Starting a Startup After Business School

AptDeco handles payments, pickup, and delivery for people buying and selling furniture. Fagiri says the founders tested interest by adding delivery to Craigslist listings and saw more responses. Their first site transaction came on launch day, after they had tested the service by delivering furniture themselves.

Fagiri was still working at L’Oréal while developing AptDeco, and Dennis had already left his job before the YC interview. A successful same-day sale with free delivery helped convince them to commit. They say business experience helped with financial modeling and analysis, but building from zero required different skills.

The founders describe using financial models, weekly check-ins, project tracking, and team KPI reviews to guide the business. They use regular performance feedback and say employees should hear about problems early enough to respond. AptDeco initially underpriced delivery and had negative margins, then used pricing tests to learn what customers would pay.

AptDeco used Facebook, Instagram, Google, and subway ads to acquire customers; the founders say referrals accounted for 45 to 50 percent. Early demand strained their delivery operation, and leasing eight or nine vans proved premature during slower seasons. They built their own scheduling and routing tools to coordinate pickups and deliveries across three states without warehousing furniture.

Some add-on services, including photography and cleaning, failed to attract customers. A customer testimonial ad performed well when the founders revisited an earlier campaign, prompting them to study digital advertising more closely. They advise YC founders to test suggestions thoroughly, talk directly with customers, and return to advisers with clear progress.