Maggie's journey to founding ShopThing began with her personal experience as a micro-influencer and her frustration with the limitations of existing platforms. By combining her expertise in technology with her passion for fashion and retail, she was able to identify a gap in the market and create a solution that resonated with both brands and consumers.

As an avid reader of startup books, Maggie draws inspiration and practical lessons from the journeys of other founders, from the early struggles to the eventual triumphs. By studying these stories, entrepreneurs can gain valuable insights into the challenges they may face and the strategies they can employ to overcome them.

While live video commerce has exploded in Asia, reaching $530 billion in sales, the North American market has its own distinct consumer behavior and technology adoption patterns. ShopThing has thoughtfully tailored its user experience and product offerings to cater to this audience, rather than simply replicating the Asian model.

In building a three-sided marketplace, ShopThing initially struggled with the classic chicken-and-egg problem of balancing supply and demand. However, by allowing the market to organically dictate which side needed the most attention at any given time, the company was able to adapt its focus and resources accordingly, ensuring a healthy growth trajectory.

Maggie believes that the future of retail lies in the seamless integration of physical stores, e-commerce, and live video commerce. She envisions a world where every brick-and-mortar store has a dedicated studio for live streamers to create content, enabling a new generation of "live shopping gig workers" to emerge. By anticipating and shaping these trends, startups like ShopThing can position themselves at the forefront of the industry's evolution.