mimiberry is a Myanmar-based platform that handles production, sales, and delivery for graphic designers, allowing them to monetize their artwork without the risk of pre-printing inventory. The deck is notable for its extreme transparency regarding unit economics, detailing costs down to the 'pigment ink' ($0.50) and 'heat press' ($0.50) per shirt. While the current traction is modest—500 t-shirts sold and $900 in monthly profit—the founders propose a significant business model shift: moving from a $3 per-shirt commission to a $30 monthly subscription fee for artists. The deck lacks a formal…
Key takeaways
- The platform solves a specific 'true story' problem where artists face 3-week wait times and high minimum order quantities from traditional print shops (Slide 3).
- Unit economics are meticulously detailed: a $14 t-shirt costs $11 to produce and deliver, leaving $3 profit for the platform and $3 for the artist (Slide 7).
- The business model plans to pivot from per-item charges to a $30 monthly subscription fee once the platform proves its value to artists (Slide 10).
- The startup is currently lean, reporting $900 in monthly profit from 300 t-shirts sold per month (Slide 13).
- Marketing is heavily reliant on Myanmar's 5 million daily active Facebook users and 'boost post' features (Slide 6).
- The team has local validation, winning second prize at a Seedstars event and participating in technopreneurship contests (Slide 9).
- Financial planning includes a highly specific monthly salary breakdown, with the CEO and CTO each drawing $1,000 USD (Slide 11).
- Market size estimates are based on a target of 20,000+ designers in Myanmar, aiming for a 10% capture rate (Slide 14).
Executive Summary: The Print-on-Demand Opportunity in Myanmar
mimiberry is a localized solution to a global problem: the high barrier to entry for independent artists who want to sell physical merchandise. By handling the 'Step 2' of production—which the deck identifies as a major pain point involving high minimums and 3-week wait times—mimiberry positions itself as an essential infrastructure for the creative economy in Yangon and beyond. The deck is a masterclass in transparency, though it struggles with the transition from a small-scale operation to a venture-scale business model.
Slides 1-4: The 'True Story' Problem
The deck opens with a personal touch, introducing 'NayNay,' a graphic designer who serves as the user persona. Slide 3 explicitly details the friction in the current market: printing shops do not accept low quantities, take 5 days to finish orders, and force customers to wait 3 weeks. Slide 4 highlights the emotional and financial toll, noting that the profit for a designer is only 2,000 to 3,000 Kyats ($2-$3 USD), and the risk of pre-printing unsold inventory is too high. This is a classic 'hair on fire' problem for the target demographic.
Slides 5-6: The mimiberry Solution
The solution is presented as a full-service platform. Artists 'just need to give their artworks and name their artwork price.' mimiberry handles production, sales, marketing, delivery, and cash collection. Slide 6 identifies their primary sales channels: a proprietary website and a Facebook page. Given that Myanmar's internet usage is synonymous with Facebook, the focus on 'boost posts' for 5 million daily active users is a pragmatic, if not particularly innovative, go-to-market strategy.
Slide 7: The Unit Economics Masterclass
This is the strongest slide in the deck. Many early-stage founders gloss over costs, but mimiberry breaks down a $14 USD sale into seven distinct buckets. Slide 7 shows that the 'Tee' costs $3, 'Transfer Paper' is $2, and even 'Pigment Ink' and 'Heat Press' are accounted for at $0.50 each. By showing that they net $3 profit per shirt after paying the artist $3, they demonstrate a clear understanding of their margins. This level of detail builds significant investor trust in the founders' operational competence.
Slides 8-9: Marketing and Team
Slide 8 reiterates the Facebook strategy but adds a plan to use 'professional junior model pictures' to elevate the brand. Slide 9 introduces the founders, Htoo Myat Aung and Thel Darly Khin. Their credibility is bolstered by winning second prize at a Seedstars event and their 1.5-year history of building H&Ttechs together. This suggests the team has 'founder-market fit' and the technical ability to maintain the platform.
