In this episode of You Win or You Learn, I sit down with Simon and Tammy from The RoofPod to chat about their journey building lightweight rooftop tents. What started as a side project during the COVID lockdown quickly turned into a thriving business. Simon, with no prior tent-making experience, crafted a prototype in his garage, and that led to the creation of The RoofPod—a company focused on making camping more accessible for everyday people, not just hardcore overlanders.
We talk about their struggles and triumphs, from creating their first models to facing cash flow problems, production hiccups, and slow growth. But with determination, they found success by building a community of loyal fans and customers who love the brand for its integrity and personal touch.
Tune in as we explore how they made their vision a reality, the lessons they learned from launching a business without a traditional business background, and why staying authentic has been the key to their success. We also dive into some major business hurdles, like managing stock and international shipping challenges, and the importance of passion and persistence when building something from scratch.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:05 How did The RoofPod start?
03:26 Current product range available.
04:34: Why lightweight rooftop tents and benefits there of?
08:32 Challenges of bringing a new product into the South African market.
13:25 Was a pivotal moment when The RoofPod turned from a personal project to product?
17:18 Marketing & building a community.
21:56 Where is the business run from?
24:09 Is the product made per order?
25:32 Is the product only sold locally?
32:22 Has there been any challenges with having employees?
34:42 Background with running businesses and lessons learned.
46:45 How do you handle client complaint?
48:42 Marketing besides social media.
58:07 What advice would you give other South Africans wanting to create and launch a product in South Africa?
1:03:02 Future plans for The RoofPod.
1:06:57 How can people find and contact The RoofPod?
1:08:02 Outro
Find The RoofPod here: