---
title: 'Catching up with AJ Weinzettel, founder of Block 55'
date: '2025-12-04T12:31:27-08:00'
type: post
word_count: 275
char_count: 1720
tokens: 358
categories:
  - Portland
---

# Catching up with AJ Weinzettel, founder of Block 55

Today, we’re chatting with AJ Weinzettel, founder of Block 55, about chipping away at a startup idea, taking feedback from users, and continually refining your startup idea.

- [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuWVAzOGXVc&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd4Z4DbHmR1Fa4XxFsxx-fcK&index=1) Startup stories cold open
- [00:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuWVAzOGXVc&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd4Z4DbHmR1Fa4XxFsxx-fcK&index=1&t=15s) What does your startup do?
- [00:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuWVAzOGXVc&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd4Z4DbHmR1Fa4XxFsxx-fcK&index=1&t=50s) What inspired you to work on this problem?
- [04:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuWVAzOGXVc&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd4Z4DbHmR1Fa4XxFsxx-fcK&index=1&t=279s) What’s one piece of advice you’d give to startup founders?
- [05:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuWVAzOGXVc&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd4Z4DbHmR1Fa4XxFsxx-fcK&index=1&t=348s) What’s one resource you can’t live without?
- [07:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuWVAzOGXVc&list=PLr9gWRSfZqd4Z4DbHmR1Fa4XxFsxx-fcK&index=1&t=450s) How can we be helpful?

In 2019, I decided to start writing about wineries. Not just any writing—deep, thoughtful 1,500 to 2,500-word newsletters about individual wineries. Each week, I would dive into the story of a single winery, exploring their history, their craft, and what made them special.

What started as a passion project quickly became something more. I was building relationships with winery owners, tasting room managers, and winemakers across the country. These weren’t business relationships—they were genuine connections built on shared appreciation for the craft of winemaking.

[https://block55.app](https://block55.app/)