I’ve always said the most exciting, yet terrifying moment of starting a business is the “oh shit” moment. It’s the second right after you press “publish” or “register”, when your build is suddenly live for the world to see. Probably the same feeling as putting your first deposit down on a house, or asking someone out for the first time, although usually you’ve got a friend doing that part for you in second-grade.
Today, we’ve officially launched: www.dollarcommerce.co
With a fairly strong understanding of what it takes to start a DTC brand, not sure I’d do it again, but no promises, or an agency, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and work with some of the smartest people in the space (not including myself). The phrase “if only I knew then what I know now” applies pretty well to my journey so far.
As much as I love my Substack community, I’m excited to bring a whole new ecosystem of writing, e-commerce news and intelligence to founders, with a focus on activity in London and NYC, as well as macro-level news and insights from all-over.
The first thing I want to do is bring genuinely pragmatic founder intelligence to Dollar Commerce. Over the coming months, I’ll be onboarding great operators across businesses of all sizes to write and share their experiences first-hand. That could cover everything from fundraising and platform insights to operational guidance and general e-comm philosophy.
I may throw in the occasional opinion piece or food review as well (why not).
Secondly…
For the finance junkies out there, the DC Index has four components: the DC Index, DC Brands Index, DC Marketplace Index and the DC Software Index. Each aggregates data across public companies most relevant to the e-commerce ecosystem, helping paint a picture of the broader trajectory of the market, both equal-weighted and cap-weighted.
We also keep a close eye on the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, often a loose but useful indicator of consumer spending behaviour. Higher tends to be better.
Within the DC Index portal, users will be able to track data across public companies in the sector (DM me if I’ve missed a few) or at least those with more than 40% DTC exposure, alongside relevant payment providers and software platforms.
Thirdly..
For founders thinking about raising, or just curious where capital is actually flowing, the FundraisingTracker gives a live view into the deals shaping the e-commerce ecosystem, without the Crunchbase paywall. We track raises across DTC brands, marketplaces, finance and software, helping you understand who’s getting funded, at what stage, and at what pace. With direct links to websites with the full overview, this is designed as a helpful narrative to see into venture activity, private equity deal flow and public news across sectors.
Last but not least…
For operators deep in the weeds of Meta, Shopify and everything in between, the PlatformTracker is designed to keep you informed. We track updates, rollouts and structural changes across the major platforms that materially impact how brands operate day to day. Yes, the red peppers signify the spiciness of the update.
This includes everything from policy shifts and feature releases to bugs, API changes and the steady rollout of AI-driven functionality. These platforms evolve quickly, often without much notice, and even small changes can have outsized effects on performance, workflows and decision-making. The goal here is simple: fewer surprises, and a clearer understanding of where the platforms are heading.
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