u/saintcitrus_

I’m currently building Finnito, an AI-powered operational platform for ecommerce operators and brands.

The core problem is pretty simple:
most ecommerce teams are still running critical business decisions across fragmented dashboards, spreadsheets and disconnected tools. The operational layer is chaotic, reactive and heavily manual.

I come from the ecommerce operations side and have spent the last few years working across Amazon, Shopify and marketplace ecosystems. That work contributed to:
• £1M+ Shopify revenue
• multiple Amazon UK bestselling products
• operational systems that significantly reduced loss and return issues inside a UK ecommerce business

One side of the platform is already live:
Vision Studio, an AI product photography tool for ecommerce brands.

The second product is currently in active development and focuses more on operational intelligence, workflow structure and decision support.

What I’m looking for:
Someone technical who enjoys thinking in systems and infrastructure, not just frontend execution. Backend architecture, AI workflows, reasoning systems, APIs, product infrastructure etc.
UK and Europe only please.

Also trying to approach this realistically:
I’m more interested in finding someone good to build with first than forcing “cofounder” labels too early. If the working relationship is strong, the structure can evolve naturally from there.
Happy to share more privately if there’s alignment.

I’m an ecommerce operator/creative strategist offering freelance support for:
• Amazon listing images
• A+ Content
• Infographics
• Product launches
• Shopify product pages
• Packaging/manual copy
• Brand positioning visuals
Background:
I previously worked on multiple UK Amazon listings that reached #1 Best Seller positions across different categories, covering everything from listing optimisation and image sequencing to product positioning and conversion-focused UX.
I’m also currently building Finnito Vision Studio — an AI-powered ecommerce product photography platform focused on:
• product image generation
• lifestyle scenes
• infographic creation
• background removal
• listing copy
• visual conversion workflows

So I approach listings from both the operator side and the systems/tooling side.

A lot of Amazon creatives look visually “nice” but don’t actually communicate:
• what’s included
• why it matters
• scale/context
• emotional outcome
• differentiation
• trust

That’s usually where conversion gets lost.
Current services through Fin Method include:
• Infographics & Visuals (£120)
• Amazon SEO Listings (£180)
• Amazon A+ Content (£450)
• Product Launch Kits (£850)
• Shopify UX/content work
• Brand voice & conversion-focused copy

Website (still actively being refined):
finmethod.co.uk

Happy to:
• review existing listings
• help build new launch assets
• redesign underperforming visuals
• or let a few sellers test Vision Studio free while I continue developing it.

Feel free to DM me your product/category.

I’m hitting a bit of a wall and would really appreciate some honest input from people who’ve been through this.

I left my job last year to build a startup full-time. I’m not from a technical background, so I’ve been figuring things out as I go. I had a technical cofounder, but they’ve recently said they don’t have the time to commit anymore, which has set me back quite a bit.

What’s making this harder to process is that I have seen this work in practice.

For the past year at my old job, I was essentially running a manual version of what I’m trying to build now. Using spreadsheets, workflows, and stitched-together tools, I used it daily as the target user — and it led to ~£1M in sales and multiple #1 Amazon bestsellers across categories.

So I’m not guessing on the problem or the demand. I’ve lived it, and I know the value when it’s done right.

But translating that into an actual product without a technical cofounder feels… almost impossible.

On top of that, I’ve spent months explaining and defending the idea to people, which has slowly chipped away at my confidence. I also keep seeing people (especially on Reddit) describing problems that are very close to what I’m trying to solve — but I can’t really engage without it coming across as self-promotion.

So I’m stuck in this position:

- I believe there’s real demand (based on actually using the MVP in practice)

- I don’t currently have the technical ability to fully execute

- I’ve lost my cofounder and haven’t been able to find another

- And I’m starting to question whether this is a bad idea, or if I’m just not the right person to build it

I’m now considering going back to work, at least temporarily, but part of me feels like that’s giving up.

For anyone who’s been through something similar:

- How did you deal with the self-doubt after setbacks like losing a cofounder?

Did you push through, pivot, or step back?

- If you weren’t technical, how did you actually get something built?

- And how did you find a cofounder without constantly hitting dead ends?

Not looking for motivation quotes — just real experiences.