we sell cotton candy - founder
founding and leading a startup to success!
Co-Founder
We Sell Cotton Candy Pvt. Ltd.
April 2021 – February 2024
Kathmandu, Bāgmatī , Nepal · On-site
Overview
We Sell Cotton Candy was Nepal’s first premium cotton candy brand, transforming a classic street snack into a delightful, sugar-filled delicacy. It wasn’t just cotton candy; it was a revolution in a tub! 🚀
What started as a two-person gig — where we made the cotton candy, packaged, labeled, and shipped everything ourselves—grew into a team of 8-10 passionate individuals bringing sweetness to life. Through strategic branding, innovative product development, and efficient operations, the company achieved rapid growth and success, becoming a household favorite.
As Co-Founder, I led the business strategy, technical design, and ensured that our sugar was always on point. With zero prior knowledge of businesses or startups (seriously, I didn’t even know where to start), turning this idea into something successful felt like creating magic. I guess it’s true what they say: “Behind every successful entrepreneur, there’s a sugar rush.” 🍭
Key Contributions
Business Development and Branding
- Founded the company and conducted extensive R&D to establish Nepal's first cotton candy brand, because who doesn't love a good sugar cloud?
- Designed a visually appealing brand identity that would make even Willy Wonka jealous using Figma and Adobe Suite.
- Built a sweet social media presence across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, ensuring cotton candy had its moment in the spotlight.
- Revolutionized the perception of cotton candy, presenting it as a premium delicacy (not just something you find at carnivals!).
- Secured partnerships with Miniso and Masala Beads, and collaborated with prestigious institutions like LA, Pathshala, and Premier IB School, proving cotton candy could be for the elite.
Technical Management [self-proclaimed CTO]
- Designed and developed the backend architecture and frontend systems for the company (because someone had to make sure our cotton candy wasn’t just sweet but also tech-savvy).
- Built and maintained custom in-house applications for delivery optimization, stock management, email automation, and document management—basically everything except making the cotton candy itself.
- Hired and managed a team of developers and designers who helped bring our tech dreams (and cotton candy) to life.
- Managed the company’s servers, domains, and credentials, keeping everything running smoothly so we could focus on making things fluffy.
- Oversaw project management for technical initiatives—because without it, we'd still be struggling to get our app to run.
- Ensured our email systems were flawless, so our customers could get sweet updates directly in their inbox.
- Developed a business management system that turned chaotic processes into sweet, organized efficiency.
Product Development, Product Design and Sales Growth
- Sold 20,000 tubs in the first year. We made so much cotton candy, we could have built a cotton candy city by the end of it.
- Innovated packaging solutions to elevate our product presentation—because who says a sugar rush can’t be cool?
- Adapted packaging strategies to cater to various customer types, making sure everyone had their own cotton candy experience.
- Funneled out our main target customers—unsurprisingly, kids—and, surprisingly, their parents, who couldn’t resist the nostalgia and joy.
- Brainstormed creative labeling strategies to make our product irresistible to kids while ensuring hygienic standards won the hearts (and wallets) of parents. 👶💖
- Designed fun characters and personalities for each flavor, turning cotton candy into a whimsical world. Examples? Lemon cotton candy became “John Lemon” a smashing hit… until we introduced coconut cotton candy as “Nariwal Gopal” which faced massive backlash. Lesson learned. 😅
- Offered customized cotton candy packaging for special events—birthdays, weddings, office parties, and more—because everyone deserves a little sweetness at their celebrations. 🎉
Marketing and Advertising
- Managed paid advertisements on Meta platforms, ensuring strategic budget allocation and campaign optimization, because even cotton candy deserves a big budget.
- Developed a robust customer database for personalized marketing, ensuring our sweet customers felt extra special.
- Achieved effective audience targeting with ROI higher than our sugar levels post-candy binge.
- Brainstormed creative strategies to promote our cotton candy, which sometimes involved shouting “sweetness overload” from the rooftops.
- Took part in countless events during my journey with the company, ensuring our brand stood out like a swirl of rainbow cotton candy on a sunny day. 🌈
- Masterfully managed event operations—because when you’re a product historically tied to events, the show must go on (and be spectacular).
- Built impactful relationships with customers at events, turning their sugar rushes into loyal online orders. 🍭
- Earned the title of “Event MVP” with the highest-selling item at most event, often selling out faster than cotton candy dissolving in water.
- Accomplished brand identity and goodwill, proving that our cotton candy wasn’t just a treat—it was a crowd-favorite experience loved by everyone. 💕
Operational and Financial Management
- Managed the entire business for 6 months while my co-founder was abroad, basically running the show (and making sure we didn’t run out of sugar).
- Streamlined operations by managing vendors, supporting customers, and overseeing daily tasks to ensure everything was as smooth as our cotton candy.
- Directed financial processes, including VAT entries, monthly revenue analysis, and employee payouts.
- Managed internal staff, factory operations, stock levels, hygiene, and more (because, you know, cotton candy-making is an art, but also, it’s a business).
- Planned and defined the company’s future path, based on sales and financial projections—because sugar doesn’t grow on trees.
Results and Impact
- Grew We Sell Cotton Candy into a recognized brand, transforming cotton candy from a street snack to an upscale indulgence (we even got fancy with it).
- Enhanced operational efficiency with our custom technical solutions—because even candy-making needs structure.
- Built a system that tracked everything from billings and deliveries to expenses and stock management—basically, a cloud of candy-powered organization.
- Generated 50 Lakh+ revenue with just 1 product i.e. cotton candy in 2 years, proving that one sugar-filled idea can lead to sweet success.
- Successfully sold my shares, marking a new chapter in my entrepreneurial journey, where the sugar journey comes to a hold.
Skills and Tools
- Business Strategy: Vendor partnerships, market research, revenue growth (and an obsession with optimizing cotton candy operations).
- Technical Expertise: Backend and frontend development, app design, server management, and everything needed to support cotton candy tech.
- Design Tools: Figma, Adobe Suite (for all the sweet branding work).
- Development Tools: Next.js, custom app development with Flutter(turning cotton candy dreams into a digital reality).
- Project Management: Overseeing everything from sugar production to app rollouts.
- Marketing: Social media strategy, paid campaigns, audience targeting (and ensuring the whole world knows about our fluffy creations).
- Operations: Financial management, customer relations, day-to-day operations (because candy making isn’t all about sugar, it’s about sustainability).
Marking an end to my journey at WSCC
Entrepreneur | Successfully Sold Shares in We Sell Cotton Candy Pvt. Ltd.
We Sell Cotton Candy Pvt. Ltd.
Jan 2024 - Mar 2024
Kathmandu, Bāgmatī, Nepal
- Successfully sold my shares in the company, ending my chapter in cotton candy with a sweet farewell.
- Played a key role in strategic decision-making and management, helping guide the company to its success.
- Looking forward to new adventures, where I’ll probably still be surrounded by sugar... just in different forms.
Proud to have contributed to the growth and success of Nepal's first premium cotton candy brand, with a blend of technical ingenuity, leadership, and just a hint of sugar-induced madness!
Me and cotton candies
