Pasture Shelters
Mobile shelters for sustainable pasture management
The Vision
It started in 2023 when I was looking to buy a new horse shelter. After extensive research and creating a comprehensive list of vendors, I noticed something striking: this industry was ripe for disruption. Most sellers excelled at production but struggled with marketing and innovation. The products felt outdated, and the customer experience was lacking. I saw an opportunity to bring fresh thinking to a traditional market.
Mobility First
Easy to move by one person without machinery
Weather Protection
Complete shelter from rain, wind, and sun
Sustainable Design
Supporting regenerative farming practices
The Journey
My journey into manufacturing began with reaching out to suppliers on Alibaba. I found one offering competitive pricing with innovative materials and ordered my first prototype at the end of 2023. After 3-4 months of waiting, reality hit hard – what arrived wasn't what I had ordered. This sparked an exhausting 18-month dispute through Alibaba's platform, teaching me my first hard lesson about international manufacturing.
First Prototype Failure
End of 2023: Ordered from Alibaba supplier. After months of waiting, received a product that didn't match specifications. Led to lengthy dispute process.
Vietnam Partnership
During the dispute, connected with a German-raised entrepreneur in Vietnam. Built second prototype from scratch, but it also failed due to mismanagement. Flying to Vietnam to inspect revealed it wasn't up to standard.
Professional Engineering Team
My commitment and presence in Vietnam opened new doors. Was offered to work with a professional engineering team at no cost. Spent another year developing a third prototype – finally achieving a great solution.
Market Timing Challenge
By the time we had a market-ready product, economic conditions had shifted. Unable to raise sufficient capital to scale production. Project put on hold, but prototype remains as proof of concept.
What I Learned
This project taught me invaluable lessons about product development, market validation, and the complexities of bringing a physical product to market. While the shelters are currently on hold, the experience shaped my approach to all future projects.
Choose Partners Carefully
I learned the hard way that business relationships require accountability. Partners must be held responsible for their mistakes to protect both time and assets. Trust is earned through actions, not promises.
Presence Creates Opportunity
Flying to Vietnam was a game-changer. Being physically present showed commitment and opened doors that would have remained closed. Sometimes you need to show up in person to build real relationships and trust.
Plan Before You Build
I should have leveraged my marketing and programming skills differently. Building a webshop to sell existing horse shelters would have provided better ROI than creating my own. Sometimes the best innovation is in distribution, not production.
Transparency Builds Trust
Honesty and transparency on both sides of a business relationship proved crucial. When things went wrong, open communication helped salvage relationships and create new opportunities, like the partnership with the engineering team.
The Future
While the pasture shelters are currently on hold, the project remains close to my heart. The prototypes proved the concept works, and I believe there's still a market opportunity waiting for the right moment. Perhaps one day, when the timing aligns, these shelters will find their way to pastures around the world.
For now, the experience serves as a foundation for my current ventures, reminding me that innovation often requires patience, persistence, and the wisdom to know when to pivot.
Interested in Physical Product Development?
While I'm currently focused on digital products, I'm always open to discussing innovative physical product ideas and sharing insights from this journey.
Get in Touch