Jiake Liu is the Co-Founder and CEO of Outer, a brand revolutionizing outdoor living by reimagining furniture and transforming backyards into immersive, functional spaces. With a mission to make life outside effortless and enjoyable, Outer combines eco-friendly materials, durable design, and an innovative showroom model—crowdsourcing real customers’ backyards to create a unique, community-driven shopping experience.

Before launching Outer in 2018, Jiake built his career in tech and software engineering at Riot Games, where he honed his expertise in problem-solving and user experience. Now, as an angel investor and founder, he’s leveraging technology, sustainability, and consumer-first innovation to redefine how people connect with their outdoor spaces.

In 2025, Jiake is taking Outer beyond furniture with Outer Spaces—a proprietary solution designed to convert vacant backyards into fully functional outdoor living spaces, from wellness retreats and dining areas to personal gyms.

Under his leadership, Outer is reshaping the way we think about outdoor living—proving that sustainability, design, and convenience can coexist seamlessly in Ecommerce.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [01:06] Intro
• [01:48] Introducing a new way to sell products
• [03:40] Finding the right investors for growth
• [05:10] Pitching a better product to investors
• [07:38] Building a brand through viral marketing
• [08:35] Building brand trust through storytelling
• [09:43] Validating ideas with ad mockups
• [10:13] Talking to customers before launching
• [11:14] Staying connected with customers post-purchase
• [11:57] Inventing solutions before customers ask for them
• [14:06] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [17:19] Building trust with real product experiences
• [19:58] Turning media buzz into big opportunities
• [22:22] Mastering numbers before raising capital
• [23:27] Building outdoor spaces in one day

Want more insights from top Ecommerce leaders? Our episode guest was a featured speaker at eTail Palm Springs 2025, sharing insights with top Ecommerce minds. If you want to be part of the next big discussions, join eTail Boston in August 2025 and/or eTail Palm Springs in February 2026!

Learn more at eTail’s official sites: 
https://etaileast.wbresearch.com/
https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The Perfect Outdoor Sofa is Now Within Reach liveouter.com/
• Follow Jiake Liu linkedin.com/in/jiakeliu
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!