When you want to fill a cup over its brim without spilling, put it in a bigger cup — Exit Scenario.

After a round of initial funding and a relatively successful launch, The One quickly turned around their initial losses into positive cash flows, with stably growing platform of bespoke furniture makers and niche buyers that contributes to a thriving marketplace between the two. Part of this success is due to the fact that The One started with a strong focus on a very specific group of furniture makers and buyers which have directly complementary desires and objectives. However as the company grew, so did the need to diversify revenue stream to maintain growth and keep investors happy.

However, it is precisely the initial, intense focus on bespoke furniture which proved to be The One’s Achille’s heel, ultimately constraining the pool of sellers and buyers that are interested in using the platform. Two options were available: one is to radically transform the public image of The One so that sellers and buyers beyond the bespoke furniture market will join to amplify the size of the marketplace, or two which is to be acquired by a larger, with a more well established and demographically diverse company to piggy back off their customer base. The first option would have required significant effort, time and money which, despite the positive cash flow and steadily growing transaction volume, The One was unable to undertake. The One was ultimately acquired by eBay.