Slow and Steady: The roller-coaster of launching a brand
Sep 24, 2021 (Puerto Vallarta, México): This should have been posted years ago, yet here we are. Hi, I’m Diego. In an effort to #BuildInPublic I’ll be documenting the journey of how REMOTE came to be.
It’s the year 2018 and I remember thinking how much I’d like to connect with people who are as obsessed as I am with traveling, and found myself constantly thinking about how Remote Work is so disruptive to the way we live our lives as humans. We spend so much time working (at least until we discover another model that works to keep productivity up while enabling humans to focus our brainpower on other fun things), that any changes to the way work I believe can profoundly impact the way we live our lives.
While working in the tech industry I’ve been able to visit places around the world that have inspired me with their incredible food, culture and authenticity. As I traveled I took photos and wanted to share that feeling of getting lost in a city. Of not speaking the language. Of trying new things and food. I tried capturing how each of these places had the potential to transform me, and did, in many ways.
But in came all the self-doubts and fears. I did not want to create another shallow fashion brand. I also wanted to not contribute to consumerism or pollute the world with the manufacturing process, packaging and shipping. I definitely did not want to follow the formula of posting all the time on social media to grow. I craved authenticity in brands and thought I could connect with individuals who shared this sentiment.
Perhaps I should not, I said to myself. With the brand logo, assets and even the website live, I decided to stop.
About a year and a half went by. I kept traveling. I kept thinking about this idea. I had made a couple of shirts and wore them often. Every time I wore one, I felt connected to the place it represents. I really liked that feeling. It took me back. I traveled in my mind. Riddled with fears and doubts I pushed myself to create the first collection. What harm would it do? It’s a side project, right? Even if one person ends up buying one and feels what I feel when I wear it, it should all be worth it. I wanted the shirts to be very comfortable and with designs and colors that would last. A shirt you’d want to keep wearing for years. As I write this, I still have not sold anything, and I am still pushing myself to put myself out there. I wanted every single detail to be perfect, from the shape of the shirts, to the fabric, to the unboxing experience. I ultimately decided to stop. After reading so much I could hardly hear my own voice in my head. All these posts on social media and articles talking about the next ‘tech unicorn' and how everyone else is growing their brands and crushing it with their businesses. I thought: This is not a 1B USD idea. I should probably kill it so I can free my mind to think about other things.
Or so I thought… REMOTE’s concept simply would not let go. It might be costing me by taking time from other projects I could pursue, but here I am. I’ve always been told that starting a small business is as hard as one that can grow very rapidly.
Well, what if this is not about the business, but about the connection between like-minded human beings? About art? About the community? That, I realized, is why I think I decided to keep going.
Thanks for reading and following along.
Diego
