Old School Business
Online Store of Japanese Household Chemicals
LIONvDOM was an e-commerce and retail project dedicated to Japanese household chemicals, centered around the well-known LION brand. I co-founded the company in 2014 and took full responsibility for logistics, fulfillment, and operations. My co-founder led marketing and sales.
Year :
2014 - 2015
Niche :
E-Commerce
Company :
LIONvDOM - My 1st Exit
Duration :
10 months
Problem :
Premium Japanese household products were in demand, but prices were inflated by intermediaries. Our hypothesis: by importing directly from LION and combining e-commerce with lean fulfillment, we could offer top-tier products at unbeatable prices in our market.
Solution :
I built the operational side from zero:
– Set up direct import and customs clearance from Japan
– Launched an online store, internal back office, and a physical retail outlet – all within 3 months
– Created efficient processes to manage SKUs, inventory, and staff
Challenge :
Despite a strong operational launch, our marketing and sales strategy fell short. I disagreed with my co-founder’s positioning and campaign approach, which led to underwhelming traction. The strategic misalignment made it difficult to scale effectively, so I exited the business 10 months in by selling my 50% stake to my partner.
Summary :
– Founded and launched LIONvDOM with full operations up in 3 months
– Proved the viability of direct-import fulfillment for FMCG e-commerce
– Exited the business 10 months in by selling my 50% stake to my partner
This experience taught me that great operations can’t fix poor positioning – and that alignment on go-to-market strategy is just as critical as execution.
More Projects
Old School Business
Online Store of Japanese Household Chemicals
LIONvDOM was an e-commerce and retail project dedicated to Japanese household chemicals, centered around the well-known LION brand. I co-founded the company in 2014 and took full responsibility for logistics, fulfillment, and operations. My co-founder led marketing and sales.
Year :
2014 - 2015
Niche :
E-Commerce
Company :
LIONvDOM - My 1st Exit
Duration :
10 months
Problem :
Premium Japanese household products were in demand, but prices were inflated by intermediaries. Our hypothesis: by importing directly from LION and combining e-commerce with lean fulfillment, we could offer top-tier products at unbeatable prices in our market.
Solution :
I built the operational side from zero:
– Set up direct import and customs clearance from Japan
– Launched an online store, internal back office, and a physical retail outlet – all within 3 months
– Created efficient processes to manage SKUs, inventory, and staff
Challenge :
Despite a strong operational launch, our marketing and sales strategy fell short. I disagreed with my co-founder’s positioning and campaign approach, which led to underwhelming traction. The strategic misalignment made it difficult to scale effectively, so I exited the business 10 months in by selling my 50% stake to my partner.
Summary :
– Founded and launched LIONvDOM with full operations up in 3 months
– Proved the viability of direct-import fulfillment for FMCG e-commerce
– Exited the business 10 months in by selling my 50% stake to my partner
This experience taught me that great operations can’t fix poor positioning – and that alignment on go-to-market strategy is just as critical as execution.
More Projects
Old School Business
Online Store of Japanese Household Chemicals
LIONvDOM was an e-commerce and retail project dedicated to Japanese household chemicals, centered around the well-known LION brand. I co-founded the company in 2014 and took full responsibility for logistics, fulfillment, and operations. My co-founder led marketing and sales.
Year :
2014 - 2015
Niche :
E-Commerce
Company :
LIONvDOM - My 1st Exit
Duration :
10 months
Problem :
Premium Japanese household products were in demand, but prices were inflated by intermediaries. Our hypothesis: by importing directly from LION and combining e-commerce with lean fulfillment, we could offer top-tier products at unbeatable prices in our market.
Solution :
I built the operational side from zero:
– Set up direct import and customs clearance from Japan
– Launched an online store, internal back office, and a physical retail outlet – all within 3 months
– Created efficient processes to manage SKUs, inventory, and staff
Challenge :
Despite a strong operational launch, our marketing and sales strategy fell short. I disagreed with my co-founder’s positioning and campaign approach, which led to underwhelming traction. The strategic misalignment made it difficult to scale effectively, so I exited the business 10 months in by selling my 50% stake to my partner.
Summary :
– Founded and launched LIONvDOM with full operations up in 3 months
– Proved the viability of direct-import fulfillment for FMCG e-commerce
– Exited the business 10 months in by selling my 50% stake to my partner
This experience taught me that great operations can’t fix poor positioning – and that alignment on go-to-market strategy is just as critical as execution.