💰 Latest report on eCommerce and investments
I’ve had countless conversations with brand founders and CEOs who sound like they’re playing three dimensional chess: juggling growth targets, cash flow pressures, and a shifting macro environment that doesn’t give them many breaks.
Thanks to Amaara Dhanji for sharing with me the new Mercury report, The New Economics of Starting Up, based on a survey of 1,500 entrepreneurs across topics like capital raise, hiring, budget allocation, etc
Key highlights on eCom:
- eCom founders are 2–3x more likely than peers in other industries to be tightening budgets.
- 29% said access to capital is their biggest roadblock, the highest across all industries surveyed.
- 83% flagged tariffs as a serious concern.
That’s the bad. But here’s good:
- eCom companies are also the most likely to still be hiring.
- They’re still raising mid-size rounds, even in this capital-tight market.
And perhaps the biggest undercurrent of optimism is around AI adoption.
Despite fears of disruption and cost, a strong majority of founders believe AI will open up entirely new ways of working: leaner operations, sharper decision-making, and new channels for growth.
Unlike tariffs or capital constraints, AI is a lever founders can actually pull today.
It’s not a macro factor outside their control; it’s a tool they can experiment with, adapt to their workflows, and use to punch above their weight.
This climate favors the small and agile.
It’s not an easy time to be in eCom, but it’s also a time of possibility for those willing to lean into new tools and new strategies.
cc: Hae Rang P.
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