From Spirals to Samples: Turning 20 no’s into one glorious yes

Ok so, remember my previous rant?

Well, cheeky recap… a few weeks ago, I posted a very real, very chaotic spiral about the sheer pain of finding a manufacturer for our physical Dossia. I was tired. Over 20 manufacturers deep, ghosted in UK and international waters, quoted into oblivion, and offered quality I couldn’t stand behind.

In the last 3(ish) weeks, not only have we found an amazing manufacturer, but we’ve:

• Aligned on all my concerns around being a small start-up

• Sent samples back and forth

• Decided on a final design

• AND Built a solid, respectful relationship

I still shudder at the cost of everything, from our international and UK manufacturers to the marketing, the transaction fees, the tax, our server costs (RIP) and so much more… but I can’t lie - I’m chuffed. We’re operating on vibes, a collective vision, delusion, the gift of the gab, a few spreadsheets and the audacity to keep asking. But it’s working~.

We’re starting to see 2 years of work poke through, and it’s so freaking exciting!!!!

Yes, we still have a long way to go, but this part - this stressful, crucial part - just became doable and that realisation has given us so much trust in each other to keep going.

So if anyone else is going through that rough “is this even possible?” phase (of which I’m sure there will be many more). Hopefully, this post (entry? article? stack?? idk) resonates with you and helps push you forward.

It might take 20 no's, but you really do just need one solid yes.

More soon x

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Felt something? That’s not just the caffeine.

Subscribe and join our Dossia waitlist. We launch our beta this year and would love your support and feedback!!

If you’ve got extra time today, why not forward this to a friend, a group chat, or that one cousin who’s weirdly passionate about stationery and founder journeys.