“It’s been a rollercoaster,” says Itai Gross, founder and CEO of Naduvi, as he begins talking about the pandemic. Gross is one of those founders who built a startup right when the pandemic was taking roots across Europe. Naduvi is an online platform offering a wide range of interior design products from various European brands and is active in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The ability of Naduvi to offer discounts at all times during the year has made it one of the fastest growing startups in the Netherlands. With more than 50,000 products and over 250 different brands, the platform is a cohesive blend of off-price selection and exclusivity. However, becoming a high-flying scaleup was not an easy road for Gross and his team.
The Pandemic CEO
“Starting [during] the pandemic was obviously not something that anyone could have seen coming,” Gross explains. He says that starting during the pandemic presented him with the unique challenge of not only building a company but also building a culture with a “lot of uncertainty” around. With people unable to come to the office, the challenges only took a different shape.
He says Naduvi and his team have gone through “all the phases”. He explains that they have gone from no people at the people to few people for certain schedules to opening the office and then closing down again. Gross doesn’t shy away from explaining the complexity and his journey will be a lesson for many aspiring to start on their own.