In this episode of SaaS That App: Building B2B Web Applications, Aaron Marchbanks and Justin Edwards are joined by Reid Lyle, founder and owner of Fast Yowi Tees, a custom screen printing and embroidery business. Reid shares his unconventional journey from marketing professional to print shop owner, starting with an accidental t-shirt business that began when a test e-commerce site unexpectedly received orders.
Reid details how opportunistic pivots led to establishing a legitimate print business. He discusses navigating the evolution of online marketplaces from gold mines to increasingly exploitative platforms, which eventually pushed him to establish a physical storefront as a stability anchor.
The conversation covers how a recent digital transformation project helped integrate their complex quoting system into a streamlined interface that serves both customers and employees. Reid also shares his philosophy on sustainable growth, employee happiness through technology, and why he believes there's "such a thing as being too big."
Highlights:- [00:00] - Introduction
- [01:55] - Screen Printing for Everyone
- [04:00] - From Advertising to Apparel
- [07:07] - The Early Days of eCommerce
- [11:11] - Building a Game-Changing Quoting System
- [14:44] - Making Life Easier for Employees
- [16:56] - Not Your Average eCommerce Setup
- [20:44] - Kill Your Darlings, Not Your Children
- [22:45] - What’s Next for Fast Yowi Tees?
Episode Resources:- Reid Lyle, founder and owner of Fast Yowi Tees
- Aaron Marchbanks, Head of Engineering of Delta Systems, host
- Justin Edwards, CIO of Delta Systems, co-host
- Fast Yowi website
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