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How to Build E-commerce Startups with Sramana Mitra
Case Studies Through Conversations with Real World E-commerce Startup Founders on Innovation and Business Model Nuances
- Description
- Curriculum
- FAQ
The 1Mby1M Methodology is based on case studies. In this course, Sramana Mitra shares the tribal knowledge of tech entrepreneurs by giving students the rare seat at the table with the entrepreneurs, investors and thought leaders who provide the most instructive perspectives on how to build a thriving business. Through these conversations, students gain access to case studies exploring the alleys of entrepreneurship. Sramana’s synthesis of key learnings and incisive analysis add great depth to each discussion.
In the post Covid world, e-commerce is growing at a furious pace and it will continue to grow. Today, small merchants no longer open shops on main streets and downtowns. They start e-commerce sites.
This trend is here to stay.
In this course, I want to discuss some of the best practices, talk to a lot of e-commerce entrepreneurs about what’s working and what’s to be replicated, explore some of the trends, and address the common errors.
First, basic startup methodology needs to be learned. I’ve offered numerous courses on Udemy in which this is addressed categorically. Please don’t look for repeats of those in this course.
For example, e-commerce is a very popular category for solo entrepreneurs. You should look in my Solo Entrepreneur course for specifics on that topic. Bootstrapping with a Paycheck is used extensively by e-commerce entrepreneurs. I have a separate course on that topic. Two-sided e-commerce marketplaces have become a very big trend. I cover that elsewhere in a separate course, not in this one.
In this course, we look at how new merchants can start e-commerce ventures. Also, we look at how e-commerce merchants already doing business can grow into larger businesses.
On the latter, I want you to be familiar with my Web 3.0 framework. I really believe that impressive businesses can be built by thinking of e-commerce not as a pure store, but as an integrated web experience. I have covered this topic here in some depth.
On customer acquisition, you will find some overview points but not instructions on how to run Facebook advertising. There are many other places you can learn that, and yes, you do need to learn that to run a successful e-commerce business. The same applies for Google SEO and PPC campaigns. You need to know how to run those.
The notion of Channels is simple: you have to start somewhere. You can start on Shopify, or Amazon, or eBay, or Etsy, or elsewhere. But, you will soon discover that e-commerce today is a multi-channel game. As such, you’d need to understand how to operate on multiple channels simultaneously. That creates complexities such as inventory management, order tracking, etc. There are software systems to manage those issues.
Let’s get going.
The 1Mby1M courses are all heavily based on interview-based case studies on Innovation, Business Models, Go To Market Strategies, Validation Principles, and various other nuances of an entrepreneur’s journey. We offer extensive opportunities for entrepreneurs to learn the lessons from the trenches from successful entrepreneurs who have done it before and Investors who support their ambition.
Niche E-commerce Startups
E-commerce Platforms
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Building Niche E-commerce StartupsWe have tons of case studies to explore the Niche e-commerce topic in depth:
ButcherBox CEO Bootstraps a Perishable Meat Business to Significant Scale
Elite Fixtures CEO Steven Annese on bootstrapping a company in high-end light fixtures
Bootstrapping a Niche e-Commerce Company to $20 Million: iHeartRaves CEO Brian Lim
Bootstrapping a Niche E-Commerce Brand: Big Barker CEO Eric Shannon
Bootstrapping a Niche E-Commerce Business to Exit: Dara Greaney, CEO of BuyAutoParts.com
Bootstrapping a $40M Niche E-Commerce Business: Stroll CEO Dan Roitman
Niche E-Commerce in Textbooks: ClassBook CEO Tony Pfister
Deal Radar: Sheet Music Plus
Deal Radar: ShopForBags.com
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IntelligentLabs Introduction
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IntelligentLabs CEO Rus Hughes on Building a $5M+ E-commerce Business
IntelligentLabs CEO Rus Hughes lives the life of a digital nomad. He started life as a techie, and with a very small team and a co-founder, has built a $5M+ niche e-commerce business selling supplements. Excellent story full of lessons and nuances.
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Solo Entrepreneur to $10M+ Niche E-commerce Success
DoggieLawn Founder Natalie Youn has done a superb job of positioning a niche product and building a great business starting solo.
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Bootstrapping an E-Commerce Startup with Jay Perkins, CEO of Kettlebellkings
There are roll-ups of e-commerce brands going on right now. This case study delves into one such that has exited into a roll-up effort.
