own our mistakes and learn.”
Both Patrick and Tommy agree that the formula for success involves inertia. To aspiring entrepreneurs, their best advice is to stop analyzing and take action.
“It’s easy to get stuck inside your head rather than going with your gut,” Patrick says. “At the end of the day, you’ll never succeed if you can’t just do it. But once you get the ball rolling, you’ll find it knocks most of your problems out of the way. You can’t create if you don’t have momentum, so get out there and take that first step!”