Slides 10-12: The Financial Pivot and Burn Rate
Slide 10 introduces a controversial pivot: moving from a per-item commission to a $30/month subscription fee. The goal is to reach 1,000 active artists in 2017 and 2,000 in 2018. While this provides predictable SaaS-like revenue, it may alienate the 'NayNays' of the world who only sell a few shirts a month. Slide 11 and Slide 12 provide a transparent look at their overhead. They list a monthly staff salary total of $3,400, with the CEO and CTO taking $1,000 each. Slide 12 shows a raw material budget of $4,850 for an initial stock of shirts, hoodies, and phone covers, indicating they are moving toward a multi-product ecosystem.
Slides 13-16: Traction and Market Size
Slide 13 reports 500 total shirts sold and a current profit of $900 per month. While small, it proves the concept. Slide 14 attempts to calculate the Total Addressable Market (TAM), estimating 20,000+ designers in Myanmar. If they capture 10% (2,000 members) at $30/month, they project $720,000 in annual profit. Slide 15 acknowledges 'Untested Markets' like offline outlets, and Slide 16 concludes with contact information for their Yangon headquarters.
What Works in the mimiberry Deck
Granular Cost Analysis: Most decks fail because they don't explain how they arrive at their margins. mimiberry's breakdown of ink and paper costs is refreshing and professional.
Local Market Context: The founders clearly understand the Myanmar market, specifically the reliance on Facebook and the logistical nightmare of local print shops.
Honest Traction: Reporting a $900 monthly profit might seem small, but it is better than reporting 'millions in potential' without a single sale. It shows the business is already functioning.
What is Missing from the mimiberry Deck
The Ask: The most glaring omission is the lack of a funding request. How much do they need? Is it for equipment, marketing, or hiring? Without an 'Ask,' this is a presentation, not a pitch.
Competitive Landscape: Are there other print-on-demand services in Southeast Asia? How does mimiberry defend against a larger player entering the Myanmar market?
Retention Data: While they have 10 collaborated designers, the deck doesn't say how many of those 10 are 'active' or how many shirts the average artist sells. This is crucial for validating the subscription model.
Founder Takeaway: Copy the Transparency, Fix the Scale
Founders should emulate mimiberry's 'Step-by-Step' problem slides. By walking the investor through the actual physical hurdles an artist faces, they make the solution feel inevitable. However, the transition to a subscription model needs more justification. If an artist only makes $3 per shirt, they need to sell 10 shirts just to break even on the $30 monthly fee. The deck needs to explain how mimiberry will help artists reach that volume. Finally, always include an 'Ask' slide; investors cannot help you if they don't know what you need.
Frequently asked questions
- How does mimiberry make money?
- Currently, mimiberry operates on a commission model. As shown on Slide 7, they sell a t-shirt for $14, with $11 covering production and delivery. The remaining $3 is kept as profit. However, Slide 10 outlines a future transition to a subscription model where artists pay $30 per month to use the platform, allowing them to keep more of their individual sales margins.
- What is the current traction of the platform?
- According to Slide 13, mimiberry has launched version 1.0 of its website and has collaborated with 10 designers. They have sold a total of 500 t-shirts to date, with a current run rate of 300 t-shirts sold per month, generating $900 in monthly profit.
- What are the specific production costs for a single shirt?
- Slide 7 provides an unusually granular breakdown: $3 for the blank tee, $2 for transfer paper, $0.50 for pigment ink, $0.50 for the heat press process, and $2 for delivery. This totals $8 in direct costs, with an additional $3 allocated to the artist and $3 to mimiberry's profit.
- Who is the team behind mimiberry?
- The company was founded by Htoo Myat Aung (CEO) and Thel Darly Khin (Co-founder). Htoo Myat Aung has a background from the Business IT University of Greenwich and founded H&Ttechs. The team has been working together for 1.5 years and has won local startup prizes (Slide 9).
- What is missing from this pitch deck?
- The deck lacks a clear 'Ask' slide—it does not state how much capital they are looking to raise or how they will use it. It also lacks a competitive analysis and a long-term product roadmap beyond expanding into offline stores (Slide 15).