What nobody tells you about launching
Everyone who launches something thinks it will fly off the shelves.
It doesn't. Not usually. Not at first.
The first week of trading for AP Club was seven orders, a lot of Instagram analytics, and a realisation that building a brand is a long game. The launch Reel got nearly 10,000 views — genuinely good for an account with under 200 followers. The boost worked. People were seeing AP Club.
But seeing isn't buying. The gap between someone watching a Reel and someone spending £60 on a hoodie from a brand they've never heard of is significant. That gap closes with time, trust, reviews, content, word of mouth. All the things that take months to build.
What also happened in the first week: a message from a Global Sports Brand — the organisation behind a professional padel team playing on the world stage — asking if AP Club wanted to be the clothing partner for a new event they're launching.
We launched ten days ago. These things don't happen to brands that aren't doing something right.
So we keep going.