From Failed Streetwear Brand to Successful B2B Fashion Startup – Marco Lawrenz, Mula

About this episode

Marco Lawrenz and his team have pulled off an impressive pivot: What started as the streetwear brand "Fucking Early" has become Mula – a B2B fashion platform that recently secured a multi-million investment from Spread Group. This transformation exemplifies how founders can learn from failed business models and forge successful new paths.

The Rocky Road from B2C to B2B

Originally launched as streetwear for everyone, the team quickly realized that the B2C market wasn't the right path for them. The pivot to a B2B fashion startup wasn't a spontaneous decision, but rather the result of hard-earned learnings and recognizing where the company's true strengths lay.

Developing Mula into a scalable B2B fashion platform was marked by strategic decisions and continuous process optimization. The question of scaling and automation played a central role – evolving from manually printing t-shirts to fully automated workflows.

The Toughest Decisions on the Founder's Journey

Every founder knows them: those moments when decisions must be made that cause sleepless nights. For Marco and his team, these critical turning points were formative for their later success. Particularly challenging was the question of when and how to hire new employees – a decision that remains complex even today.

The transformation of the business model also brought changes in their approach to B2B sales. What worked before had to be completely rethought and adapted to new circumstances.

From Bootstrapping to Strategic Investment

A pivotal turning point was the decision to bring Spread Group on board as a strategic investor. This choice wasn't just a financing decision, but a strategic course-setting for the company's future.

The time before investment – the classic bootstrapping phase – differs fundamentally from the situation after securing funding. The question of whether you sleep better after an investment concerns many founders. Marco's experiences show that with investment comes not only changes in financial situation, but also in team dynamics and strategic direction.

Scaling and Automation as Success Factors

One of the biggest challenges was making Mula scalable. The company had to learn how to automate complex business processes without losing quality. It turned out that not everything can be automated – and not everything should be automated either.

The complexity of the business model as a B2B fashion platform brings its own challenges. Many aspects that were initially solved in a "scrappy" way had to be professionalized over time.

Learnings for Other Founders

Marco's story offers valuable insights for other founders:

• –A failed business model can become the foundation for a successful new one
• –Strategic investors bring not just capital, but also expertise and networks
• –Scaling requires systematic thinking and willingness to question established processes
• –Hiring new employees remains a complex task even with growth

Mula's transformation shows that sometimes the path to success isn't linear, but marked by pivots, tough decisions, and the ability to learn from mistakes. Marco's advice is particularly valuable because it stems from real experience – even though he admits that some advice is easier to give than to follow.