The Case of the Sustainable E-Commerce Store - Why Product validation Matters

Imagine being part of a small company that has a big dream but keeps hitting roadblocks. That’s what happened with the Swedish Moving Comparison Company. They had a great idea: a tool that would help people compare the cost of moving between different companies. But things weren’t going as planned. The tool they were trying to build wasn’t working, and the team was running out of money and hope.I was brought into this project by one of the co-founders, someone I had been friends with for years. He knew I had experience with software projects, and he asked if I could help them turn things around. I could tell that this wasn’t just another project for him—this was something he really believed in, and he didn’t want to see it fail. The pressure was on, and I could feel the weight of their expectations.

‍The Struggles Begin
‍The company had started with high hopes. They wanted to create a tool that would make moving easier and less stressful by showing people the best prices from different moving companies. But they ran into trouble right from the start. They tried to build the tool using WordPress, a popular website-building platform. One of the founders had a lot of experience with WordPress, so it seemed like a good idea at the time.However, WordPress wasn’t as flexible as they needed it to be. The customisations required for their tool were too complex, and the design ended up looking messy and unprofessional. They brought in different developers to try and fix it, but nothing seemed to work. Each time, they were left with a tool that wasn’t good enough, and the company’s funds were slowly draining away. The team was frustrated, and their morale was at an all-time low.When I joined the project, I could sense the desperation. They needed results, and they needed them fast. But more than that, they needed to believe that their dream could still come true. The tool they had was barely functioning, and users didn’t trust it enough to make payments. The company was struggling to get clients, and it felt like everything was falling apart.

‍Finding a Way Forward
‍It was clear that we needed to come up with a solution quickly. The company didn’t have the luxury of time or money, and the team’s trust was hanging by a thread. But instead of seeing these challenges as setbacks, I tried to view them as opportunities. The tight budget and timeline forced us to focus on what really mattered. We needed to build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that would work, even if it wasn’t perfect. And most importantly, we needed to show the team that progress was being made.The first thing we did was move away from WordPress. It just wasn’t the right tool for what we were trying to achieve. We decided to build something more customizable from scratch, even though it would take time. But we couldn’t afford to wait months before showing any results, so we came up with a plan. We would quickly fix the most critical issues on the WordPress site to make it functional and then start working on a new, better version in parallel.This approach wasn’t just about the technical side of things—it was about restoring hope. By fixing some key areas on the existing site, we wanted to show the team that we could make things better. I remember one of the co-founders telling me how much this meant to him. He said that seeing even small improvements gave him the strength to keep going. It was a powerful reminder that sometimes, people just need to see a little bit of progress to regain their confidence.

‍Overcoming Misunderstandings
‍But things weren’t always smooth. At one point, there was a misunderstanding about what features we were including in the first version of the new tool. The founder thought we were going to add a feature that we hadn’t planned for. This caused tension because we were already working with a tight budget and didn’t want to delay the project. We could have argued about it, but instead, we chose to find a solution that worked for everyone.We agreed to include the extra feature, but only after completing the main part of the tool. This way, we kept our focus and didn’t overwhelm ourselves with too many tasks at once. This approach allowed us to finish the core product first and then quickly add the new feature. It was a compromise that kept the project moving forward and kept everyone on the same page.

‍The Moment of Validation
‍After months of hard work, we finally had a version of the tool that was ready to be released. It wasn’t perfect, but it was much better than what they had before. We decided to go live with it, and on the very first day, something amazing happened—a user paid $500 to use the tool. That moment was incredible. It felt like all the struggles, all the late nights, and all the stress had been worth it. That first sale was more than just money—it was proof that the company was on the right track.Seeing that payment come through brought tears to the founder’s eyes. He told me it was the first time in a long time that he felt like things were finally turning around. The whole team was energised, and the atmosphere changed from one of doubt to one of optimism. It was like a dark cloud had lifted, and we could all see the sunlight again.

‍Moving Forward with Hope
‍With that first success, the company was able to keep going. The next features we added were completed much faster, and we kept the momentum going by focusing on one improvement at a time. We learned that keeping things simple and staying focused was key. It was also important to keep the team motivated by showing them that progress was being made, even if it was just one small step at a time.The journey wasn’t easy, but it taught us valuable lessons. We learned that sometimes, limitations can actually help you stay on track and avoid getting lost in unnecessary details. We also learned the importance of believing in your project, even when things get tough. If you can push through the hard times, you might just find that your dream is closer than you think.

‍Final Thoughts
‍Looking back, this experience was about more than just building a tool. It was about perseverance, hope, and the power of small wins. The Swedish Moving Comparison Company isn’t just a business—it’s a testament to what can happen when you refuse to give up. No matter how many challenges you face, if you keep pushing forward, you can achieve something meaningful.If you’re ever in a situation like this, remember that it’s okay to take things one step at a time. Keep your vision clear, stay focused on what matters, and don’t be afraid to adjust your plans if needed. Most importantly, never lose hope. You never know how close you might be to your own breakthrough moment.