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Dispatch(ed)
Oct 22, 2024
We’re Shutting Down
It’s never easy to shut down a company, but the time has come for Dispatch. While we're closing our doors, we still believe in the vision we pursued and are proud of the journey we've taken.
A Brief Origin Story
The world was a very different place in October 2021. Money was easy to raise, crypto was the new gold rush, and we believed we had found its killer use case—commerce in a wallet. So, we dove in. It felt niche, but brands and everyone in the Web3 space loved it.
As the landscape began to shift, we recognized the need to adapt. When the entire space imploded, we pivoted to where consumers actually were—everywhere else! We built the ability for merchants to extend their storefront to new channels like ads, online gaming, and video streaming, enabling consumers to instantly buy physical products from any digital content.
What We Did Well
Built for the Future of Commerce: We envisioned a world where consumers make purchases at the moment of inspiration—whether watching a favorite show, playing a video game, or interacting with an AI chatbot. To turn this vision into reality, we integrated with major e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Adobe Commerce (Magento), and BigCommerce. Our API and SDK empowered digital channels to seamlessly embed commerce capabilities without the need for complex infrastructure or deep commerce expertise.
Pioneered a Universal Payment Flow: Knowing that building a universal "Buy Now" experience had its challenges, we took a fresh approach. Recognizing the limitations of third-party payment libraries, we developed our own PCI-compliant "universal payment flow." This innovation shifted complexity from the client to the server, enabling support for various display contexts—including those not covered by existing SDKs—and simplifying the implementation of express payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay in any context. In a post-COVID world, these payment methods had become incredibly popular.
Developed Highly Portable SDKs: We started with the open web, making any display ad shoppable. To expand our reach and simplify integration, we developed an SDK that was highly portable and easy to implement—often requiring just one line of code. Publishers could customize the integration using our straightforward API and theming system, making it adaptable across native mobile apps, video games, and display ads.
What Didn't Go Well
Distribution Challenges: Despite building a strong product, we faced hurdles in cracking distribution within walled gardens. While making digital content shoppable was a step forward, it wasn't enough. As we targeted social media platforms—where trust is higher and users are accustomed to shopping—we found they preferred to keep it in-house rather than partner.
Timing: Ultimately, we were too early to market. The infrastructure and trust needed for direct purchases from digital content weren’t fully established, and platforms we targeted ended up creating similar solutions in-house. It's bittersweet that it's ending, but we're proud of what we built—solutions that were ahead of the curve and showcased where commerce is headed.
Closing Thoughts
As founders and as a team, we kept pushing boundaries and believing in our vision. The industry is moving in the direction we anticipated—you can now instantly purchase Amazon products via Meta, Snap, Pinterest, and TikTok. And any Shopify storefront can now be extended into Roblox’s gaming experience. We are confident there will be another surge of direct-to-consumer brands wanting "Buy Now, Anywhere."
If you are looking for top engineering, product, or design talent, send us a note: team@dispatch.co