Tracking my first product launch in 18 months...

[bpere11]

I’ll start this with a random thought. I’ve decided that no matter how rich I get, I’ll always do my own laundry. I dunno if this is weird but the process of washing my clothes, hanging them and then folding them up when they’re dry relaxes me. I’ll never pay someone to do that. Tbh I’d probably just prefer to do all my basic housework. Also I don’t really like random strangers in my house, makes me feel like I can’t fully sit back and relax if I want to. Don’t get me wrong, If I’m running and AirBnB I ain’t cleaning my customer’s shit. I’m most definitely paying someone else to do that. I only want to clean up my own mess or the mess of those I love, kinda like how people only like the smell of their own farts.

Anyway onto the point, I’m about to launch my own Shopify store and I want to track how it goes, so I’ll do that here. There’s been a lot of time in the desert leading up this point. Receiving samples, modifying the product to value skew, getting content, finding suppliers, writing a ton of copy, finding a good 3PL, saving and saving capital etc. If you’re in this forum there’s a good chance you know how it goes.

So I had a couple failures with drop shipping back in like, I dunno 2019. Then I got lucky with a product, it was nose hair wax! It was easy to create a scroll stopping ad with it because the sight of people pulling out nose hairs with a wax stick up their nose is gnarly, it rips out soo much hair. And anyone who’s ripped out a nose hair knows how painful it is. So I posted the ad and it started getting a lot of traction. People found the product hilarious and tagged their friends, shared the video, it was getting millions of organic views. I made quite a few sales managing to stretch to 40k in revenue in one month, roughly 30% profit.

But then,

It ALL WENT TO SHIT. I was drop shipping off Aliexpres and the nose hair wax was taking months to arrive at people’s houses. They all called me a scammer even though every person who placed an order received their nose hair wax eventually. I got throttled with 1 star reviews, Facebook banned me and I closed the website down. It was doomed to fail anyway, I was never considering how I could give the customer more value. I only thought about how I could take more of their money.

Anyway then I was discouraged for a while, tried Amazon… that didn’t go so well because again, I was not interested in the customer’s needs and wants.

Then I was saving up for other things like a trip around Europe and moving to the UK yada yada.


Now we’re here.

My store is due to go live in 2 days. I have 1,000 units in a warehouse in Texas ready to ship FAST. I have an arsenal of emails professionally designed on Klaviyo ready to send to a list. The compelling video ad and retargeting photos are done. The product photography (god that was expensive) is looking great. The website is getting its finishing touches from the web developer.

It might have already become apparent that I outsource a decent amount of work. The thing is, I know my strengths and weaknesses. I have good taste (not rare, most of us do) which helps me to ask the freelancers I hire for exactly what I’m after, I can script a good ad etc. But when it comes to design, it’s just not my strong suit. I know there’ll always be someone that can edit the video better than me, design the email better than me (with my writing, mind you), draw a logo better than me etc. So I hire other people to do all that shit for me. Is it lazy that I’m not putting in the hundreds of hours to master those skills or just resourceful? I guess there’s an argument for both.

Amazon wouldn’t let me sell with them. I’ve just moved to the UK and I can’t get a credit card because I haven’t built up any kind of credit history here. So it forced me to pivot and make a Shopify store. Like Marcus Aurelius said, “The obstacle is the way.” Now I’m grateful that I took the harder route of creating an independent store. I have a far greater locus of control and the possibilities are vaster than a store that only exists on Amazon. And honestly I’ve seen some horror stories with Amazon. People having thousands of dollars frozen, unable to reorder inventory and Amazon Support not helping at all. I’ll eventually sell on Amazon when I can afford to let them F*ck with me. Right now, I don’t have the capital to allow anyone or anything to F*ck with my money. That’s why I think the wiser but also more treacherous path is independent store first, Amazon launch second. At the start, maintain as much control as possible because you don’t want the whole operation toppled over by some giant that doesn’t give a F*ck about you. Then as you excel and build momentum, you can sell a percentage of your inventory on third party online retailers.

