AMA IS CLOSED

Thanks a lot for great/quirky comments everyone! We'd like to also thank your for the support and hope you got something out of it :)

Feel free to follow us at broochy.com AMA IS CLOSED

We are Aki Nuutinen and Eetu Raudas, founders of an online clothing store called Broochy. We started our company last spring with the idea that independent brands with limited-run products should be able to reach a more worldwide audience. We recently added around 30,000 products to our store and have plans to be the biggest streetwear marketplace in the world.

We are based in Helsinki, Finland, where there is a very prominent startup scene, especially in the tech industry. We are home to companies like Rovio and Supercell, creators of Angry Birds and Clash of Clans.

We get alot of questions about what it’s like to live in Finland or to start your own company, so ask us anything!

Proof

Comments: 140 • Responses: 57  • Date: 

hyaler14 karma

Do finnish people drink as much as the rest of the world thinks they do?

BroochyFounders19 karma

YES! I always hide a bottle of vodka under my table.

TWCSwagger5 karma

Proof please

BroochyFounders1 karma

How do I attach a photo?

tallenlo12 karma

Are Finns in general aware of the contribution they made to the development of the US?

There is an image of log-cabin frontier life in the US as it spread across the continent. It is usually not appreciated that the culture pictured was brought to this continent by Finns. In the mid-1600's Sweden was hoping to establish a colony along the Delaware River between the Dutch in New Amsterdam and the English in Maryland. They moved a lot of people living in Finland to populate the colony. It turns out that the culture of those people were a very good match for life in the New World and had a lot in common with that of the Native Americans. It was Finland that taught everyone else log-cabin construction and living comfortably in the wilderness. All the others were trying to hack out a small-scale version of the normal European life they knew.

Go Finns!

BroochyFounders6 karma

The history education is quite comprehensive in Finnish schools, but I can't really say how many people know of this. A more recent expat wave to the US in 1860-1950 is better remembered, as most finns have relatives who moved to the US and Canada back then.

BroochyFounders4 karma

Eetu - At least I wasn't aware of this! Sounds so cool. It's pretty basic skillset for Finns to know how to ski, make fire etc. For some reason we all like to hide in our summer cottages especially during summer (also during winter sometimes). What you said makes me very proud. I would love to move U.S myself too.. it's a shame that the colonial ages are way gone and I could no longer build my own house wherever I want. :D are you American?

Creepy_Uncle_Joe8 karma

As someone who's knowledge of 'fashion' stops somewhere between slacks and Ugly Christmas Sweaters. What exactly is Street Wear?

Is it like, casual-wear with a brand attached, or...?

BroochyFounders3 karma

Streetwear is really as much of a style-orientation as it is a culture. The roots are in skater and surfer style, but today it's much more than that.

I think that Bobby Hundreds explains this quite well in a article on complex (a great street culture and news source) http://www.complex.com/style/2017/02/what-is-streetwear-by-bobby-hundreds

Creepy_Uncle_Joe5 karma

That only hurt my head a little, but what I gather is that as a style, it's like a big melting pot of 'street' cultures. Wear what makes you feel like both an individual, and being in a culture bigger than yourself.

Or perhaps, I just really need to catch up on my sleep. But thanks for the reply! Best of luck with your startup, (and maintaining your sanity). I hope one day I can say, "Oh crap, I talked to that guy once!".

BroochyFounders1 karma

Aki - I think that your description is quite on point.

Sleep tight Uncle Joe

thorizzle117-2 karma

Bunch of kooks wearing ghetto ass designer jeans rolled up way too far, extra long t-shirts with some mix of big sunglasses, necklaces, rolled up denim across the board, designer tattoos, some yeezies or converses or leather based boots, and probably some ugly ass wide brimmed hat

A culture with shallow roots based on the idea of "wow surfers and skaters look sick as fuck", a fade which will likely pass within 2 years

Signed,

Someone who's lived from SD to the bay his entire life

BroochyFounders1 karma

Eetu - Hahahaha

gcross128 karma

Is finland real or is it just east sweden used by the russians and japanese to get around fishing limitations?

BroochyFounders7 karma

Aki - Feels very real from where I'm sitting!

t3hdebater4 karma

OP, that comment was inspired by a joke conspiracy theory.

