Path to Product
$17K to first sale. 90 days.
This is a physical product with a short supply chain. The build is fast. The risk is all in the channel.
The Roadmap
1
Phase 1: Supplier & Samples Month 1 $2,500
What happens
- · Identify 3 Vietnam/India silicone manufacturers
- · Request samples in all 10 shade targets
- · Evaluate adhesive hold + color accuracy
- · Negotiate MOQ and per-unit pricing
Go signal
Sample set: all 10 shades match color targets
2
Phase 2: First Batch + Brand Month 2 $9,000
What happens
- · Place 500-unit MOQ order with winning supplier
- · Finalize packaging — nude kraft, minimal, recyclable
- · Shoot product photography (still + video)
- · Build Shopify DTC store
- · Set up TikTok Shop integration
Go signal
500 units landed, retail-ready packaging complete
3
Phase 3: Organic Launch Month 3 $3,000
What happens
- · Seed 20 micro-influencers with product (no paid deal)
- · Publish 30-day daily TikTok posting plan
- · Launch on Shopify + TikTok Shop simultaneously
- · Day 30 checkpoint: if zero traction, pause inventory spend
Go signal
1 viral TikTok post (>100K views) OR 50 organic sales
4
Phase 4: Scale or Pivot Month 4–12 $2,500
What happens
- · If organic traction: scale UGC content, add 5 shades, expand to Amazon DTC
- · If no traction: test alternative channels (bridal community, Reddit, Discord)
- · Month 6: evaluate subscription bundle economics
- · Month 12: assess $500K–$1M raise if trajectory strong
Go signal
$25K MRR — reinvest from revenue
Capital Ask
$17,000
| Use of funds | Amount |
|---|---|
| Samples & supplier qualification | $2,500 |
| First batch (500 units, MOQ) | $6,500 |
| Packaging design & print | $1,500 |
| Shopify + TikTok Shop setup | $500 |
| Photography & content creation | $1,500 |
| Micro-influencer seeding (20 packages) | $2,000 |
| Reserve (fulfillment, unexpected) | $2,500 |
| Total | $17,000 |
Timeline: 90 days to first sale. Fully self-funded or friends/family at this scale — no institutional round needed to launch.
What We Need
We're looking for an operator or angel who understands DTC brand-building, specifically organic social. Ideally someone who has seen a TikTok brand grow from zero — not a tech investor trying to apply SaaS playbooks to a consumer product.
We have
- · $17K seed budget
- · Supplier relationships
- · POC built and live
- · PE-validated thesis
- · Shade range differentiation
We need
- · DTC brand-building experience
- · TikTok organic knowledge
- · Shopify/3PL operator
- · Connections to UGC creators
- · Patience — organic is slow
Not looking for
- · Paid acquisition experts
- · Tech/SaaS investors
- · Massive capital pre-traction
- · Board control at seed
- · Anyone who wants to China-source
Current Status
Honest. As of March 2026. No spin.
- ✅ Market validated via PE Pipeline (6.4/10 — FUND)
- ✅ POC built and live at covrd.nltlabs.ai
- ✅ Competitive research complete — shade gap confirmed
- ✅ Financial model built — $17K to profitable in 90 days (moderate scenario)
- ⬜ Supplier outreach (Vietnam/India silicone manufacturers)
- ⬜ Shade samples received and tested
- ⬜ First 500-unit batch ordered
- ⬜ Shopify store built
- ⬜ TikTok channel launched
- ⬜ First viral post (>100K views)
- ⬜ First 50 DTC sales
Interested? Let's talk.
Tell us who you are and what you bring. We reply within 24 hours.
Get in Touch