DIY, DIY, DIY

Hey, it’s Kent.

Let’s talk bootstrapping. 

Because venture capital and angel investors are not realistic for most of us in the consumer world, we have to find a path to traction and growth with a pocket full of change and not much else.  

It’s not easy, but it IS possible. 

Back in 2015, my brothers and I launched RV SnapPad with literally nothing but a one-page website and a free Shopify buy button. This year, the company will surpass 1 million SnapPads sold, will be carried in over 1,000 RV dealerships, and will appear on the shelves of a major retailer. 

In the issue:

🧠 Our Story - From a house sale to a seven-figure business

✍️ The Playbook - The key steps we took to launch with zero dollars

🎯 The Most Important thing - What we did that made all the difference

OUR STORY

“I’m going to sell my house”

That's what my brother Devon told me when we decided he wanted to found his own company. He lived off those proceeds while we built the company. Our only other "funding" came from friends and family who helped us get product prototypes made.

September 29th, 2015: We launched with that bare-bones website I mentioned.

September 30th, 2015: We made our first sale.

December 31st, 2015: We'd hit $10,000 in revenue.

We hit six figures after 12 months. It was enough to pay my brother and Dad a modest salary to work for company, plus a few bucks for marketing. It was enough to start us on the path we’re on now.

Here’s how we did it…

OUR PLAYBOOK

Like I said, we had no budget. Just elbow grease and commitment. We tried a lot of stuff back then, but here are the things that stand out in hindsight:

🎯 Go Where Your Customers Already Are

I'll never forget Devon signing up for every RV forum and message board he could find. Not to sell - to listen. He asked about pain points. He shared our development journey. He built relationships.

Most founders try to drag customers to their brand. We went to where RVers were already hanging out.

💡 Real Talk: The first version of our product had no water drainage channels. Some people remarked on it in the RV forums. Then some more. Then some customers emailed us about it. 

We had the supplier cut some notches into the product with a bandsaw and launched the "new version" we called "SnapPad XTRA". Sales doubled. It’s our best selling product even today.

🎨 DIY Everything (No, Really, Everything)

Between myself and my youngest brother, we had digital marketing experience. That allowed us to:

• Build our first site ourselves

• Shoot products at a local RV dealer with a friend's camera

• Create all designs on Canva

• Handle every social post internally

No agencies. No freelancers. No fancy tools. But even if we didn't have that bit of a head start, we would have made it work. In part because there is much free knowledge available to learn how to do anything in DTC and e-commerce these days.

💡 Behind the Scenes: Our first "professional" photo shoot was just us and a friend with a good camera at a local dealership.

📺 The YouTube Strategy Nobody Was Using

In 2015, we found full-time RV YouTubers who lived and breathed the lifestyle. We sent them products and asked for feedback—nothing else. No strings attached. It worked because their feedback was invaluable, and their reviews became authentic endorsements.

What made this work?

• We met customers where they were (on YouTube, sharing their lives).

• We focused on building trust and relationships, not instant ROI.

💡 Think of it this way: Whether you use YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, the lesson is to find where your customers naturally spend time online and build a real connection there. Start small, and let trust drive your early success.

Why YouTube Beats All Other Platforms (for us)

YouTube is still our best channel today, but this isn’t true for everyone. It worked for us because:

• Our customers are problem-solvers. RVers actively search for reviews and installation tips. YouTube serves as a library for problem-solving content.

• Videos build trust. Detailed, real-life demos answered all customer concerns better than a polished ad ever could.

• Longevity is key. Our first reviews from 2015 still generate traffic and sales because YouTube content is discoverable through search, unlike algorithm-driven platforms.

💡 Ask yourself: do your customers search for how-to guides, reviews, or solutions? If so, YouTube might be the best place to focus. If they discover products through trends or visuals, platforms like TikTok or Instagram may be better.

TOOLS FOR THE TRADE

The Only 5 Tools You Need to Start

Look, there are thousands of Shopify apps out there. And a lot of them are great. But if I was launching a new brand today, I'd start with just these five essentials (no affiliation except with Semrush at the bottom):

1. Social Proof: Judge.me ($15/month)

• Reviews are non-negotiable for new brands

• Their starter plan has everything you need

• Clean interface and great reputation

• Pro tip: Start collecting reviews from day one

2. Email Marketing: Klaviyo (Free to start)

• Free until you grow your list

• Set up basic flows immediately:

  • Welcome series

  • Abandoned cart

  • Post-purchase

• Worth every penny as you scale

3. Customer Service Platform: Richpanel ($59/month)

• Get support tickets out of your personal inbox ASAP

• Keeps customer communication organized

• Makes scaling customer service easier

• Helps identify common issues quickly

• A lot like Gorgias, but much cheaper

4. Digital Design tool: Canva ($12/month)

• We still use this today

• Creates professional-looking:

  • Social media posts

  • Product photos

  • Basic animations

  • Marketing materials

• Does 90% of what Photoshop does at a fraction of the cost

5. Landing Pages: Replo (Free to start)

• Test different landing pages quickly

• Direct Shopify integration

• Affordable pricing

• Essential for testing marketing angles

6. Keywords: Semrush (free to start)

• Collection Page: Pick a keyword that covers the whole range, like “Elsa dresses” or “Frozen princess dresses.” This way, when someone’s searching for a variety of Elsa-style dresses, they’ll land on your collection. You can use the Keyword Magic Tool to find broad keywords that cover a whole category and have good search volume.

• Product Pages: For each specific dress, choose a keyword that’s a bit more detailed, like “Elsa blue dress for toddlers” or “Elsa dress with cape.” This helps each dress stand out when people search for something super specific. The Keyword Overview Tool will help you analyze these specific keywords, including their difficulty, search volume, and trends.

• Mix it Up: On both the collection and product pages, throw in some related keywords where it feels natural. This way, you’re covering more search terms without overloading the page. Use the On-Page SEO Checker to ensure you're effectively incorporating related keywords while keeping your content optimized.

💡 Real Talk: We launched with even less than this. But these tools would have helped us grow faster while staying lean.

THE TAKEAWAY

The Most Important Thing We Did

We did things that didn't scale. Every customer email, phone call, and abandoned cart got personal attention from Devon. When we could afford to travel to RV rallies, we went. Looking customers in the eye taught us more than any analytics dashboard ever could.

Here's what most founders miss: your early customers aren't just buyers - they're your product development team, marketing department, and sales force all rolled into one. 

Listen to them.

This is Kent Wilson, signing off.

Now go build something great.

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