Paper vs. Pixels: How Bootstrapped Mossery is Navigating a Digital-First World

In a world dominated by smartphones and tablets, is there still room for a premium stationery and notebook brand?

As Mossery celebrates its 10th anniversary as a full-time business, we sit down with Jun Lim, co-founder and CEO of Mossery, to explore the brand’s evolution from a pet project among graphic design students to a homegrown stationery brand with an international presence.

We delve into Mossery's unique journey, discussing the founding story and early challenges, the brand’s design philosophy and working with illustrators and designers across the world, and how these collaborations have helped Mossery grow its presence beyond Malaysian borders. These collaborations have helped Mossery stand out in a crowded market and appeal to a global audience, with 85% of its sales coming from international markets, particularly the United States.

Beyond that, we also explore how and why the company is adapting its business model to meet evolving consumer demands, with Jun sharing that Mosery will be shifting to a B2B focus. He also provides a glimpse into the company’s financial strategies, including bootstrapping the business and managing the logistics of customised production, and he shares his vision for Mossery’s future in both digital and physical spaces, including potential strategic partnerships and plans for further expansion.