CAESD©

An e-commerce startup designing and selling customized phone cases on-demand

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What the project was

CAESD was the first-startup I pursued in the summer after finishing high school. Having a lot of free time and not much to do meant I ended up brainstorming how I could take my graphic design skills as well as a bit of sourcing knowledge to launch a business that I was passionate about. Being fed-up with overpriced phone cases and boring designs, I decided to take things into my own hands with CAESD. Initially, I started with of the shelf designs, but after poor sales, I pivoted to designing cases on demand.

I spent a lot of time trying to research and convince factories to work with me since I required low MOQs. Through marketing on Instagram and word-of-mouth through my friends, CAESD became a gift-item that provided you an opportunity to gift something meaningful and long-lasting. This initial push and referrals helped me achieve a four-digit revenue in the first 6-months, during my first semester at The University of Hong Kong. However, sales did not last and a more comprehensive look at the market led me to realize that customers in Hong Kong do not buy phone cases often, and that I did not have a significant technological or competitive edge over market giant CASETIFY. However, this experience provided me with valuable insights into the dynamics of the e-commerce industry, customer behavior, and the intricacies of operating a startup.