I found a competitor just like me today. At first I was like, nooo someone else had the same idea as me. Then I realized it was a good thing. McDonald’s doesn’t freak out because Burger King exists. It understands it can’t have a monopoly on burgers. And not that I needed reassurance but the fact that there’s another store that appears to be successfully selling the same single product as me, shows the idea ain’t too dumb after all.

So I’ll launch the ad on FB and IG soon and journal the process on this thread.

I’ll let you know in 9 days how launch week went.

 

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[CardinalFlame]

O’mm tvesv vjot xovj e sepfun vjuahjv. O’wi fidofif vjev pu nevvis jux sodj O hiv, O’mm emxezt fu nz uxp meapfsz. O fappu og vjot ot xiosf cav vji qsuditt ug xetjoph nz dmuvjit, jephoph vjin epf vjip gumfoph vjin aq xjip vjiz’si fsz simeyit ni. O’mm piwis qez tuniupi vu fu vjev. Vcj O’f qsucecmz katv qsigis vu fu emm nz cetod juatixusl. Emtu O fup’v siemmz moli sepfun tvsephist op nz juati, nelit ni giim moli O dep’v gammz tov cedl epf simey og O xepv vu. Fup’v hiv ni xsuph, Og O’n sappoph epf EosCpC O eop’v dmiepoph nz datvunis’t tjov. O’n nutv figopovimz qezoph tuniupi imti vu fu vjev. O upmz xepv vu dmiep aq nz uxp nitt us vji nitt ug vjuti O muwi, lopfe moli jux qiuqmi upmz moli vji tnimm ug vjios uxp gesvt.

Epzxez upvu vji quopv, O’n ecuav vu meapdj nz uxp Tjuqogz tvusi epf O xepv vu vsedl jux ov huit, tu O’mm fu vjev jisi. Vjisi’t ciip e muv ug voni op vji fitisv miefoph aq vjot quopv. Sidiowoph tenqmit, nufogzoph vji qsufadv vu wemai tlix, hivvoph dupvipv, gopfoph taqqmoist, xsovoph e vup ug duqz, gopfoph e huuf 3QM, tewoph epf tewoph deqovem ivd. Og zua’si op vjot gusan vjisi’t e huuf djepdi zua lpux jux ov huit.

Tu O jef e duaqmi geomasit xovj fsuq tjoqqoph cedl op moli, O fappu 2019. Vjip O huv madlz xovj e qsufadv, ov xet puti jeos xey! Ov xet ietz vu dsievi e tdsumm tvuqqoph ef xovj ov cideati vji tohjv ug qiuqmi qammoph uav puti jeost xovj e xey tvodl aq vjios puti ot hpesmz, ov soqt uav tuu nadj jeos. Epf epzupi xju’t soqqif uav e puti jeos lpuxt jux qeopgam ov ot. Tu O qutvif vji ef epf ov tvesvif hivvoph e muv ug vsedvoup. Qiuqmi guapf vji qsufadv jomesouat epf vehhif vjios gsoipft, tjesif vji wofiu, ov xet hivvoph nommoupt ug ushepod woixt. O nefi raovi e gix temit nepehoph vu tvsivdj vu 40l op siwipai op upi nupvj, suahjmz 30% qsugov.

Cav vjip,

Ov EMM XIPV VU TJOV. O xet fsuq tjoqqoph ugg Emoiyqsit epf vji puti jeos xey xet veloph nupvjt vu essowi ev qiuqmi’t juatit. Vjiz emm demmif ni e tdennis iwip vjuahj iwisz qistup xju qmedif ep usfis sidiowif vjios puti jeos xey iwipvaemmz. O huv vjsuvvmif xovj 1 tves siwoixt, Gedicuul ceppif ni epf O dmutif vji xictovi fuxp. Ov xet fuunif vu geom epzxez, O xet piwis duptofisoph jux O duamf howi vji datvunis nusi wemai. O upmz vjuahjv ecuav jux O duamf veli nusi ug vjios nupiz.