BroochyFounders3 karma

Which actually launched on reddit right?

t3hdebater3 karma

BroochyFounders3 karma

Hilarious :D

spastic-traveler8 karma

Are you going to include some kind of mosquito netting for summer wear in Finland?

I visited Finland to see the midnight sun. Could occasionally see it through the clouds of giant voracious mosquito swarms.

BroochyFounders7 karma

We'll have to consider that ;)

spastic-traveler1 karma

Follow-up mosquito question: Why do you never get bitten in a sauna?

I spent an extraordinary amount of time in various saunas...

BroochyFounders2 karma

Aki - We'll I guess that mosquitoes don't like the sauna as much as their human friends ;)

100mikemike6 karma

What type of fish are you going to eat for dinner tonight?

BroochyFounders7 karma

Aki - I was thinking of a boeuf tartar fish. It's basically a boeuf tartar which you eat with your eyes closed thinking of a big badass fish.

McBeastly33584 karma

Random fact: the goalie for my favorite hockey team, Tuukka Rask, is Finnish.

Are you guys into hockey? Who's your favorite team in the NHL? Do you guys ship to Boston? Who are you wearing now mostly?

BroochyFounders5 karma

Aki - Cool. Tuukka is a great goalie. We do take part in the occasional hockey game!

The bruins do kick ass, but I'm personally more of a Dallas guy myself ;)

We do ship to Boston. HUF and Stussy have been popular this week at the office!

McBeastly33581 karma

I love the Bruins, really wish we would have kept Seguin. Fantastic about the shipping information. Stussy is so sick. How do you guys feel about the rise of Supreme and their upcoming collaboration with Lacoste?

BroochyFounders1 karma

I think that Supreme does a lot of cool gear as well as marketing.

I think that we're going to continue seeing a lot of these collabs in the near future. We'll see who makes it ;)

TheBigVitus3 karma

Got any jobs for a Swede?

BroochyFounders5 karma

Aki - We're always looking for talented people :). Hit me up at [email protected]

Mantisbog3 karma

Do you know the Will it Press guy?

BroochyFounders6 karma

Press

Eetu - YES! The legendary hydraulic press -guy :)

polepoleyaya3 karma

You are too chatty to be real Fins. Are you sure you're not Swedish?

BroochyFounders6 karma

Eetu - need to remember that we're behind computer screens at the moment ;)

AlphaKiloAlpha3 karma

This is cool guys. I'll definitely keep this site in mine. One thing though, you got shoes in a US 15?

BroochyFounders3 karma

You'll find most shoes in a variety of sizes!

Ben_Dover232 karma

Is your job boring?

BroochyFounders3 karma

Aki - Running a startup is never boring. I would definitely not be able to do this if it wasn't exciting.

the_great_dane2 karma

Do you all carry knives?

BroochyFounders4 karma

Aki - That would be a no. It's a felony to carry one unless you need it for labour ;)

workaccount2132 karma

What historical event do you think is most important to the national identity of the Finnish people?

BroochyFounders8 karma

Aki - We declared our independence from the Soviet Union on the 6th of December in 1917.

smokeyandthebear2 karma

Have you managed to turn the investments into profit or are you still behind?

BroochyFounders3 karma

We are not yet profitable - and it would be extremely rare for a marketplace business to be after a year of founding :)

devhdc2 karma

How come you started a US and UK platform while based in FInland? Normally you'd think that you'd want to start in your own home turf where it'd be easier to reach local brands...?

BroochyFounders1 karma

The Finnish market is rather small with 5,4 million people. That's the main reason :)

BroochyFounders1 karma

That's a really good question. Normally that's the case, but I think that it's the same thing to get your concept working in Finland, as it is to get it working in the States for example. Why start in a small market if you can start in a big one :)

Sweetragnarok2 karma

Two questions:

  1. Name really good Finnish desserts and link to a recipe please

  2. Any plans to cater to plus size wear like size xl-xxl (10-16) at least?

BroochyFounders3 karma

  1. This is something really weird to other than Finns (but really good): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A4mmi - it's eating on easter :) top that with some cream and its gold!

  2. Yeah, the products we've brought on our website they come from other retailers. We're adding more and more streetwear products to the site all the time, but I'm sure the already is plus size clothing :)

condherry2 karma

How popular is Patrik Laine?

