Minted: Mariam Naficy

How I Built This · 4 Jun 2018 · 49m

What this episode covers

Mariam Naficy, founder of Minted, explains how she pivoted her stationery platform from selling established brands to a 100% crowdsourced model after an initial launch failure. She details the early struggles of Eve.com, including VC collusion and a successful exit before the dot-com crash, and how Minted’s early sales silence forced a strategic shift toward design competitions. Naficy also describes overcoming a hostile acquisition attempt by a competitor who bought Minted’s printer, relying on rapid supply chain pivoting to maintain independence. The episode highlights Minted’s evolution into a profitable, cash-flow-positive business that empowers emerging artists.

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