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From eBay Seller to $20 Million Revenue Business
Ultra-light startups have become a key trend in the e-commerce world and WatchUWant CEO OJ Whatley’s entrepreneurial journey offers some delightful insights. Selling a product on eBay that was a passion, he went on to build a $20 million business with just 20 employees.
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Mompreneurs
Adding several more case studies as external resources for you to learn from:
Mompreneurs Love to Sell Baby Products
Comment-Selling on Facebook: Smocked Auctions Founders Amy Laws and Nicole Brewer
How An Entrepreneur Couple Bootstrapped to $5M: RuffleButts CEO Amber Schaub and COO Mark Schaub
Building India’s Blue Nile: CaratLane CEO Mithun Sacheti
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Bootstrapping a Niche E-Commerce Venture to $12M: Sawyer Twain CEO Chris Turner
It is very difficult to find gaps in e-commerce these days. Sawyer Twain CEO Chris Turner found one and executed the hell out of it.
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Navigating Through Massive Challenges with Jana Francis, Steals.com
Jana Francis, Founder and President of Steals.com, has experienced significant challenges in building her bootstrapped company from Utah. She candidly discussed these challenges, and her experiences are eye-opening and inspiring. I’m also sharing my 2013 interview with Jana as an external resource.
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Bootstrapping a Niche E-Commerce Company: Modded Euros CEO Sean Dawes
Sean Dawes, Co-founder at Modded Euros, discusses the state of the union in niche e-commerce startups in the shadow of Amazon’s dominance. I’m also sharing the transcript of my previous conversation with Sean as an external resource.
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From Teen Student Entrepreneur in Australia to Global E-commerce Entrepreneur
Spacer CEO Mike Rosenbaum started his journey as a 14-year old student entrepreneur, then built a $20M eBay PowerSeller business. Thereafter, he built a $100M e-commerce business. Today, he’s building a two-sided marketplace business. All from Australia. Wonderful story!
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Bootstrapping From Small Town in Denmark to $12M w/ Sebastian Petersen, TrendHim
What a wonderful story of an e-commerce company bootstrapping to $12 million from a small town called Horsens in Denmark. All 60 of CEO Sebastian Petersen’s employees work out of Horsens currently.
Venture Capital and Credit: Investor Perspectives
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How to Build E-commerce Platforms
The choice of which platform to start on is somewhat specific to what you’re selling.
These case studies are shared as external resources:
A Serial Entrepreneur’s Playbook: ChannelAdvisor CEO Scot Wingo
Thought Leader in E-commerce: Jimmy Duvall, Chief Product Officer of BigCommerce
Thought Leader in E-commerce: Mark Lavelle, CEO of Magento Commerce
Building a Global Software Company From Australia: Bigcommerce Co-Founder Mitch Harper
Thought Leader in E-commerce: Darren Hill, CEO of WebLinc
Child Entrepreneur Kevin Sproles: CEO Of Volusion
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Thought Leader in E-commerce: Solid Commerce CEO Eran Pick
Solid Commerce sits in the middle of the multi-channel e-commerce ecosystem. Read on to learn more about the segment.
Zero-Logistics eCommerce Businesses
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Discussing VC and credit options for e-commerce startups
Funding for e-commerce startups were abundant at one point, but are no longer so. E-commerce, by and large, has become more of a bootstrapped entrepreneurship category.
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From eCommerce to Web 3.0 with Jason Stoffer, Maveron
Jason Stoffer, General Partner at Maveron – a consumer-only venture capital firm that has had a successful track record of investing in e-commerce ventures ranging from eBay, Shutterfly, and Groupon to the more recent Zulily, as well as education ventures – discusses e-commerce opportunities.
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What E-commerce VCs Look For with Gus Tai, Trinity Ventures
Gus Tai, General Partner at Trinity Ventures, discusses their investment thesis around e-commerce over the years – from BlueNile in 1999, to Zulily, Dot and Bo, Callisto Media, and what he anticipates for the future.
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Discussing E-commerce Startup Trends with Daniel Gulati, Forecast Fund
Excellent discussion with Daniel Gulati, Founding Partner at Forecast Fund, on the e-commerce startup trends and what can and cannot be venture financed at this stage, and why. When we spoke in 2017, he was Managing Director at Comcast Ventures.
