In 2006, Arianne David co-founded OLX Philippines formerly known as Sulit.com.ph with her husband, RJ David (Editor’s note: OLX Philippines is now Carousell.ph). Ten years later, they had a successful exit and launched a new startup called Innovation Love. Today, Arianne is part of Connected Women as a strategic adviser and she’ll share how they started with 50 dollars.

In one brainstorming session, I suggested to my husband, RJ, to create an online classifieds site as an experiment. We began launching a classifieds site with a thought of figuring out what category will be most popular. When we realized that each category proved to grow steadily, we decided to push through with classifieds format altogether. From that moment, we began the journey with Sulit.com.ph.

With a starting capital of PHP2,400 (USD50), we wore many hats during the startup phase of the company. While RJ was the developer and server administrator, I handled the design and quality assurance of the site. I shared the task of customer service and marketing with RJ by answering customer inquiries and attending trade shows.

In 2008, Sulit.com.ph reached a big company milestone. It became the most visited local website in the country. As Sulit.com.ph continued to make a name for itself in the industry, the team set its sight on becoming a full-fledged company. Once Sulit.com.ph became the top local website in the Philippines, investors took notice. In 2014, it became part of the world’s biggest name in online classifieds, OLX. This year, OLX Philippines is celebrating 12 years of genuine commitment and winning together with the local buy and sell community.

Successful Exits and New Beginnings

My husband and I had a successful exit in 2016 and we have a new start-up company called Innovation Love. While our new company is in its early stage, I opened myself up to community engagement. I recently joined Connected Women as their strategic adviser wherein I help the company achieve its vision and goals strategically by formulating and executing business strategy plans.

Is your business or career today all you dreamed it would be?

Yes! When did we realize that this was what we really wanted? When we saw that we’re creating a lot of value to millions of lives and has helped in shaping the online industry in the Philippines.

What do you love most about your business or career?

Improving so many people’s lives, including our users, team members, and the community. It feels fulfilling and winning—doing what you really stand for as a company.

Do you ever feel like giving up or have you ever felt this way?

Many times. Whenever I feel like I was giving up, I always go back to our big “why” or revisit the main purpose of why we exist as a company. And it’s this: we want to improve Filipinos’ lives by bringing them together for win-win exchanges. Doing this exercise motivates me over again.

What was the biggest challenge you faced building your business or career?

When we rebranded to OLX. I was shocked and emotional when I heard the news that we were changing the brand. I almost quit my job. I was having a hard time accepting because we’ve already built Sulit as a household name.

It looks like we were going back to square one again. But eventually, I accepted not only because I was able to understand the long-term benefits of having a one global brand equity but also because I have to continue living the journey of improving lives.

What was the biggest failure you’ve experienced in your journey? What vital lesson did you learn from it?

Being unprepared for immense change. Embracing change can be difficult at times to people. When you feel that something is not going according to the plan, take time to step back. Sometimes you only need to move backward in order for you to give yourself the momentum to take that leap forward.

What is your favorite quote that inspires you in your work and daily life?

“Failure complements success.” Don’t fret about failures and setbacks coming your way. Instead, see failures as opportunities to learn and grow. Go back on your feet and begin again if you need to.

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If you think you’re a startup visionary like Arianne David, the first step is to find courage and dedication to fulfill your dreams. Embrace and celebrate failures, find your “why”. Once you’ve taken your first steps on YOUR entrepreneurship journey, why not join a community like Connected Women who will support you in different aspects such as finding a remote team? Find inspiration and build your network today.

About Sulit.com.ph

(became part of global online classifieds OLX in 2014 and acquired by Carousell in 2019)

Sulit.com.ph has created a lot of value to millions of lives through win-win exchanges. It was regarded as one of the most successful homegrown startups in the country and has profoundly helped in shaping the local online industry.

About Innovation Love

Innovation Love (a play on “Innovation Lab”), is a technology startup company with a goal of developing homegrown ideas into human-centric technology solutions that offer a simple yet meaningful experience for millions of Filipino users whoever or wherever they are.

Catch Arianne live along other trailblazing guest speakers on August 19, 6PM Manila/SG time in the next #ConnectedWomen-#WeEmpowerAsia Global Online Forum #WomenRiseAboveCOVID. Register here: www.connectedwomen.co/womenriseabovecovid