A short-lived but valuable experiment in physical product e-commerce.
The Concept
Lithophanes are 3D printed panels with varying thickness that reveal a photograph when backlit. The thicker parts block more light, creating shadows that form the image. It's a beautiful way to display memories - personalized gifts that literally light up.
LUYM = Light Up Your Memories
What We Built
- Custom website at luym.sg where customers could upload photos
- Automated processing to convert photos into 3D printable files
- Stripe integration for payments
- Fulfillment workflow for printing and shipping
The Pivot
We had just gotten the site running and made our first sales to friends when COVID-19 hit Singapore. Suddenly everyone needed masks, and the e-commerce infrastructure we'd built could serve a much larger market.
We pivoted within weeks. The web development skills, payment integration experience, and e-commerce operational knowledge all transferred directly to the mask business.
Lessons Learned
- Quick pivots preserve momentum: Instead of mourning a paused project, we redirected everything to a bigger opportunity
- Friends are the best first customers: They give honest feedback and genuine support
- Infrastructure is transferable: The skills and systems built for one product work for another
- Timing matters more than perfection: A working MVP at the right moment beats a polished product too late
Outcome
The friends who bought lithophanes were happy with their gifts. The business didn't scale, but it didn't need to - it served its purpose as a learning experience and stepping stone to something bigger.
Sometimes a venture's value isn't in the revenue it generates, but in what it prepares you to do next.