Welcome to what might be the most relatable entrepreneurship episode you will ever hear, because nobody here is pretending they got it right the first time.
In this episode Josi is joined by Dejan, a software engineer and serial entrepreneur who has been living in London for thirteen years, originally from Split, Croatia via Belgrade, Serbia. They are old friends. They are both failed entrepreneurs. And they are both still going.
The episode starts with a confession. This is actually the second recording. The first one was so slow and flat that Dejan himself said it would put listeners to sleep within five minutes. So they scrapped it and started again. Which is honestly the most on brand way to open an episode about never giving up.
Josi shares how it all started, selling lingerie and watches from eBay in Facebook auction groups at sixteen years old, before dropshipping even had a name. Then how a desperate Facebook post during a difficult London chapter led to a job cleaning Dejan's flat and a friendship that has lasted ever since. What Josi didn't know until this episode was that she had also helped Dejan through one of the hardest periods of his life without even realising it.
Dejan talks through his own entrepreneurial journey, a Chrome extension for price tracking, a telemetry platform that now has three thousand registered users, and his current project Style Rush, a booking app for salons, nail bars, tattoo studios and beauty businesses that challenges the industry standard by removing the punishing commission model that breaks new business owners.
Between them they have tried, failed, pivoted and tried again more times than they can count. Gugugaga, children's interactive toys, did not make it. Gift boxes lasted a few months. A two year business partnership ended. And yet here they both are, still building.
The conclusion is not a neat motivational speech. It is something more honest than that. If you have a passion for something, do it. Even if it fails. Because every failure points you somewhere. And sometimes that somewhere is exactly where you were always supposed to end up.
Dejan also has something for listeners. If you know anyone in the beauty or wellness industry looking for a booking system, he is offering a commission for referrals. Details in the episode. 🎙️
