What do we do:

ShopDeck helps e-commerce merchants set up and manage their D2C storefront "profitably".

Proposition for merchants:

D2C selling made as easy as selling on marketplaces like AZ, FK, Meesho, Myntra, etc

Why build this?

1. India's D2C wave has been limited to venture-funded D2C brands today

2. The art of selling on your own website is not democratised. There are ~500k-1M sellers who can sell D2C but can at best sell on marketplaces

3. Philosophically - we feel brand owners should spend most of their time on the product and not on channel optimization

4. Shopify / Status-quo software solve for work-flow management of storefront but don't do enough on "helping" merchants sell well!

Our proposition:

We have a software + services proposition for the merchant with the goal of optimizing for the merchant's profitability. Our product is an all-in-one software stack that gives merchants everything they need to sell D2C, i.e. Storefront, Shipping, Marketing integrations, Communication. Our services layer works on top of this software stack to achieve profitability for merchants. Here, we combine 4-key roles in classic e-commerce setup, all relevant for any D2C brand as well:

1. Marketing manager ("top of the funnel")

2. Category manager ("products/merchandising")

3. Product manager ("website/app metrics")

4. Ops manager ("shipping metrics")

Our services layer measures metrics across all these buckets to optimize and take appropriate actions for merchant's profitability. Over time, the goal is to productize our services layer - which we believe will move the baseline of what merchants expect from a storefront software.

Team and scale:

We're at ~$4.5M ARR and had hit profitability earlier in the year. We've recently raised series-B from led by Bessemer Venture Partners (who had famously led Series A for Shopify in 2010) with participation from Elevation Capital, General Catalyst (fka Venture Highway) and Chiratae Ventures.

Founders:

Rishabh Verma

Harmin Shah

Job Title: Category Lead

Role Overview:

We're seeking a Category Lead to build and implement category-specific. frameworks that go beyond our current generic models. This role requires a strategic, hands-on approach to understanding the unique dynamics of each product category and identifying specific levers that can drive growth and profitability for our clients. You will work with cross-functional teams to develop and refine category strategies that address the nuances of different verticals, maximizing relevance and impact for clients across diverse product lines.

Key Responsibilities:

- Develop category-specific strategies to enhance growth, improve profitability, and address unique challenges within each category.

- Build frameworks that incorporate best practices and are adaptable for different product verticals, including electronics, fashion, and more.

- Driving revenue for the category owned.

- Managing a two-tier team and optimizing P&L for the category.

- Leverage on-ground insights to understand competitive dynamics, consumer behavior, and key category drivers (e., competitive pricing in electronics, high-quality listings in fashion).

- Collaborate with our Growth, Product, and Data teams to ensure strategies align with both platform capabilities and client goals.

- Continuously assess and optimise category frameworks based on performance metrics and feedback from clients.

- Serve as the go-to expert for category-related insights, trends, and competitive benchmarks to inform broader company strategy.

Qualifications:

- Tier 1 Pedigree [Top IIT/NIT/BITS/B SCHOOLS]

- 3-7 years of relevant experience in category management, consulting, or e-commerce, with a strong understanding of category-specific strategies.

What We Offer:

- A pivotal role in shaping category strategy and building scalable frameworks in the D2C market.

- A dynamic work environment where innovative thinking and ground-level insights are valued.

- Competitive salary and benefits package.

- Opportunity to significantly impact the profitability and success of diverse e-commerce categories.