How To Launch A Startup In Two Months With A Ridiculous Investment

Incredy, the startup that sells intimate cleanser for men (yes, you read that right) tells the story of its development from idea to first sale

COOL NET SRL, owner of the INCREDY brand, was born in Belluno, a small mountain town in Veneto, during the lock-down period, from the idea of ​​Massimo Fullin.

He was tired of having to use his partner's cleanser and wanted a product he could identify with without using products that looked like they came from a drugstore.

He searched for it on the shelves and on the internet without success. So he decided to create it.

The idea

“First of all, I spoke to my friends and acquaintances,” Fullin says. “I started asking questions and gathering initial feedback. I didn’t get the answers I wanted to hear, but I had identified that there was indeed a gap and in the process I found my three co-founders, Mattia Stevanin, Andrea Constantini and Thomas Siorpaes, who were crazy enough to follow me.”

The team

“I gave a lot of importance to team building, I was lucky to find the right skills in great friends.

Mattia Stevanin, 25 years old, is already CEO of DROOP SRL, an innovative startup in the logistics field;

Thomas Siorpaes, 21, attends a well-known digital marketing academy;

Andrea Constantini, 22 years old, is a graduate in Economics.”

The first test

“The phone interviews didn’t go as hoped because we weren’t talking to the right target so we decided to take the validation of the project to the next level. We got to work and in a week we had put a site online on Shopify (taking advantage of the 3 free months that the platform gave away during the lockdown period) selling a product that we didn’t have.”

“Can you explain it better?”

“Of course. We created a real e-commerce where it seemed that the product was available. Only that at the time of check-out, customers were sent to a page where we said that the product was not available and that we only wanted to test their interest. On the page there was a form where they could leave us their email.

“We first tested ads on Google, with poor results, and then display ads on Instagram, testing various targets. There we had the first results. To our great surprise, we generated a ROAS (Revenue on AD Cost) of 10 in two weeks (with 200 euros we had invoiced more than 2000 euros in two weeks) and what was even more astonishing: 80% left us their email. Some even wrote to us and commented on the ad posts, complimenting us. We understood that the engagement was high and that it was worth continuing the project. All this in a month, working part-time and with an investment of 200 euros (advertising expenses).

“My advice to everyone is to monitor everything that happens! We didn’t go by gut feeling. Every action from clicking the ad, to adding to cart, to collecting the email was monitored.”

The MVP

“After collecting about a hundred emails, we decided to move on to the next phase. We wanted to make sure that the product had the characteristics that our early adopters had in mind. After having structured a newsletter in which we told (and still tell) what we do from time to time, we did a survey and discovered, for example, that one of the most important characteristics was that the bottle was black and they told us what they liked about the product and the brand.”

The sampling

“With this information we started to contact the first suppliers. We already knew what fragrance claim customers were looking for. So we created a completely organic, vegan and hypoallergenic product specifically designed for the human pH with a fragrance that lingers on the skin. After numerous tests we found the two fragrances for the launch”

The pre-order

“After setting up the company (which was the biggest expense) we set a date to start pre-orders to self-finance the project (bootstrap). We worked very hard to be able to bring the site online in time and everything it entails (graphics, mock-ups, copy, email automation, monitoring etc.). On July 31st we started pre-orders, which you can find at the following link https://incredy.it/ ”

It's only the beginning

“We are just at the beginning and there is still a lot of road and work to do. We are constantly working hard giving our best. We always keep our ears open to listen to advice and opinions. We invite you to write to us at the following email address info@incredy.it for anything”

The mission

“I would like to create a small revolution in this sector that is too often overlooked, but very important. On TV I have always seen commercials for feminine intimate cleansers and I myself have always used the first thing I found on the bidet (so my mother's or my partner's intimate cleanser). I know very well that we men use soaps and detergents without paying the right attention to the specific use... but by doing so sooner or later we run the risk of having infections and diseases. I hope, through a young and sarcastic communication, to sensitize more and more men to take care of their beloved jewels.”