BroochyFounders3 karma

Eetu - Well he's playing the Jets, so pretty popular. Nothing compared to Selänne's rampage when he entered NHL tho.. HAHA

Pandasonic92 karma

I saw an interview with verustaleka, a Finnish army surplus store in Helsinki, and they ALL had pictures of Simo Häyhä in their wallets, can you say the same?

BroochyFounders1 karma

Eetu - What do you mean?

DarielBonilla2 karma

How do you feel about making rad sort of mash of semiformal-streetwear clothing? Like a cool button-up shirt to wear under a jacket of some sorts. Also what has been the hardest thing about creating your startup?

BroochyFounders1 karma

Eetu - That's a cool idea! We're actually not making any clothes at Broochy, but instead operate a shopping platform that let's you discover and/or shop products from the best streewear brands/retailers. We're adding new brands & retailers to Broochy all the time, if you know any good ones you'd like to have included feel free to let me know! The hardest thing must be building a product that people absolutely love to use. :)

DarielBonilla1 karma

Thanks for the answer. Sorry I misunderstood your business at first. And unfortunately I don't know of any brands that would be good for Broochy. But good luck though and I'll check it out if I have a chance after work

BroochyFounders2 karma

Yay! enjoy work ;)

mikaeelos2 karma

What time does the sun go down in helsinki this time of year?

BroochyFounders2 karma

Around 6:30pm! The sun doesn't set at all during midsummer in here though, which is pretty unique :)

TWCSwagger2 karma

How many Fins are there in the Land?

BroochyFounders5 karma

Aki - approx. 5,4 million people live in finland out of which 5,36 million are born here.

The_Real_Roberts1 karma

I want to come to Finland to do a PhD.

Here in Utah, people tend to be friendly and outgoing.

If I smile at people in Finland, will I be stabbed?

BroochyFounders3 karma

Aki - Finns are friendly, don't worry. Besides, pretty much all the large cities are quite multicultural these days.

Smile with your own responsibility.

BroochyFounders2 karma

Here in Utah, people tend to be friendly and outgoing.

HAHAH! Come here and you'll see ;) no.. we're pretty calm and trustworthy folk.

smokeyandthebear1 karma

Ah ok (to my other question)

I hear Finnish people are very racist and dont let many immigrants in (Like Sweden). Is that true?

BroochyFounders1 karma

I wouldn't say that Finns are racist.

hwfiddlehead1 karma

Also, how was your education as a child? I study education, and many Americans love to talk about how awesome Finnish schools are. Is it as good as people say, or are Finnish schools overrated?

Also, what is school lunch like at a Finnish public school?!

Thanks!

BroochyFounders1 karma

Also, how was your education as a child? I study education, and many Americans love to talk about how awesome Finnish schools are. Is it as good as people say, or are Finnish schools overrated?

Eetu - education is pretty good. It's difficult to compare as I haven't studied anywhere else haha! But some people say that it's the best in the world? The food gives you all nutrients to keep you going.. so no Pizza Hut / McDonalds / Taco Bell here..damnit

shoni1 karma

Do you sell only men's items?

BroochyFounders1 karma

Eetu - yeah, we're opening the site for women in the near future too! But we're staying in streetwear as it's the best ;)

hwfiddlehead1 karma

What do people in Finland eat for breakfast?

BroochyFounders2 karma

Eetu - A glass of of juice and OAT PORRIDGE ! It gives you the nutrients to to keep going for the day haha. We're a nation built by physically labouring peasants afterall ;)

RJturtle1 karma

In general what do the Finnish people think of the UK and what is your opinion of Brexit?

Do you have any black/Asian/ other ethnic minority people in Finland?

BroochyFounders2 karma

Eetu - I think Finns pretty much like and respect English culture. I've got no opinion regarding Brexit, other than it makes my life much more difficult when I want to fly over haha (not yet but in the future I guess).. I visit London quite often :) yeah we have ethnic minority people like all other countries, but I think a lot less than any other European countries.. we've been late laggers in many things except technology after 1950's :D

DarkAnnihilator1 karma

Do you have any Finnish brands on your lists like Cloything or Itä?

