Dalooni is an affiliate marketing e-commerce platform that monetizes word of mouth. 

a. What’s your approach to strategy formulation recently?

“Our most recent fundraise closed earlier this year, putting us at a cash advantage, meaning no severe cuts that would hinder growth have been taken. That being said, we have made active & conscious steps to stretch runway beyond the 18 month mark, which is quite the relief for any early-stage startup. 

With that in mind, we can maintain focus on strategy and our approach to achieving product-market fit. We’ve seen lower engagement during the past quarter in consumer electronics and a few other discretionary items; our user retention remains strong with no significant drops W-o-W. We’ve taken the initiative late 2019 to focus on monetization, and in essence have since been able to negotiate contracts and agreements that put us in a favorable position to achieve our revenue forecasts for the year, even during the times of COVID-19. Our affiliate marketing model leads to continuous organic customer acquisition, ie. sellers are also buyers on the platform, thus dropping CAC without any budgeting changes. Though we have experienced a drop in transactional value on the platform, we remain confident in our monetization strategy and new product lines.” 

b. What are you currently bullish on?

“We’ve long planned for our last-mile logistics service; the idea was born around mid-2019. The concept here is to enable affiliate marketers and sellers on Dalooni to have the option to deliver items themselves for a higher revenue-share per transaction. The convenience and flexibility of the platform allows for optionality, something a lot other platforms lack. 

We have not come across a similar hybrid model and approach to classifieds and marketing in the region for many years – leaving a lot of legroom for creativity. In Bezos’s words, “it truly is a business miracle not having to deal with any sort of competition for many years.”

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