Bringing a new idea to life takes more than just a good product, solid marketing, and an excited audience. Launching a product that doesn’t exist and bringing it to market is a wonderful experience and challenge. At the core of launching a newly-invented product: solving a problem for customers and watching them adopt and love your solution.

On the flip side, a new product and business has interesting challenges to overcome. Often, businesses deal with manufacturing delays, rising costs, and can even experience patent infringement popping up. Counterfeit products are becoming a bigger issue, too, for companies. By 2030, global trade in fake goods is expected to hit $1.79 trillion (that’s approximately 75% higher than in 2023).

Juliette Fassett, founder of Flippy, understands exactly how tough counterfeit products can be. With 30 years of industry experience behind her, Juliette spent five years carefully refining Flippy before bringing the product to market. That preparation gave her the stability and confidence to push through setbacks and turn her idea into a QVC success story.

Meet Flippy: The Story Behind the Innovative Hands-Free Tablet Stand

Juliette Fassett co-founded Happy Products, Inc. in Portland, Oregon, with a focus on creating practical, well-designed products that people actually use. Flippy, their flagship product, is a soft, versatile tablet and book stand created to make reading and browsing more comfortable. When developing Flippy, Juliette took the lead on the business side while her husband, Bruce, an optical engineer, handled the technical aspects. Over the years, Juliette has earned the nickname "velvet hammer" for her knack for pushing things forward while keeping things positive and collaborative.

Their Portland-based team includes marketers, designers, and data analysts, and their manufacturing partners in China keep production running smoothly. Closer to home, they also collaborate with Garten, a Salem, Oregon, organization providing job training for adults with unique developmental needs. Also, through their Flip It Forward initiative, they support First Book, helping children gain easier access to reading materials.

How Flippy Scaled to Half a Million in Minutes - and Kept Growing

Flippy’s breakout moment came in 2018 with a QVC segment that brought in $500,000.00 in just 13 minutes. QVC was a turning point that sparked major growth. Over the next 18 months, the company scaled fast and they caught the attention of companies who launched copycat brands, infringing on their patent. This challenge could have derailed everything. Instead, Flippy doubled down. They took legal steps to defend what they’d built and kept the business moving forward.

The Challenges of Patent Protection and How Flippy Is Taking a Stand

Juliette believes patents are valuable, but the current system doesn't always enforce them strongly enough, leaving small brands struggling to safeguard their ideas. In 2023, the success rate for patent owners in litigation was just 32%. Through her work with Fair Inventing, she is advocating for legal reforms and has even helped file briefs with the Supreme Court to highlight where the system falls short and support other brands like her own. Juliette also connects entrepreneurs to legal and financial resources, making sure they get the support necessary to defend their inventions.

The Role of Clearco’s Funding in Flippy’s Success

Today, Amazon remains Flippy’s biggest sales channel, with some sales on Etsy, and their own website, as well. The early days of the pandemic helped drive demand for home products. Even with those hurdles, Flippy is entering a new phase, focusing on solutions and fresh opportunities to keep moving toward long-term success.

Flippy has brought in support from a mix of funding to grow, such as friends and family, an SBA loan, investors, and Clearco. Their CFO, Joshua Pokrass, set up a financial system that keeps things running smoothly without slowing their progress. Clearco’s Invoice Funding has helped cover costs like Amazon advertising by giving them access to cash when they need it. 

The Future of Flippy: New Retail Partnerships and Marketing Plans

Flippy is ready to take the next high-growth step. They're currently looking for new partners and believe Costco could be a strong fit to help them reach more customers.

Marketing is taking on a bigger role as Flippy is leaning more into social platforms like TikTok and Facebook and teaming up with influencers to connect with people in a more personal, relatable way. Through all the shifts and strategies, one thing hasn’t changed: the trust they’ve built with their customers. The reviews speak for themselves. That kind of word-of-mouth keeps the momentum going. No matter the challenges, Flippy is staying open to new opportunities and finding smart ways to keep growing.