Jeff Sheldon is a designer turned entrepreneur. In 2008, he founded Ugmonk, a Pennsylvania-based direct-to-consumer brand selling graphic-inspired t-shirts. His desk organizers, which he added in 2020, are seemingly unrelated until you realize that he designed both T-shirt graphics and desk tools.
Jeff first appeared on the podcast in 2020. He just moved t-shirt stuffing in-house and launched a Kickstarter campaign for his first desktop tool.
In our recent interview, he discussed the phasing out of T-shirts, the expansion of the desktop line, and the dilemma of selling on Amazon. Our full audio is embedded below. Transcript edited for clarity and length.
Eric Bandholz: Tell our listeners who you are.
Jeff Sheldon: I am the founder of Ugmonk, a 16-year-old direct-to-consumer brand. We initially sold t-shirts, but have evolved into well-designed, functional desk and organizational products. One of our standout items is Analog, our desktop note card system that keeps things organized and reduces digital distractions. Ugmonk is known for design — aesthetics and functionality.
People associated Ugmonk with the graphic tees of our first 12 years. I designed the graphics and eventually we moved into making shirts for better quality. We worked with a manufacturer in Los Angeles to create a better garment. Despite the production issues, we found a good rhythm and built a customer base around these shirts.
However, we stopped making clothes about two years ago. When we announced this change, our company recorded its highest single revenue. Customers bought 20 to 50 shirts and didn’t want to lose them. Although it was hard to leave this part of the business, I knew it was the right decision.
Bandholz: Have your customers switched from clothing to desktop products?
Sheldon: I didn’t dig deep into the analysis, but surprisingly many customers who bought our t-shirts also bought our tabletop products. At first glance, it may seem strange – how are t-shirts and desk accessories related? However, Ugmonk attracts customers who appreciate design and functionality. Many customers who have been with us since the t-shirt days have moved on to careers where they need quality, well-designed tools for their workspaces.
When I started with Ugmonk, graphic tees were huge. Platforms like Threadless were popular and many of my customers were in their 12s and 20s buying shirts and posters. Fast forward and many customers have desk jobs or work from home. So while some of our old customers are still missing shirts, many have switched to the analogue system, which is now more popular than our clothing line.
The online t-shirt market is incredibly saturated. Everyone sells t-shirts, and countless brands use drop shipping to offer generic products. In the early years of Ugmonk, we thrived on organic growth – email lists and social media before it became pay-to-play. However, it was difficult when we were trying to scale with ads in 2017. Selling t-shirts through Facebook advertising, especially when you’re competing with a sea of similar products, is difficult. We haven’t had much success.
In contrast, we launched the Analog System on Kickstarter in 2020 with immediate success. We’ve raised nearly half a million dollars from over 5,500 backers. We decided to invest in paid product acquisition and it worked. It’s a visual product that solves a real problem—people are distracted by their devices, and an analog system offers a tangible way to stay organized. Compared to t-shirts, selling Analog through advertising is more scalable. It is an example of good product-market fit.
Bandholz: Has your role in the company changed?
Sheldon: My role has evolved but I still manage many of the tasks I did in the early days. For example, I still take most of the photos because I enjoy capturing our products in a way that tells their story. I could outsource the photography, but I enjoy the creative aspect. Moreover, it is an essential part of our brand identity.
Our team has grown. It used to be just me. Then I added an employee. We now have two full-time and a part-time staff of two to five people, depending on our needs.
We have grown operations with our own warehouse and fulfillment. I outsource some aspects of the business like advertising, but I still do organic marketing and write most of the emails and the monthly “Five Things I Dig” newsletter that has become a fan favorite.
Managing the creative and operational side of the business is stressful, but it’s all part of the journey.
Bandholz: Ugmonk products are not on Amazon.
Sheldon: Amazon is a love-hate relationship for me, much like Meta. We tested our Gather desk organizers there in 2017, but didn’t see much traction. So we withdrew. Amazon is flooded with cheap products, making it difficult for customers to distinguish between quality and subpar items.
I’ve been more open lately. The reality is that people shop on Amazon – that’s where a significant percentage of e-commerce searches begin.
I buy consumer goods like coffee filters on Amazon for convenience. For the same reason, we are considering selling additional cards for the Analog system. It’s about meeting people where they are. I still appreciate that we own the customer experience right on our site, but Amazon can be complimentary on some products.
Bandholz: So listeners should go to your website and buy products.
Sheldon: Yes, at Ugmonk.com. They can find me on X and Instagram.