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In the world of e-commerce, failure isn't a setback — it's a tool to build stronger businesses.

Tiendanube y Fuckup Nights oined forces for a special edition of our event series, pulling back the curtain on the less glamorous side of entrepreneurship: tough decisions, expensive mistakes, and the value of learning through the selling process.

This session, moderated by Pepe Villatoro (CEO and founder of Fuckup Nights) and Sophia Gasca (Fuckup Nights' Spanish Lead), brought together three voices who know the e-commerce grind from the inside out: Mariana Andrade (founder of SIMONÉ and the Brilla community), Luis Gómez (SMB Director at Tiendanube) and Anuar Layon (designer and creative director of Mexico is the Shit and Prima Volta).

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From TV Dancer to Digital Shoe Brand Founder: Mariana Andrade

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Mariana Andrade started her business with zero investment, tons of fear, and no plan B. Her online store boomed during the pandemic — while she was becoming a mother — but the lack of structure and financial control turned growth into debt.

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Some of the mistakes that shaped her journey included:

• Don't delegate and trying to handle everything.
• Confusing overwork  with healthy commitment.
• Operating without admin or financial processes.
• Funding business operations with personal credit cards.
• Reinvesting only in inventory, skipping management and planning.
  
  

Key takeaways Mariana shared with the audience:

• Honesty pays off: By opening up about her debts and struggles, she built trust with her community.
• Community is gold: The bond with her clients became her most valuable asset.
• Finances are non-negotiable: Passion isn't enough — structure, metrics, and control are essential.
• Balance is part of success: Working for your dreams matters, but not at the cost of your  mental health.
  
  

"Failure can be stylish too" , Mariana reminded us — showing that it's always possible to begin again without shame.

She rebuilt SIMONÉ by turning lessons into action: from packing orders at home to renting a dedicated space, from shipping one package to fifty a day, from celebrating 10 pairs sold to receiving 30,000 orders, and from DIY photos to professional lighting and stock management.

Today, SIMONÉ is a women-led digital brand guided by the motto "Where one shines, we all shine" — and a loyal community born from transparent storytelling during hard times.

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Metrics Don't Tell the Whole Story: Luis Gómez

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For Luis Gómez, the biggest failure was celebrating empty wins. After investing in influencer campaigns, the metrics looked amazing, until someone asked the uncomfortable question: "Are we selling?"

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Key mistakes he uncovered:

• Chasing vanity metrics without tying them to real impact.
• Making decisions based only on numbers, lacking context.
• I don't question the true goal behind each campaign.
  
  

Main insights:

• "The number itself doesn't matter — the value behind it does."
• A beautiful dashboard means nothing if it doesn't move the business.
• Validating a strategy requires indicators linked to actual sales and customer retention.

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To Succeed, You Have to Break a Few Things: Anuar Layon

Anuar Layon, creator of Mexico is the Shit,  shared how the global boom of his brand pushed him to a breaking point: he didn't know how to scale without losing its essence. 

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His major mistakes as an entrepreneur:

• Growing without solid financial and operational foundations, he failed to measure risks before scaling up and bankrupting his business.
• Sticking to one creative formula and refusing to explore new formats.
• Choosing partners based on personal vibes instead of aligned values and expectations.

"Failure is an ongoing rehearsal. It means trying again — this time, with awareness, scars, and conviction" — Anuar Layon.

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The lessons that now guide his work:

• Fail fast to adjust quickly.
• Leave ego out of the room: what worked once won't always work again.
• Be brutally honest with yourself.
• Build solid processes before chasing results.
• Speed kills without direction.
• Choose partners like you would a romantic partner: with challenging conversations, clear expectations, and formal agreements.
• Surround yourself with people who challenge you — not just those who cheer for you.
• It's not pretty, but it's refreshing to start from scratch.

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"My failures don't define me, but they trained me to be here. If I fall again, I'll get up — probably with a better idea" Anuar added.

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Mexico is the Shit has grown into a global lifestyle brand that blends fashion, identity, and pride — collaborating with artists, brands, and initiatives that prove Mexican-made is world-class.

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Learning for entrepreneurship: what the Fuckup Nights x event taught us

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The stories shared reminded us that entrepreneurship is about taking risks, making mistakes, and trying again — this time with sharper clarity. 

In e-commerce — and any business — failure isn't the end. It marks the beginning of a more innovative, stronger strategy. 

As Anuar put it: "Failure is inevitable. Learning is optional." At Fuckup Nights, we choose to learn every day — through stories of failure that deserve to be told, and that serve as powerful tools for growth, resilience, and perspective.

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"Failure is a growth method. It's not a single event — it's a process that trains you." — Anuar Layon.

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What if your team also learned from failure by being vulnerable?

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At Fuckup Nights we create customized experiences for companies and organizations that want to drive innovation, strengthen resilience and learn in an authentic way. We organize special editions where real stories of failure become tools for growth.

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Contact us and let us bring a special edition of Fuckup Nights to your company or organization.

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