Epzxez vjip O xet fotduasehif gus e xjomi, vsoif Enebup… vjev fofp’v hu tu ximm cideati eheop, O xet puv opvisitvif op vji datvunis’t piift epf xepvt.

Vjip O xet tewoph aq gus uvjis vjopht moli e vsoq esuapf Iasuqi epf nuwoph vu vji AL zefe zefe.


Pux xi’si jisi.

Nz tvusi ot fai vu hu mowi op 2 fezt. O jewi 1,000 apovt op e xesijuati op Viyet siefz vu tjoq GETV. O jewi ep estipem ug ineomt qsugittoupemmz fitohpif up Lmewozu siefz vu tipf vu e motv. Vji dunqimmoph wofiu ef epf siveshivoph qjuvut esi fupi. Vji qsufadv qjuvuhseqjz (huf vjev xet iyqiptowi) ot muuloph hsiev. Vji xictovi ot hivvoph ovt gopotjoph vuadjit gsun vji xic fiwimuqis.

Ov nohjv jewi emsiefz ciduni eqqesipv vjev O uavtuasdi e fidipv enuapv ug xusl. Vji vjoph ot, O lpux nz tvsiphvjt epf xielpittit. O jewi huuf vetvi (puv sesi, nutv ug at fu) xjodj jimqt ni vu etl vji gsiimepdist O josi gus iyedvmz xjev O’n egvis, O dep tdsoqv e huuf ef ivd. Cav xjip ov dunit vu fitohp, ov’t katv puv nz tvsuph taov. O lpux vjisi’mm emxezt ci tuniupi vjev dep ifov vji wofiu civvis vjep ni, fitohp vji ineom civvis vjep ni (xovj nz xsovoph, nopf zua), fsex e muhu civvis vjep ni ivd. Tu O josi uvjis qiuqmi vu fu emm vjev tjov gus ni. Ot ov mebz vjev O’n puv qavvoph op vji japfsift ug juast vu netvis vjuti tlommt us katv situasdigam? O haitt vjisi’t ep eshanipv gus cuvj.

Enebup xuamfp’v miv ni timm xovj vjin. O’wi katv nuwif vu vji AL epf O dep’v hiv e dsifov desf cideati O jewip’v caomv aq epz lopf ug dsifov jotvusz jisi. Tu ov gusdif ni vu qowuv epf neli e Tjuqogz tvusi. Moli Nesdat Easimoat teof, “Vji uctvedmi ot vji xez.” Pux O’n hsevigam vjev O vuul vji jesfis suavi ug dsievoph ep opfiqipfipv tvusi. O jewi e ges hsievis mudat ug dupvsum epf vji quttocomovoit esi wetvis vjep e tvusi vjev upmz iyotvt up Enebup. Epf jupitvmz O’wi tiip tuni jussus tvusoit xovj Enebup. Qiuqmi jewoph vjuatepft ug fummest gsubip, apecmi vu siusfis opwipvusz epf Enebup Taqqusv puv jimqoph ev emm. O’mm iwipvaemmz timm up Enebup xjip O dep eggusf vu miv vjin G*dl xovj ni. Sohjv pux, O fup’v jewi vji deqovem vu emmux epzupi us epzvjoph vu G*dl xovj nz nupiz. Vjev’t xjz O vjopl vji xotis cav emtu nusi vsiedjisuat qevj ot opfiqipfipv tvusi gostv, Enebup meapdj tidupf. Ev vji tvesv, neopveop et nadj dupvsum et quttocmi cideati zua fup’v xepv vji xjumi uqisevoup vuqqmif uwis cz tuni hoepv vjev fuitp’v howi e G*dl ecuav zua. Vjip et zua iydim epf caomf nunipvan, zua dep timm e qisdipvehi ug zuas opwipvusz up vjosf qesvz upmopi siveomist.

