Behind The Tool: Sebastiaan From Genie.io

Can you describe what Genie.io does in your own words?

Genie is an intuitive inventory management tool designed for Shopify brands looking to scale efficiently. It helps merchants easily track stock levels, create purchase orders, and forecast demand. Genie empowers businesses to avoid costly inventory mistakes by automating key processes and making data-driven decisions that fuel growth.

When did you realize this was a problem big enough to build a company around?

I realized the scope of the inventory problem while working in operations and speaking with countless e-commerce founders. One moment stands out: I was helping a fast-growing brand that ran out of its bestseller right before a major sale. They were using messy spreadsheets and by the time they noticed the stock issue, it was too late – a huge revenue loss. Seeing that pain up close was my wake-up call. I knew then that inventory mismanagement wasn’t just an annoyance; it was a massive, industry-wide problem. That’s when I felt in my bones that I had to build a solution to make inventory simple and prevent situations like that from ever happening again.

What’s one common mistake brands make when it comes to inventory management?

Many brands treat inventory management as a back-office chore rather than a strategic priority. The common mistake is waiting until something goes wrong – a stockout or piles of excess product – before they pay attention. They often rely on reactive fixes or clunky old systems, assuming everything’s fine until it isn’t. In reality, being proactive is key: you need to plan ahead with data, not gut feel. Most brands get it wrong by thinking a spreadsheet is “good enough.” It’s not. The brands that win are those who recognize inventory is a core part of growth and profitability, not just an operational afterthought.

How did your background prepare you to build Genie?

My career has been the perfect training ground for solving this. I started on the operations side – I was a supply chain lead at a startup where I experienced first-hand how chaotic managing inventory can be. I’ve packed boxes, forecasted orders, and felt the stress when the numbers were off. Later I became a VC investing in e-commerce companies, which let me see the problem from the outside too. Founder after founder would vent about inventory issues draining their cash or stalling growth. That mix of experiences – deep operational pain and a panoramic view of the industry – made it crystal clear to me that if no one else was fixing this, I should. It gave me the insight and conviction to start building a solution like Genie.

What’s the feature that new customers get hooked on first?

Without a doubt, it’s our three-click reordering feature. The first time a customer uses Genie, they’re amazed at how easy it is to replenish their stock. We’ve basically shrunk a process that used to take hours (and a lot of frustration in spreadsheets) into just a few clicks. For example, if you’re running low on a product, Genie will notify you and let you generate a supplier purchase order almost instantly – auto-filling the quantities and details for you. In three quick clicks, you’ve re-ordered what you need. Customers love that immediacy. It feels almost magical to them because something that used to be a headache is now this simple, almost one-button task. That “wow, it’s already done?” reaction is exactly what we aimed for.

How is Genie different from other inventory management tools out there?

The big differentiator is how intuitive and fast-to-value Genie is. Traditional inventory systems (or big ERPs) are notoriously clunky – they take weeks or months to set up and require specialized training. In contrast, we designed Genie to feel as easy as using a simple app. You can integrate it with your store and literally start getting actionable insights in minutes. No waiting around or long onboarding projects. Users often tell us, “I got value from day one.” That rapid time to value, combined with a modern, user-friendly interface, sets us apart. We don’t overwhelm you with complexity; everything in Genie is streamlined so that even if you’re not a supply chain expert, you can navigate and leverage it immediately. It’s like going from driving a bulky truck to zipping around in a sports car – the experience is just smoother and faster.

What’s a big industry shift you think brands aren’t talking about enough?

One huge shift is the move towards operational agility and efficiency in e-commerce. For years, a lot of brands were in “grow at all costs” mode – raising tons of money and stuffing warehouses just in case. Now, with market conditions tightening, the conversation is shifting to profitability and cash flow. Inventory sits right at that intersection. I don’t think brands talk enough about how the cost of capital and supply chain volatility are changing inventory strategies. We’re seeing a trend toward smarter, leaner inventory: using data and AI to predict demand more accurately, ordering more frequently in smaller batches, and generally being nimble. It’s a pivot from the old mindset of “buy huge volumes and hope they sell” to “stay light and responsive.” The brands that quietly adopt this agile approach are going to have a big advantage, even if it’s not the flashiest topic on Twitter right now.

What’s one hard lesson you’ve learned while building Genie?

I learned the hard way that focus is everything. In the early days, we were eager to solve every inventory problem our customers mentioned. We kept adding features and trying to be all things at once, and guess what – we ended up with a product that was too complicated. It just confused people. We had to take a step back and simplify. That was a painful lesson: doing less, but doing it extremely well, is better than doing more in a mediocre way. Now we’re very intentional about our roadmap. We say “no” more often, even if it’s tempting to chase a new idea. Staying focused on what provides the most value has made our product stronger and our customers happier.

If you could rewind to Day 1, what would you do differently?

I’d tell myself to talk to customers even earlier and in greater depth. We did customer research from the start, but if I’m honest, we could have dug even deeper before writing a single line of code. On Day 1, we had a vision (which is great) but there were nuances we only discovered later by watching users interact with our product. If I could do it over, I’d spend even more time shadowing merchants in their day-to-day operations, understanding every tiny pain point. Essentially, I’d double down on being customer-obsessed from the absolute beginning. That would have saved us from a few missteps and iterations. So, less time in the office theorizing, more time on the warehouse floor listening – that’s the Day 1 do-over.

What’s the best advice you’ve received as a founder?

The best advice I’ve ever gotten is “fall in love with the problem, not your solution.” A mentor shared that with me early on, and it stuck. It reminds me to keep ego out of it. If our approach isn’t working, we pivot – as long as we’re still committed to solving the core problem for our customers. Another way I interpret it is to stay curious and keep learning. Instead of being fixated on a particular product idea, I focus on understanding inventory challenges from every angle. That mindset has been invaluable. It’s why we’ve been comfortable iterating on Genie and making tough calls to change course when needed. In the fast-changing startup world, being married to the problem and not the initial plan has kept us agile and motivated, no matter what happens.