Quit my job out of frustration. Trying to build something of my own now.
After a lot of job frustration, I finally quit. No dramatic success story yet, just decided to struggle in a direction that feels like mine.
I’ve always been a very crafty person who loves working with wax, clay, textures and fluids... I’ve now turned it into a pure soy wax scented candle & gifting brand, with the goal of building it as a D2C brand.
I’m learning everything from scratch... product, sourcing, packaging, pricing, marketing, all of it. Some days are exciting, some days terrifying, but at least it feels honest.
If anyone here is already building or has built a D2C brand, I’d genuinely love to connect, learn from your experience, and exchange notes.
Not pitching. Just building. 🫰🏻
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Abb chup chap apni bund mara na laude, faltu na bina pucha hua gyan kyo chod raha bhag yaha se bhosdike
High time grapevine has downvote.
Mere pehchan ke at least 6 jobless log yahi kar rahe, scented candles and warmala epoxy resin preservation. Inn chutiyo se corporate jaise easy and faltu jagah nahi raha jata to inki aukat bhik mangane ki hi he. Sala ye aisa chutyap post karke kya validation seek kar rahe kya malum. Comfort dhundh raha he laudu ye jo gendu giri kar raha isme. D2C B2B MKC BKL 2 4 fancy words sikh ke khud ko zhantupreneurs samajte he chutiye
Hey, kudos to you for taking the leap and starting something of your own. That itself takes a lot of courage.
Looks like a lot of folks have already wished you well, so I won’t repeat that. Except for that one idiot comment, please ignore that noise.
Just sharing a couple of thoughts. Most of this you probably already know. Building something from scratch is hard. It needs a lot of persistence, a lot of showing up every single day, and a lot of pushing through uncertainty. Some days feel great, some days are scary. That part is very real.
One honest opinion, take it or leave it. The scented candle space is tough. A lot of brands have come and gone, and consumers already carry baggage from past experiences. Many people expect candles to work like diffusers and fill up a room with fragrance. When that doesn’t happen, they feel disappointed, even if the product is technically doing what candles do.
That doesn’t mean it can’t work. It just means expectation setting and differentiation matter a lot more here than people usually realise.
You know your game better than anyone else. Wishing you the best for the highs that will come, and a lot of strength and clarity for the lows that definitely will. Hope you make it work.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to write this. I truly appreciate the honesty and the kindness behind it.
Yes, I ignored that one comment. I came to Grapevine after almost a year, genuinely looking for perspective and guidance. One bit of hate stood out for a moment, but then I realised there are so many more people wishing me well and that itself tells me there’s potential worth exploring.
I completely agree with your point about the candle space and expectations. That’s valuable input, and I’m consciously thinking about differentiation and setting the right expectations from day one.
Building something from scratch is definitely uncomfortable and uncertain, but I’m ready to show up every day and do the work. I’m a product designer with 5 years of freelancing and 3 years of corporate experience. I stepped away from the corporate path because I wanted to build something of my own... not just for money, but to create something meaningful that people remember.
I also want to be the first woman in my family to start something independently, and that matters deeply to me.
Thank you for the encouragement and perspective. This comment genuinely meant a lot. ❤️
Step 1. Decide scale- hobby, side income, pay 10 person salary scale, or pays 1000 person salary scale. This defines all input and output.
Step 2- if anything above side income scale and you are paying out of own savings after 12 months, find an investor or shut down or pivot into another product territory etc.
Step 3- don't learn everything. You are now a business owner not a band master. Even an orchestra conductor does one. Find people who can do those jobs.
Step 4- don't treat business as passionate enterprise. Business is discipline and regularity.
Step 5- cash flow is most important. Don't let a single day go without sales. Make sure to collect payment with the same regularity as you used to get your salary.
Step 6- Focus on sales, if product is 50% done, let it be there. Don't overdo branding packaging etc.
Step 7- capture daily learnings and share on social media, videos too if possible, people like to see hardworking people. Most will help, some will become customer, some investors etc.
Step 8- this is also a job and you will get bored one day. Every human does. Make a plan so business doesn't die if you do.
Step 9 - Make a timeline for success and failures. Do small experiments and treat each public interaction as a product.
Step 10 - Go through this list again! Make a distilled version for your self.
This is solid, practical advice. Appreciate you taking the time to write it, saving this... 🫰🏻🙌🏻
Wish you all the best, and great success! 👍
Thanks dear! 😊
Best of luck, if you need any help in building Mobile helps feel free to connect
I myself am a product designer with 6 yrs of freelancing experience and 3 yrs in corporate mate... I will ask you if I need any help with coding... Thanks mate :)
Wish you all the best! I have built a few businesses and sold one, although not in D2C. Happy to help with any advice if you ever want to bounce ideas. Ignore the trollers and do what you think is the best for you. It'll be worth the time even if it doesn't work! Always better to try and fail than never try at all!
Thank you so much man. I appreciate it... Will definitely take your advice when required... Thanks again! 🫰🏻🙌🏻
@designbee it’s great to hear that and your hard will definitely give you back something better, all the best mate!!
Thanks man! 🫰🏻
Best wishes भाई 💐👍🙏
Thanks bhai 😀
Good luck champ!
Hope you get successful with this venture
Thank you so much! 😊
Be smart and build it.
Yessss 😁