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Building Consumer Brands in India with Kanwaljit Singh, Fireside Ventures
Kanwaljit Singh is Founder of Fireside Ventures, a fund focused on building consumer brands in India. This is an excellent conversation about the nascent opportunity that, I expect, will be a major, worldwide phenomenon in the coming years.
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Credit with Gina Taylor Cotter, Global Commercial Financing, American Express
Innovations in Financial Technology are flowing from the startup world into the large companies. This excellent conversation gives us a window into how Amex is bringing some of these innovations into their offerings.
Can You Still Compete with Amazon in Niche eCommerce?
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Zero-Logistics E-commerce Businesses
Here are some case studies shared as external resources:
Zero-Logistics eCommerce Businesses Kick Ass
Bootstrapping a Category Leading E-commerce Company: Tony Ellison, CEO of Shoplet
Ultra-light Startup with $6 Million Revenue: Car Part Kings CEO Michael Dash
Bootstrapping to $13 Million in 4 Years in Niche E-commerce: Pavel Sokolovsky, CEO of eComfort.com
Thought Leader in E-commerce: Devin Johnson, CEO of FirstMile
Thought Leader in E-commerce: Eugene Laney, Head of International Trade Affairs at DHL Express
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Thought Leader in E-commerce: Rafael Zakinov, CEO of Ruby Has
Amazon is setting the bar very high for e-commerce merchants in terms of delivery. Read how the industry is responding.
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Thought Leader in E-commerce: Homeroots CEO Gil Bar-Lev
Homeroots CEO Gil Bar-Lev discusses wholesale e-commerce and its complexities. This is an important interview to read for e-commerce retailers who’re looking to buy efficiently, as well as run their businesses in a zero-logistics mode.
Customer Acquisition in E-commerce
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Can You Still Compete with Amazon in Niche eCommerce?
I touched upon the subject of Amazon earlier. The best way to compete with Amazon is to come up with a unique product and sell it on Amazon. Here some case studies to illustrate:
Can You Still Compete with Amazon in Niche eCommerce?
Men’s Fashion E-commerce Entrepreneurs Thriving
Bringing Together Content And Commerce In Men’s Fashion: JackThreads Founder Jason Ross
Building a New Online Fashion Brand: Combatant Gentlemen CEO Vishaal Melwani
Thought Leader in E-commerce: Ethan McAfee, CEO of Amify
100% Bootstrapped 10 Million Dollar E-commerce Company: WaterFilters.Net CEO Jamin Arvig
Thought Leader in E-commerce: Alex McArthur, Chief Marketing Officer of Purple Mattress
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Building a New Niche Brand from New Hampshire: Yogibo CEO Eyal Levy
Eyal Levy, Co-founder and CEO of Yogibo, shares his lessons from the trenches building a niche online-offline brand that started with a set of bean bags. It’s a charming and very informative interview.
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Venture Scale Growth Without Venture Capital with Ricky Joshi, Saatva Mattress
Ricky Joshi, Co-founder at Saatva, shares the story of growing his company from 0 to over $150 million in seven years. This is pretty much venture-scale growth. The best part of the story is that the company has raised no VC money at all. Wonderful conversation about a capital-efficient, deeply disciplined company. I’m also sharing as external resources my two previous interviews with Ricky.
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Artists and Collectors Shift Online Startup Idea
As you may know, I have a special interest in Art, and have observed its dynamics for many years. I have concluded that the time has come for Artists and Collectors to move online and interact in a fluid marketplace. The idea that I discuss here is a Unicorn idea with the potential to become a highly valued company that would achieve a billion dollar plus valuation.
B-to-B E-commerce
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Customer Acquisition in E-commerce
Take a look at the case study interview: Bootstrapping to $10 Million: Coalition Technologies Co-Founder Jordan Brannon. Coalition Technologies is still largely a services company, but also has a few products. It’s a well-managed journey.
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Thought Leader in E-commerce: Tipser CEO Marcus Jacobsson
CEO Marcus Jacobsson’s Tipser is a Swedish company that is turning affiliate marketing on its head! Super interesting conversation.