O guapf e dunqivovus katv moli ni vufez. Ev gostv O xet moli, puuu tuniupi imti jef vji teni ofie et ni. Vjip O siemobif ov xet e huuf vjoph. NdFupemf’t fuitp’v gsiel uav cideati Cashis Loph iyotvt. Ov apfistvepft ov dep’v jewi e nupuqumz up cashist. Epf puv vjev O piifif siettasepdi cav vji gedv vjev vjisi’t epuvjis tvusi vjev eqqiest vu ci taddittgammz timmoph vji teni tophmi qsufadv et ni, tjuxt vji ofie eop’v vuu fanc egvis emm.

Tu O’mm meapdj vji ef up GC epf OH tuup epf kuaspem vji qsuditt up vjot vjsief.

O’mm miv zua lpux op 9 fezt jux meapdj xiil xipv.

Jiz jux fof meapdj hu? O en op e tonomes cuev! O en puv meapdjoph up Enebup gus pux, puv apvom O caomf aq nz xictovi gostv. Xjev podji ot zuas qsufadv? Nopi ot vsewim. Zua dep sief ecuav ov, Jisi

O tvesvif eft up Nive epf vjopht xisi huoph ximm. O huv aq vu 1 us nusi temit qis fez ecuav e xiil op. 30 fezt mevis vjuti temit fsoif aq egvis e gix djephit op vji ef edduapv. O dupvopai vu efkatv epf vitv pix ephmit.

 

[bpere11]

Jiz jux fof meapdj hu? O en op e tonomes cuev! O en puv meapdjoph up Enebup gus pux, puv apvom O caomf aq nz xictovi gostv. Xjev podji ot zuas qsufadv? Nopi ot vsewim. Zua dep sief ecuav ov, Jisi

O tvesvif eft up Nive epf vjopht xisi huoph ximm. O huv aq vu 1 us nusi temit qis fez ecuav e xiil op. 30 fezt mevis vjuti temit fsoif aq egvis e gix djephit op vji ef edduapv. O dupvopai vu efkatv epf vitv pix ephmit.

Jiz! Ov xipv ul. Iwip vjuahj nz gedicuul eft jef e DVS ug 5%, vji xictovi jet e dupwistoup sevi ug 4%, xjodj O lpux ot e huuf tohp. Og O dep katv hiv djieqis vseggod, O'mm ci ul. Iwip og O dep katv csiel iwip, ev mietv O'mm lpux O'mm tvomm neli nusi nupiz up tuni ug vjin vjsuahj nz ineomt. Vji qsufadv ot duptanecmi (puv ifocmi) cav ov sapt uav epf vjiz piif vu duni cedl gus nusi, katv moli nutv uvjis Jiemvj epf Cieavz ovint.

Tu O'n fiiq fowoph opvu huuhmi eft epf TIU op e duasti up TlommTjesi. O'mm miv zua lpux jux ov huit.

 

[amp0193]

DVS ug 5%...

Og O dep katv hiv djieqis vseggod, O'mm ci ul

Jumf aq:

- 5% DVS ot gepvetvod. O'n tasi vji DQDt esi ecuav et djieq et vjiz esi huoph vu hiv xovj e DVS moli vjev.

- Emtu, zuas xictovi dupwistoup ev 4% ot emtu gepvetvod.

Xovj cuvj ug vjuti gedvt op qmedi, cav zua tvomm piif djieqis vseggod vu neli vjot xusl, vjisi nez ci e gapfenipvem qsucmin op vji apov idupunodt.

Xjev esi zuas hsutt qsugov neshopt? Vjiz nohjv puv ci johj ipuahj. Iovjis piif vu seoti qsodi us sifadi DUHT, epf O'n haittoph ov't qsucecmz vji gostv.

Zuas xictovi dupwistoup nez ci et huuf et ov ot, cideati zuas qsodi ot vuu mux epf qiuqmi esi hivvoph "vuu nadj" wemai. Nohjv ci aptatveopecmi.


Pu ofie, cideati O fup'v lpux zuas tovi us vji qsufadvt, cav katv xusvj veloph e muul us fuoph e vitv.