Validating B-to-C Business Ideas and Building to $40M Run Rate: Shaunak Amin, CEO of SnackMagic (Part 5)

Sramana Mitra: What happened in 2020 when the pandemic hit?

Shaunak Amin: At that time, we had two hubs. We had plans to open up five more. Then in March, nobody was in office. That business went to zero overnight. It was unfortunate. I remember it was the second week of March. We said we are going to take a pause. We all went home. We were thinking we’ll come back in a few weeks. By the second week, we realized that this is going to be longer.

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From Teen Student Entrepreneur in Australia to a Mature Global E-commerce Entrepreneur: Mike Rosenbaum, CEO of Spacer (Part 3)

Sramana Mitra: What about customer acquisition? When you’re selling on eBay, eBay provides the foot traffic.

Mike Rosenbaum: It was the early days of e-commerce. There was a much smaller number of people shopping online. We had built this large database off eBay which we used to sell direct. We would send emails to them. Initially it was one email a week. Then it was two. Eventually it became one a day.

November 18 – 554th 1Mby1M Mentoring Roundtable for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are invited to the 554thd FREE online 1Mby1M Mentoring Roundtable on Thursday, November 18, 2021, at 8 a.m. PST/11 a.m. EST/5 p.m. CET/9:30 p.m. India IST.

If you are a serious entrepreneur, register to “pitch” and sell your business idea. You’ll receive straightforward feedback, advice on next steps, and answers to any of your questions. Others can register to “attend” to watch, learn, and interact through the online chat.

You can learn more here and register to pitch or attend here. Register and you will receive the recording by email, even if you are unable to attend. Please share with any entrepreneurs in your circle who may be interested. All are welcome!

Video FAQs

Validating B-to-C Business Ideas and Building to $40M Run Rate: Shaunak Amin, CEO of SnackMagic (Part 4)

Sramana Mitra: Customer acquisition was all Facebook ads?

Shaunak Amin: Initially it was. We built the waitlist using Facebook ads. Then when we launched, the whole idea of group ordering means that there’s some virality in the product itself. We had this concept where one person could share a link. Those other people could become customers. Just to remind you, it was still centered around dinner at that time. There was no lunch. We launched, but the business wasn’t growing the way I’d like. It didn’t make sense for me.

From Teen Student Entrepreneur in Australia to a Mature Global E-commerce Entrepreneur: Mike Rosenbaum, CEO of Spacer (Part 2)

Sramana Mitra: What was your business model? They gave you inventory on consignment and you sold it on eBay. What percentage did you take?

Mike Rosenbaum: I think it was about 15%. We’re talking about high-value goods. Our average item was a couple of thousand dollars. 

Sramana Mitra: It was a substantial transaction size. You said you grew that to about $20 million in four years.

9 Udemy Courses on How to Raise Pre-Series A Startup Funding

If you’ve never sought money for a startup, you may not be aware of how difficult it is. I know it first-hand, and thousands of entrepreneurs that I’ve advised throughout our 1Mby1M Accelerator would tell you the same.

That’s why we are committed to educating each founder about how investors think. We do not want anyone to waste their time or the time of others. We are firm believers in minimizing waste at all levels.

553rd Roundtable For Entrepreneurs Starting NOW: Live Tweeting By @1Mby1M

Today’s 553rd FREE online 1Mby1M Roundtable For Entrepreneurs is starting NOW, on Thursday, November 11, at 8 a.m. PST/11 a.m. EST/5 p.m. CET/9:30 p.m. India IST. Click HERE to join. PASSWORD: startup  All are welcome!

553rd Roundtable For Entrepreneurs Starting In 20 Minutes: Live Tweeting By @1Mby1M

Today’s 553rd FREE online 1Mby1M Roundtable For Entrepreneurs is starting in 20 minutes, on Thursday, November 11, at 8 a.m. PST/11 a.m. EST/5 p.m. CET/9:30 p.m. India IST. Click HERE to join. PASSWORD: startup  All are welcome!