- Founder: Du Shun
- Site: Keepin Box
- Product: Phone Lock Box
- Sales revenue: Over $4 million from one person
- Firm Size: Startup Business
Next, I’ll share Du Shun’s story from a first person perspective:
Take a look at this product first. It’ll help you get a better understanding of the challenges when developing products.
How my ideas born?
An idea struck me: “What if I could lock my phone away?” Then I wondered, how big is the demand? With millions of exam takers, office workers, and students in China, I saw a huge market opportunity. After researching existing products, I realized there was a big gap in this niche market. That’s when I decided to take action.
How did I raise the funds?
I want to thank my family. After I shared the idea with them, they didn’t just listen. They believed in me and gave me $140,000 for the first round. With this cash, I started reaching out to manufacturers.
Struggles when finding manufacturers
The first factory quote me $4,000 for development and $7,000 for mold. It cost almost all my funds and I can’t stock up. So I had to choose a cheap factory. But they outsourced the work to small workshops that couldn’t deliver what I wanted. In the end, I got was a bunch of useless plastic waste.
Then I thought the first factory was reliable, despite the high quote, so I came back to them. However, they kept delaying my order due to my low budget and small order size. After the sample mold was developed, they used excuses like the designer being on a business trip and were slow to respond to my feedback for changes.
Two months later, I still didn’t have my product, and my $7,000 sample fee was wasted. They also refused to return my develop fees. At last, I had to get my money back by sleeping outside the factory.
I’ve got $4,000 left, but that’s not quite enough, so I reached out to my classmates and friends to pitch my project. In the end, I raised $53,000.
Jing’s Insight: Du as a Chinese buyer, had a tough time negotiating with the factory. Foreign buyers probably had even more difficulties. Price isn’t everything when finding a good manufacturer. Du went to a more expensive factory but still got cold shoulder. What matters is finding a supplier who listens to your needs and solves your problems, not one who makes excuses.
How to find the right way to deal with factories？
Knowing Every Step in Product Development
First, I discussed the sketch with the designer. Then, the structural engineer laid out the circuit board. I sourced the components as needed. Finally, I found a mold factory to make the molds. I had to know each step to keep the factories on track and ensure the products were right. Eight months later, we had 5,000 units and started selling.
Visiting factories in person to clarify my needs
After the first batch sold out, I personally visited assembly factories in Shenzhen to upgrade products. I checked out several factories with the blueprints. Seeing their production processes firsthand, I can speak directly with each factory manager to ensure they understood my needs. This helps me find the right partner.
Keep every part in the loop with real-time updates
After a tough lesson, I realized that I have to communicate effectively with the factory. Even a small change in design or structure can affect the whole production chain. So, I set up an online chat group to keep everyone in the loop on the latest updates. Thanks to this, the samples came out quickly.
How do I promote products?
Leverage social media
Douyin is China’s TikTok, with over 800 million users. After prepping my video, I decided to test the waters. To my surprise, my first product video went viral overnight, hitting 500,000 views and 40,000 to 50,000 comments—pretty high demand! So I quickly launched the product, and the first batch sold out fast.
Low budget video marketing explodes
After my first viral vedio, I connected some student influencers with just hundreds followers to make product videos. The student group is a great fit for our target audience, and it was a pretty low-cost solution. One video blew up, hitting over a million views in minutes! Influencers jumped on board, giving me free promotion.
The product took off, selling 10,000 units a month and bringing in thousands daily. By 2023, we made $423,000, attracting new customers and B2B orders.
Upgrade based on market feedback
There were some quality issues in the first batch, with a 2% chance of phones getting locked inside. To respond to negative feedback, I upgraded the aluminum frame and added new colors for a sleeker look. This also reduced costs by 20%. After launch, it sold out really quickly.
How do I handle shipments by myself after the rush order?
It was my first time doing e-commerce, and I had to handle everything myself—from prepping products for launch to shipping and after-sales service. My first video was a hit and orders poured in. I had to get it done as quickly as possible. So I asked family and friends for help.
Finding reliable logistics was another challenge. I needed to balance logistics costs with quality, so I met with several logistics companies in person before making my final decision.
very inspirational story