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- Scaling Challenges and New Beginnings - Lessons from Rapitpro and Tween and Tykes
Scaling Challenges and New Beginnings - Lessons from Rapitpro and Tween and Tykes
Scaling Challenges and New Beginnings
Hey Everyone,
Welcome to the 5th episode of my newsletter!
Things are going well at Rapitpro—revenue is strong, and orders are coming in steadily. But as I look at our growth, one challenge keeps coming up: scale. Our market segment in e-commerce is limited, and scaling up would require a lot of financial investment. As the saying goes, "Scale without profitability is just a scam."
This got me thinking about starting something new alongside Rapitpro. I was looking for a business that checks all the right boxes:
High Market Demand - A growing market with lots of potential.
Consistent Buying Potential -Customers who keep coming back.
Significant Total Addressable Market (TAM) - A market with room to expand.
Multiple Revenue Streams - Diverse income sources to reduce risk.
Evergreen Demand - Products or services that are always in demand.
Ease of Automation and Scalability - A model that can grow smoothly and efficiently.
These were the things I felt were missing in Rapitpro, so I decided to address them in a new venture. I chose the kids' market and came up with a brand called "Tween and Tykes." This wasn’t just another store; it was a multi-vendor marketplace for kids, offering a parenting community, wellness and health products, kids' fashion and accessories, toys, books, and more.
I partnered with parenting coaches, doctors, mom influencers, and various product vendors and suppliers to bring this to life. It took me three months to gather all the details and build these connections.
In the meantime, I focused on creating content and building brand credibility for Tween and Tykes.
"Create content before you start a business; build your brand's voice and connect with your audience before you even open your doors."
With my previous experience, I started developing the first version of the marketplace using Shopify. Everything was planned, and I officially launched the platform in November 2022.
But things didn’t go as expected. Within three months of the launch, I had to close the platform. Why? Because I depended too much on others and lacked domain expertise. I didn’t fully understand the pain points of my audience. I realized I started this venture with the wrong mindset—chasing money rather than solving real problems.
This journey taught me two important lessons:
Don’t chase the money. Focus on solving real problems, and the money will follow.
Don’t start a business just because it’s trendy or in demand. Start something you’re passionate about and knowledgeable in.
As Steve Jobs said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” This rings true more than ever.
That’s it for this newsletter. Stay tuned for more updates in the next one!
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