Side project: pency.app

Challenge

The e-commerce market presented a significant barrier to entry for small and medium-sized merchants who lacked the resources and expertise to develop their own online stores. Our goal was to create an accessible and easy-to-use solution that integrated with the widely popular messaging platform, WhatsApp, making online ordering a seamless experience for both merchants and customers during the challenging pandemic period. We also aimed to create a self-sustainable product with low maintenance costs, offering a free solution for small business owners during such a difficult time.

Approach

I conducted extensive research, interviewing over 30 business owners to gather valuable feedback and insights. This allowed us to develop a deep understanding of their challenges and needs. We focused on creating an intuitive product design that prioritized user experience, ensuring that merchants could quickly and easily set up their online stores without requiring technical expertise.

We leveraged the power of entrepreneurial communities to drive organic growth, targeting our core audience of small and medium-sized merchants. By utilizing the popularity of WhatsApp and providing a seamless integration, we positioned Pency as a go-to solution for merchants looking to enter the e-commerce space.

Results

Pency experienced rapid growth, with over 30,000 merchants signing up and generating more than 650,000 monthly visits in just 16 months. Our project was bootstrapped and generated enough revenue to support a team of five, in addition to my fellow co-founder and me. The platform's success led to the sale of the company in September 2021. Pency's achievements are a testament to the power of a well-designed product, user-focused research, and a targeted growth strategy, ultimately democratizing access to the e-commerce market for small and medium-sized merchants.