Bob's Flies
From a student pitch between fly tying and lectures, a fly fishing brand has emerged that is now read about in Switzerland and visited in Bergün. This is a case where Helda bears the risk herself, testing everything with her own money first.
Fly fishing · Direct sales- Fall 2019Founded from the study module KICKBOOK by rready
- CHF 200 advertising budgetFirst orders from strangers
- Seven years laterEstablished provider, Bergün Popup
- Vision FlyfishingSales partnership with Finland
BACKGROUND
Where it all began.
Bob's Flies was born out of passion, not a business idea. Nicola has been fly-fishing since he was a teenager and wanted to share this fascination with nature, water, and fishing. Away from the cliché of beer by the lake and a rod in the rod holder, towards the mountain stream, where concentration, movement, and knowledge come together.
While his fellow students spent their summer holidays in the south, Nicola worked on a rough concept. A fly-fishing brand that wanted to be different from what was available in Switzerland, with a concrete entry point for beginners through courses and its own range of materials.
He first pitched the idea to his two flatmates at the time, then to some fellow students. The feedback was so positive that the idea moved from concept to something worth pursuing.
IMPLEMENTATION
What was built.
Step 1
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KICKBOOK Module
Accepted into the idea validation module at the beginning of the autumn semester, led by Ralph Hartmeier from rreaddy. The pitch was successful, allowing the idea to be validated within the module, rather than just on the side. -
Advent Calendar Idea
Fishing is no longer permitted in the canton of Graubünden during autumn and winter. We needed a product that would work now, without a river. This led to Switzerland's first fly fishing advent calendar, featuring 24 flies, from dry flies to streamers. -
Landing Page and Opt-in
Assembled landing pages, an opt-in funnel, and advertisements to test market response. Low effort, clear question.
Step 2
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CHF 200 advertising budget
Scraped together, but enough for an honest answer from the market. The answer came quickly, with orders from people we'd never seen before. -
Suppliers and production run
Nicola found a supplier who agreed to the small production run and assured us of packaging material and the 24 bow tie samples by mid-November. -
Production in the shared flat
By the end of November, there were more advent calendars than textbooks in the apartment. Assembling, filling, and packaging until late at night. The next morning, between lectures, a trip to the post office.
COURSE
What happened.
The Advent calendar winter was the baptism of fire. It showed that there is a market, that people will pay, that logistics can be learned, even if it's run from a shared apartment between exams. More important than sales was the signal: the concept could become a business if they stuck with it.
In the following years, what remained of the initial concept was added and further developed. Beginner courses on the water as soon as the season allowed. Advanced courses for fishermen who wanted to progress further. Their own shop for flies and materials, direct instead of through marketplaces, so that customer relationships weren't handled by others.
In addition, partnerships were formed to make the business viable. A sales partnership with the Finnish rod manufacturer Vision Flyfishing for the Swiss market. And a seasonal pop-up store in Bergün, where rods, flies, and advice come together in one place, right in the region where many of the courses take place.
"The first winter with the advent calendars showed us that strangers would buy something that didn't exist before. Everything that followed was a consequence of that moment."
Nicola Schwendimann, looking back on the founding phase
Where Bob's Flies stands today
Seven years later, Bob's Flies is an established provider of fly fishing courses in Switzerland, with a reputation that extends far beyond cantonal and national borders. Beginner and advanced courses, its own shop, the Vision Flyfishing partnership, and the pop-up store in Bergün are all part of everyday operations.
For Helda, Bob's Flies is more than just a case on a list. It's the testing ground for everything we propose to clients. Shopify setup, product structure, attribution, seasonal campaigns, post-purchase sequences. When we talk about margins, returns, or advertising budgets that don't add up in an initial consultation, we're speaking from our own financial experience.
That's why this case comes first. Not because it's the biggest, but because it's the only one where the money was entirely Nicolas's own, from the first CHF 200 advertising budget to today.
Other cases
CASE 02 · GO-TO-MARKET MANDATE · GUIDING BRAND
CASE 03 · CLASSIC MANDATE
CASE 04 · PURE SHOPIFY PROJECT
