FOUNDER'S LOG 005: NEW BEGINNINGS

And we’re live.

Yesterday, the 1st of June 2025, we officially (and not-so-quietly) launched the HAPPYPOT online shop (again), 972 days since the world first heard about it.

After months of delaying the launch due to a severe case of Perfection Paralysis and a side order of Chronic Procrastination, we've finally opened up the webshop for online orders. We celebrated this by bringing together our closest community for a day of pot-painting, music & good vibes at Insynk Spaces, showing off our design process and getting to know the people who have been following our journey.

Countless redesigns, launch delays and lessons, trials and tribulations later, we've tallied up to 2 years, 7 months and 31 days of Happy Pot - and we've only just started selling online now.

The logical question after you hear that might be “What have you been doing since?” I always have a quick answer to that, something along the lines of “we’ve been working with companies for the past two years and we’ve now decided to use that same creativity to build our own brand” - and that much is true - but the real truth? That was never the vision for Happy Pot, but it happened to work out pretty well.

Yes, working with brands has been very fulfilling. It's been the reason that we’ve managed to not only keep the company afloat, but also invest in new tech, new people, and new skills. We’ve done so much with so little, brought 54 brands to life through cool, custom pots and other 3D-printed merchandise, but throughout the entire journey in the corporate world, I’ve always had the nagging thought behind my brain - this wasn’t the plan.

Plans change, and that’s fine.

If working with businesses is working and actually growing, there is absolutely no reason to stop doing it. Actually, we should probably double down on it and make it rain - but not as Happy Pot. Here’s my logic:

After two years and a long hard look at the numbers, I realized something - 29 out of the 54 corporate gift collaborations since we launched Happy Pot for Business were for non-pot items. This was a result of our clients asking us if we could make stuff smaller and cheaper, and at our stage, we couldn't say no to money - so, we did all of it.

Coaster sets, NFC-enabled keychains, can caps, trolley coins, table displays, statues, name tags, trophies, lamps - not only did we do it, but we did it really well. From design to delivery, we were getting more creative than ever for our corporate clients, but someplace along the way, we realized something.

We hadn't made a single corporate plant pot for 6 months, yet we were making more money than ever with other creative 3D-printed merchandise.

We had been pitching Happy Pot for Business as “custom plant pots and more”, when more people wanted more of the “more” than the custom plant pots. Also, the “more” happens to be more profitable than the pots when using the only metric that matters in a 3D-printing business - profit per print hour. 

So, how do we navigate this situation? We have a relatively well-known corporate offering that works but is leaving a lot of money on the table purely because of the way its positioned, and a totally separate but doable dream to build a Direct-To-Consumer brands that does happy plant pots and home decor for the people of the world.

Two very different business models, very different funnels, different clientele, different potential - only one has been tried, tested and actually works, while the other is a total gamble reliant on our non-existent-but-probably-pretty-good-with-enough-time e-commerce skills, but it’s really fun. 

The solution?

We rebrand Happy Pot for Business with a wider corporate gift offering, and hit the ground running with Happy Pot as an awesome, direct-to-consumer, e-commerce brand. 

Some questions I’ve asked myself

(and have been asked by far smarter people:)

Q: "Can I run two businesses at the same time?"

Probably not well, but with the right systems and people, anything is possible.

Q: "Isn’t rebranding the corporate offering risky?"

Yes. I need to carefully reposition Happy Pot for Business with a new name and familiar brand, in a way which clearly shows off the new-and-improved B2B gift offering, whilst still remaining familiar for the sake of not losing our existing traction. Starting a new B2B brand from scratch is no easy feat, so for the first few months, we’ll have to piggyback off of our existing client base and engage in some cost-effective marketing campaigns to get it off the ground in time for a busy Q4.

The name has to be catchy and good for SEO, something with ‘gift’ in it probably - but more on that next time. 

Q: "Where does that leave Happy Pot?"

Right back at the very beginning, but way better off. Back to the original idea of making Happy Pot a worldwide lifestyle brand for people's homes, starting with the coolest, most customizable plant pot known to man. We’ll go from shipping out an order of 500 pots in one or two boxes, to hopefully shipping out 500 individual packages every other month, to every corner of the globe. Now that the high from our awesome launch event has subsided, the real work starts. 

Time to become a literal beast at e-commerce. CAC, CRO, AOV, SEO, ROAS. These acronyms will be everything I think about and work towards when I’m in Happy Pot mode. I have to get great at getting international eyes on the brand, onto the website, optimizing the user experience and getting people to follow our journey and buy our stuff. I also have to learn how to stay in touch with our global community as it grows, making sure packages are delivered on time, build more connections with international partners, and continue making cool sh*t. 

What are the goals and targets? Let’s split them up into the next 3, 6 and 12 months.

The 3-Month Goal: Make Some Noise

We just launched — but now it’s time to really launch. In the next 90 days, the goal is to:

• Drive traffic: I need to test, learn, and improve every day. Paid ads, organic content, influencer collabs, and partnerships — it’s all on the table.

• Prove the concept: Get our first 500 real, paying customers across multiple countries.

• Fix the funnel: Understand drop-off points. Tighten up the customer journey. Focus on conversions, not just clicks.

• Dial in operations: Nail production, packing, and shipping at scale — no delays, no excuses.

I’m not aiming for perfection, just proof. Proof that the brand resonates. Proof that the systems work. Proof that this is more than just a fun idea.

The 6-Month Goal: Build the Engine

By month six, I want to:

• Have consistent monthly revenue: Not mind-blowing, but solid. €5–8k/month from the online store is the benchmark.

• Launch at least 2 new product lines: Think decor, accessories, or limited-edition collabs — things that stay true to our vibe.

• Build and nurture the community: Email list, customer feedback loops, and social media with substance. It’s not just about selling, it’s about belonging.

• Grow the team: Bring on dedicated support for operations, customer service, and possibly international logistics.

The 12-Month Goal: Create a Movement

One year from now, I want:

• Happy Pot to be known. Not just in Malta — but globally. Among creatives, plant lovers, and anyone who values originality, joy, and design.

• To reach €50,000 in e-commerce sales for the year. That’s the goal I set — and I’ll either reach it or learn how to get closer.

• Retail partners and stockists in multiple countries. Small shops, concept stores, airport duty-free — places where people discover cool things.

• A thriving, scalable B2B arm under a new brand. Something that can exist in parallel without cannibalizing the consumer experience.

• A team that operates like clockwork. So I can focus on product design, storytelling, partnerships, and whatever’s next.

If the first chapter of Happy Pot was about figuring things out, this next one is about leveling up.

Much like I have been for the past 973 days, I’m all in — only difference is I was just a kid when I started this thing, now I'm a kid with a clearer vision, better tech, more design expertise and some idea on how to run a business. 

Do I know what I'm doing?

Let's find out, I guess.

• Chris 
  Founder @ Happy Pot