Natalie Kaminski, co-founder of JetRockets, joins Sunny Ray to trace a path that began when she arrived in the United States at 18 with $500 in 1998. She describes landing her first programming job during the Y2K era by projecting confidence, then teaching herself the work in a library to finish a date-conversion project. After 11 years in corporate software, the birth of her first child pushed her to freelance as a product designer, and a small New York investment firm project became the first JetRockets build. Kaminski explains how AI has shifted the company's role toward helping founders whose vibe-coded products struggle to scale. She also shares candidly about growing from 15 to 75 people during COVID, ignoring shrinking margins, and realizing in 2023 that a smaller company suited her and her co-founders better. She recounts firing an abusive high-paying client and describes the founders' guiding question of what kind of company they want to work for. Finally, she introduces OneTribe, a leave management tool for distributed teams that began as an internal product.
She arrived in America at 18 with $500, faked her way into tech, and built JetRockets by choosing a smaller, happier company over a big one.
What is JetRockets and what problem does it solve today?
JetRockets is a software development company. We used to be the partner for launching your MVP, and that hasn't changed. But with AI, anyone can launch a first version now, so we often come in later, when the product won't scale, is hard to maintain, or can't add features. We launch, build, maintain and grow tech platforms.
Is AI making it easier for anyone to build software, and where does that break down?
I see AI as a multiplier of skill. If you have the skill, it's fantastic. If you don't, it can give you something that looks professional but you can't verify it. Vibe-coding internal workflows is great automation. The trouble starts when people try to sell it as SaaS. That's when you need professionals.
What was your first year in the US like at 18 with $500?
It was 1998, during Y2K, and getting an IT job was easy because money was abundant. I saw programmers living well and wanted that. I interviewed with a fake it till you make it attitude and got hired. Then I spent about 20 hours a day at the library teaching myself. The assignment took six months.
How did JetRockets begin?
After 11 years in corporate, I had my first child and wanted to be present, so I started freelancing as a product designer. A small New York investment firm liked my design and asked me to build it. I said of course, found developers online, and that became our first JetRockets project.
When did you notice margins shrinking while revenue climbed?
During COVID we grew from 15 to 25 to 50 to 75 people. I was excited and ego was involved. I saw red flags with my CFO but told myself it was growth pain. The real realization came around 2023, when we were closing the books and asked whether it was worth it.
Tell me about a client you walked away from.
We've walked away from several. One well-paying client became almost abusive to my employees, with unrealistic expectations and toxic communication. I tried to course correct, but it always ended with I'm the client. Money wasn't worth burned-out people, so I ended the relationship on a call.
How do you and your co-founders decide the company's direction?
Our north star since the founding has been asking what kind of company we want to work for. Every decision goes through that filter. We practiced radical honesty and chose a company where things feel easy and simple and let us enjoy our lives, rather than a huge company that's cool to talk about.
What is OneTribe and what's next for it?
OneTribe is a leave management system for distributed, remote-first global teams. We built it internally because we couldn't find a tool with just the features we needed. After using it for three or four years, we launched it as a separate SaaS. We have paying clients and will keep evolving it.
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