Custom E-commerce
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B-to-B E-commerce
A vastly underrated category is B-to-B e-commerce. We’re going to look at the LED Light Expert case study in this context and a few more:
Thought Leader in E-commerce: LED Light Expert CEO Dara Greaney
Thought Leaders in E-Commerce: Uppler CEO Grégoire Chauvin
You will also find a lot going on in the 2-sided marketplace course where vertical B-to-B Marketplaces is a major trend.
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Evolution of B2B E-commerce with Ross Elliott, CEO at TrueCommerce
Very interesting interview on how B2B e-commerce is evolving both disintermediation and empowering of intermediaries to be more effective.
Personalization and Artificial Intelligence E-commerce Startups
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Custom E-commerce
A very interesting category of companies have emerged in Custom E-commerce and this is likely to grow in significance. Let’s look at the Shoes of Prey case study. It’s an Australian company that raised money from Sequoia.
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Thought Leader in E-Commerce: Gooten CMO Mark Kapczynski
This conversation takes you on a deep dive into the custom e-commerce world.
Cross-border E-commerce Startups
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Personalization and Artificial Intelligence E-commerce Startups
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Thought Leader in AI: Debjani Deb, CEO of ZineOne
Debjani talks about hyper-personalization use cases based on her company’s customer DNA modeling technology.
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Thought Leader in AI: Blueshift CEO Manyam Mallela
Manyam talks about another variation of the personalized marketing topic that we discussed with Debjani Deb in the previous lecture.
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Thought Leaders in Artificial Intelligence: Cognitive Scale CEO Akshay Sabhikhi
Microsoft, IBM, Google – they’re all building AI engines. Cognitive Scale has carved out a layer above them – a Middleware of sorts – that enables them to flexibly power applications in different categories. This is a very interesting positioning, and a story well worth reading for AI aficionados.
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Thought Leader in Artificial Intelligence: Pavan Sondur, CEO of Unbxd
Unbxd focuses on the trend where manually created rule-based systems are being rapidly replaced by real-time, AI-based, dynamic systems that drive personalization in e-commerce sites.
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Thought Leader in Big Data: Keith Anderson, VP Strategy of Profitero
Price personalization has been touted as the holy grail of e-commerce. This conversation brings to light the state of the union in the domain of price optimization, price intelligence, and price personalization.
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Thought Leader in E-Commerce: Gerrit Kolb, CEO of CoreMedia
You have heard me talk about a vision for Web 3.0. In this interview, we discuss how the systems behind the scene are coming along to make a full Web 3.0 user experience possible.
Experiential Shopping in E-commerce
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Cross-border E-commerce Startups
In addition to the following lectures, here are two case studies worth reading:
Thought Leader in E-commerce: Brian Dhatt, CTO of Borderfree
Building a Cross-Border E-commerce Success Selling to Russia: Bay.Ru CEO Aaron Block
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Cross Border E-commerce in Africa: Mall for Africa CEO Chris Folayan
Here we trace the entrepreneurial journey of Mall for Africa. I’m also including the transcript of this interview and my previous interview with Chris as external resources.
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Thought Leader in E-commerce: Flow Commerce CEO Rob Keve
Cross-border commerce is cumbersome. Rob Keve, CEO of Flow Commerce, explains why, and how he is addressing the issues.
Fashion and E-commerce
Original Product E-commerce
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Aphrodites CEO Jonathan Foltz on Dealing with Major Market Shifts
Aphrodites CEO Jonathan Foltz has had to shepherd his jewelry e-commerce venture through the pandemic first. Then came the Apple iOS battle with Facebook which has rendered small merchants ineffective on the Facebook platforms. Listen to how a scrappy, creative entrepreneur is managing all the curve-balls thrown at him.
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From Student Entrepreneur to a $15M Revenue Ultralight E-commerce Business
Stephanie Madesh, CEO of Kalon Clothing, was a Sophomore in college when she started her venture. Wonderful story of a student entrepreneur growing into a multi-million dollar ultra-light e-commerce business.
What are some ideas to start an e-commerce venture?
Additional Content
How long do I have access to the course materials?
You can view and review the lecture materials indefinitely, like an on-demand channel.
Can I take my courses with me wherever I go?
Definitely! If you have an internet connection, courses on Udemy are available on any device at any time. If you don't have an internet connection, some instructors also let their students download course lectures. That's up to the instructor though, so make sure you get on their good side!
Course details
Video
20 hours
Certificate of Completion
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