BroochyFounders1 karma

Eetu - No we don't :'( It's a shame that most of the good streetwear brands are from US!

boyohboyoboy1 karma

Has everyone in Finland seen the northern lights?

BroochyFounders1 karma

Aki - I would say no.

ThatDistantStar1 karma

Why is your site down?

BroochyFounders3 karma

Eetu - A really good question! I think we're under attack by some fellow Redditor. Never happened before - working on it :)

BroochyFounders1 karma

Aki - Maybe you can tell me? ;)

CrazyCapitalist1 karma

How do you guys compete with companies like Amazon? How do you keep your price points competitive? Are you planning on public stock options? If so, when? What's up with Finland these days? I know Russia is kinda going historical on you but how are things otherwise?

BroochyFounders2 karma

Hey! We're not competing with Amazon or any other retailer so far. We're basically "aggregating" the best streetwear products from from the best retailers. So basically we help people find streetwear in one central location, driving traffic to those retailers. What do you mean Russia is going historical? We're pretty much trying to boost the Finnish economy as we currently have so few big global businesses.. I like to think that the startup scene here is booming :)

CrazyCapitalist1 karma

Oh you know Russia, whenever something happens they threaten you guys. Great nation you have there, wonderful history. What is Finnish cuisine like?

BroochyFounders4 karma

Yeah they do haha. In general I think the relationships are good. We've won them in war already when they tried coming here and are more than willing to win again in case anything escalates hahah. Our cuisine is pretty much a hybrid of foods from the area of Sweden and Russia. Game is pretty common here as many people love to hunt (myself included)!

samwhiskey1 karma

Do you listen to wintersun?

BroochyFounders2 karma

Eetu - I do not, but Nightwish and some other finnish metal bands sure ;)

samwhiskey1 karma

Nice.

BroochyFounders2 karma

You know Nightwish? I actually stumbled upon this metal bar/pub in central Helsinki some time ago. Saw Marco Hietala (their basist) and others drinking. I went over to their table and we had a blast that night... lots of hard liquor :thumbsup:

ThatDistantStar1 karma

GOD ALLU or BOT ALLU?

BroochyFounders1 karma

Eetu - What do you mean?

BroochyFounders1 karma

I don't play CS if that's what you mean ;) Sold my PC a few years ago..

RandomActsOfAnus1 karma

Why?

BroochyFounders1 karma

?

whythecynic1 karma

Is it true that personal space in Finland is measured in km?

BroochyFounders2 karma

Eetu - YEP! haha. We're mainly awkward with strangers and want to be left alone in our personal silos of social survival. It's pretty funny, small talk is often more awkward than just being quiet when around people you don't know :D

MyNameIsRichtofen1 karma

What do you think of the Danes? Do you ridicule them just like the Swedish do?

BroochyFounders1 karma

I love Danes! For some reason only Finns and Swedes have this thing going on haha. It's like a little brother-older brother friendly type of stuff.

PM_Me_Your_Fab_Four1 karma

Is it true that Finnish snipers are the deadliest humans in the world after Chuck Norris? I'm thinking of the White Death. Plus, the clothing line looks great!

BroochyFounders1 karma

Of course, we learn to shoot a gun at a very young age.

iddn1 karma

DId you do this because you couldn't get a job with Nokia?

BroochyFounders1 karma

:'DD exactly!

derekcanmexit1 karma

Were you involved in developing your website from the beginning? Or did you have other people do it for you? I am curious because I would like to start building my own website and thought about learning how to do it myself rather than contracting someone to do it.

BroochyFounders1 karma

We have developers in our team and we've also had contractor designers helping with the UI. We developed everything pretty much from the ground up without using much existing frameworks. Depending on what kind of website you want to build, always try to use as much existing components as possible. No need to reinvent the wheel :)

sentinel_sent1 karma

A few questions,

  • Are you funded?
  • How did you convince your first seller to use your platform?
  • What kind of marketing do you use to get to your customers?

Thanks and good luck!

BroochyFounders2 karma

Eetu - Yeah, we're funded. We basically signed our initial base of sellers when we were still in something you call "stealth mode". We launched after we had enough sellers to provide inventory for our first customers :)

forava71 karma

have you guys tired to go on shark tank?

BroochyFounders1 karma

Eetu - Not yet hahahah! would so fun though. We like pitching with Aki :'D