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No, I meant what I said. Why spend time and energy building a huge consumer success if your goal is to sell things?

Name some successful online commerce companies that started that way. Most (I won't say all) started as pure commerce, e.g., Gilt.

If you're ShoeDazzle selling shoes for $40/month, your customer acquisition problem is fundamentally different than a site like Svpply.

If you want to sell things, sell things. Don't try to play 3d chess.



Could you provide support for your assertion that the customer acquisition problem is fundamentally different?


1. ShoeDazzle can afford to pay for customers

2. ShoeDazzle needs far fewer customers to generate significant revenue

3. ShoeDazzle's value proposition is much clearer -- either you want shoes to buy Kim Kardashian shoes, or you don't

4. Users join a site like Svpply vs. a site like ShoeDazzle for very different reasons.

There's just so much evidence that you can build a successful online retail presence without going through the first stage that it honestly seems stupid to me.

Warby Parker, Bonobos, Gilt, One King's Lane, Jack Threads, BeachMint, ShoeDazzle, BirchBox, Rent the Runway, etc., etc., etc. just opened a f(*&ing store.


Thanks!




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