Hey there! I’m John James, a once-upon-a-time doctor who stumbled into the wild world of ecommerce back in ’94, and boy, has it been a ride! Back then, setting up an online store was like climbing Mount Everest, but nowadays, it’s as easy as pie. However, the real challenge lies in growing that little store into a massive, money-making machine.
The internet is chock-full of advice on scaling ecommerce businesses, but those who’ve struck gold tend to keep their winning formulas under wraps. Fear not, my friends! I’m here to share the juiciest secrets from the best in the biz—insights from stores that have skyrocketed to over $100 million in annual revenue.
You’ll find interviews with high-profile founders who’ve spilled the beans, and hey, I’ve got my own story to tell! I’ve been there, done that, and worn the t-shirt in the world of hyper-growth ecommerce.
As a retired physician who financed medical school with an online store started in my dorm room way back in 1994, I’m living proof that you don’t need an MBA or a PhD in Computer Science to make waves in ecommerce. You don’t have to be an established company, and you don’t have to be in Silicon Valley, either. I built all my companies in middle of nowhere Arkansas!
One night, while on call as a first-year Family Practice resident, inspiration struck, and I started my second ecommerce company right there in the hospital! Within six years, I bootstrapped this baby into an 8-figure annual revenue beast and sold it.
After 11 long years of medical training, I decided to hang up my stethoscope and dive into ecommerce entrepreneurship full-time. Fast forward a few years, and I hit the jackpot with my third ecommerce venture.
Despite launching in the midst of a global financial crisis, we became the first Arkansas company to raise a round of venture capital in over a decade, securing a cool $4 million in 2011. That capital allowed us to open 20 online stores, create a fully automated, robot-powered fulfillment center, and, most importantly, develop the powerful ecommerce software that fueled our growth.
Just a year later, we raised another round of capital, this time from Arkansas-based Fortune 500 retailer Dillard’s. Armed with these funds, we were among the first to harness the power of the emerging Facebook platform, racking up 8 million Facebook fans and 11 million email subscribers for Country Outfitter in only six months.
Our annual revenue shot up from $5 million to nearly $100 million during that time, and we raised a whopping $93 million in a Series C round—one of the largest ecommerce funding events in history.
And the cherry on top? Just 28 months after our first venture capital round, we sold the majority of the business in a deal worth over $100 million!
After selling the company and bidding farewell to my CEO role, I embraced the world of mentoring and seed stage investing. My first investment adventure? Menguin, an online tuxedo rental service masterminded by Justin Delaney. Just two years after relocating to Arkansas and joining forces with my team, Menguin was acquired for a sweet $25 million. Another early investment found its way into Equipment Share, a construction equipment marketplace nestled in Columbia, Missouri. Brothers Jabbock and Willie Shalocks turned this gem into an ecommerce unicorn, rumored to be valued at a staggering $1.7 billion in just four short years. My third investment went into Apptegy, an edtech company that’s become the crowning jewel of Arkansas startups from the 2000s, boasting a valuation nearing half a billion dollars.
But, you know what? I couldn’t shake that itch for the adrenaline rush that comes with starting and running companies. So, I created a startup venture studio called Compound Foundry, which let me juggle all three of these exciting roles (investing, mentorship, and operations) while working with budding ecommerce ventures. Talk about the best of all worlds!
Throughout my journey, I’ve had the pleasure of learning from some of the brightest minds in ecommerce. This book is jam-packed with hard-earned wisdom from those experiences. Of course, I’ll share my failures too—some of them still sting, but hey, that’s how we learn, right?
This book isn’t just a collection of case studies and tales; it’s your go-to field manual for building and scaling online stores. Sure, there are some big-picture takeaways, but the real wisdom I want to share revolves around ecommerce unit economics and how clever use of technology can make a huge difference in those metrics.
With over two decades of experience running and investing in ecommerce companies, I’ve identified seven main variables that make or break an ecommerce business. When the majority of these seven unit economic variables are optimized, you can achieve some serious exponential growth. In my study of numerous standout successes, I’ve yet to find an exceptional ecommerce company that didn’t ace most of those variables. In fact, every ecommerce company that reached a billion-dollar unicorn valuation nailed at least six, if not all seven, of these factors.
Now, while there are only seven main variables, there are hundreds of tactics and strategies to improve them. I like to call these tactics levers because they can be pulled to enhance one or more of those metrics. Each sub-chapter will zero in on one of these levers, exploring the concept behind it using real-world case studies and personal interviews with ecommerce pioneers who harnessed the growth strategy in a powerful and unique way.
So, buckle up and get ready for a wild ride through the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of ecommerce growth marketing!