Too Big, Too Soon. Profitably Rebuilding Last Object's Shopify Business From The Foundations.
What happens when you build a save-the-planet product… and realise customers only need to buy it once?
In this episode of the Winning with Shopify Podcast, Nick sits down with Isabel (Co-Founder of LastObject) to unpack the real behind-the-scenes of sustainable ecommerce: ocean-bound plastic sourcing, why waterless detergent sheets took off, and the honest business shift from “mission-first” to repeatable revenue + data-led product validation.
You’ll hear how LastObject went from 35 employees back to the 3 founders, rebuilt their strategy, and started using ads + pre-orders to test demand before committing to inventory. If you’re a Shopify founder, marketer, or product builder, this one’s packed with practical lessons (and a few “no one warned me about this” moments).
In this episode, we unpack:
• Why waterless detergent sheets are taking off
• How ocean-bound plastic creates real economic impact
• Co-founder dynamics and healthy conflict
• Why reusable products struggle as a business model
• The data-driven shift to “let ads decide”
• Kickstarter as a pre-order and awareness engine
• The founder lesson most people learn too late
Check out LastObject here: https://lastobject.co.uk/
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Key Takeaways:
00:00 – Learning Lessons from Product Sales
01:38 – Isabel’s Journey with Last Object
04:07 – Waterless Laundry Detergent Sheets
05:18 – Shipping Water: Environmental Impact
06:07 – Repeat Customer Business Model Shift
07:20 – The Genesis of Last Object
08:38 – Ocean-Bound Plastic Sourcing Strategy
10:01 – Currency on Trash: Supporting Local Economies
11:23 – Co-Founder Dynamics: Brother and Friend
17:11 – Pivoting to Repeatable Product Lines
19:10 – Investment Challenges: Burning Money
23:20 – Wrong Product Fit: Key Lesson
24:08 – Data-Driven Marketing: Testing Products
24:54 – Downsizing: From 35 to 3 Founders
26:06 – Returning to Design as a Core Strength
28:36 – Let Ads Decide: Product Validation
36:46 – Kickstarter Strategy: Pre-Orders & Awareness
38:40 – Designing with Data and Customer Feedback
42:23 – Cut Your Darlings Earlier: A Business Lesson
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