In recent days, I've been deeply reflecting on Dondo's journey since its inception in 2019. It's been a path filled with learning, challenges, and transformations that have led us to where we are today. When my co-founders and I launched Dondo as a bartering marketplace, we were convinced that we had something truly innovative. Our vision was to create a space where people could exchange their items instead of buying new ones, promoting savings and sustainability. This idea excited us because it wasn't just about a business; it was about making a positive impact on society and the environment.

In the beginning, the growth was exponential. By 2021, we had reached almost a million active users exchanging all kinds of items, from furniture to electronics. Seeing so many people using the platform and sharing their experiences confirmed that we were making a real difference. The stories from our users inspired us and reinforced our determination to keep moving forward. Although we had a committed user base, we faced the challenge of monetizing the platform without compromising the user experience. We explored different approaches—from transaction fees to advertising and premium features—but none generated the revenue necessary to make the project financially viable. After many difficult conversations, we made the decision to close the bartering marketplace. Despite occasional doubts, we remain convinced that it was the right decision. It was a tough call that affected us deeply, as we had invested a lot of effort and dedication into the project.

We decided to pivot to a marketplace for Mexican artisanal products, convinced that supporting local artisans and bringing their unique products to a wider audience was the right path. I sold everything I had in Bogotá and prepared to move to Mexico, fully committed to this new project. However, the project didn't excite us as we had hoped; it didn't ignite the same passion we felt when starting the bartering marketplace. By June 2024, we recognized that this path didn't align with our vision, and we decided to close that chapter as well, focusing on finding new ways to fulfill our mission.

This period was difficult not only professionally but also personally. The year 2023 was particularly tough. My mother's health worsened, and I had to return to Medellín to be with her. On top of that, a very important relationship in my life came to an end. I felt that everything I had built, both personally and professionally, was falling apart. These circumstances led me to question the direction of the company and wonder if we were on the right path. It was hard to stay focused on the business while facing these challenges, and doubts about where we were headed became more present. But despite everything, we kept moving forward, convinced that we could still create something that truly made a difference.

While all this was happening, there was something that kept progressing in the background: an internal tool we had initially developed for our bartering marketplace. It helped us automate product descriptions and streamline the process of creating listings, saving us time and improving our work. When we launched the artisanal marketplace, this tool continued to evolve, allowing us to create more precise and attractive descriptions for the unique products we offered. I've always been passionate about artificial intelligence, and we've been integrating it into our solutions from the beginning. As technology advanced, we realized that we could take our tool to a new level. What started as an internal solution was transforming into something much more powerful. We realized that this tool could be of great help to others. It wasn't just about optimizing our processes but about sharing a solution that could make life easier for many people who, like us, face challenges in the world of e-commerce.

Now, in 2024, we are about to launch the new version of Dondo, a tool specifically designed to help e-commerce sellers automate and optimize their product listings. This initiative was born from the problems we ourselves faced when managing and improving our own listings in previous projects. We dedicated a lot of time to creating detailed and attractive descriptions—an essential process but one that consumed resources we could have invested in other key areas. Throughout our journey with the bartering marketplace and the artisanal marketplace, we noticed that many sellers were facing the same operational difficulties as we did. The need to optimize listings, handle large volumes of products, and keep information updated was a common challenge. It was then that we understood that our internal tool could be the solution not only for us but for thousands of sellers facing these same obstacles.

Looking back, I realize that the path we followed wasn't the one we had originally planned. We started with a bartering marketplace, then explored the world of artisanal products, and at each stage, we faced challenges that made us grow and learn. It wasn't always easy, and there were very tough moments both personally and professionally, but each obstacle led us to this point. The new version of Dondo is not the end of a cycle but the beginning of something much bigger. Our goal now is to help thousands of e-commerce sellers overcome the same challenges we faced, simplify their operations, and optimize their sales. We're just beginning, and the future we see is promising.