Background

1. Shopee, Lazada, Line, TikTok Shop, and other platforms are garnering increasing attention compared to websites. Therefore, to assist sellers and utilize the omni-channel as an acquisition feature, we aim to bridge the gap and attract marketplace sellers to the Plugo environment.
2. The concept of omni-channel was new to many users, particularly those in non-capital cities, where most still manage marketplace orders and stock using manual bookkeeping or Excel files.
3. To sustain momentum leading up to the festive season, it's crucial to launch PlugoSync before losing traction. This means we have from February to June 2023 to release PlugoSync.

Process

1. As we don't face much competition, our research primarily involves engaged and prospective sellers. We delve into their challenges with managing stock, products, and orders across various marketplaces, particularly how they become overwhelmed during the festive season.
2. Acting as the Product Lead, I drafted the first and second milestones for each release, which were validated by both small to large sellers. Ambiguity was prevalent due to the multifaceted nature of omnichannel operations and the varying treatment of APIs across different marketplaces, which sometimes restricted our product development efforts.
3. As we achieved further validation and gradually progressed in development, I focused on gathering more data on API usage within our backend to enhance operational stability. This involved areas such as Stock Sync, Product Import and Upload state in the marketplaces, and preventing overselling.
4. Once we reach certain bases, we expand the countries from Indonesia to Thailand and get many users and revenue in the last one semester.
5. We keep iterate by getting feedback from interview, group discussion, API usage, users analysis in amplitude, GTM and hotjar.

Challenges

1. With PlugoSync being a highly technical product, it posed a challenge for me as a product lead. The task of merging multiple APIs into one, resulting in multiple API outputs, was entirely new to me. Maintaining the connection between input and output required extensive study and discussions with both internal and external developers.
2. Due to the complexities and the absence of a clear baseline for our first MVP, coupled with a lack of guidance from the management team, I faced considerable uncertainty in prioritizing items for PlugoSync. Over time, with numerous validations and feedback from sellers, we released the product with significant enhancements.

Outcomes

1. We launched PlugoSync in June 2023 and released the full version in July 2023.
2. We achieved approximately $0.4 million USD in revenue within one semester