“We can offer a great e-commerce image editing service at a low cost without compromising quality,” said Jonathan as he opened a beer for himself and Vernen. They had known each other for twenty years, and never had Vernen seen Jonathan so excited about a business opportunity. For many years, this had been their shared hobby: coming up with business ideas and imagining what could happen. But this time felt different. This time, it could be their chance to make a real impact in the world.
“It didn’t have to be a big one, just our own,” Vernen explained to me over an Argentinian steak, eleven years after that conversation that started it all.
The two co-founders, Jonathan Baar and Vernen Liebermann, met when they were only thirteen years old. People often say you should never go into business with family or friends, but these two are an exception. They work together like clockwork. “I didn’t know anything about this business back then. I didn’t even know how to use Photoshop, but Jonathan has always had that kind of mind. If he saw something, I knew we were on to something,” says Vernen, then pauses for a moment. “But don’t tell him I said that,” he adds with a grin.
Vernen and Jonathan had a lot to learn, but they were focused and determined to make an impact. They wanted to create something of their own, something they could proudly share with the world and of course sth. which would solve a remaining issue in the eCom world. Jonathan brought extensive experience from his role as a Director at Deutsche Bank, while Vernen had spent over fifteen years developing and growing businesses in Germany. This new venture would be unlike anything they had done before, but they were all in. “I quit my job and left my main business. Overnight, it was Doopic or nothing,” said Vernen. Sometimes, to build something meaningful, you first have to clear the space where it can exist.
That first year was relentless. “We were doing everything, developing the infrastructure, running quality assurance, learning Photoshop, improving workflows, handling marketing and sales. Every single step of the ladder, we did ourselves, working long hours and weekends.” And it paid off. By 2015, Doopic was generating enough revenue to hire their first employee and move forward with a more ambitious business plan. They had reached proof of concept. This was no longer a dream. It was a serious company with real potential. The only question was: could they take it to the next level?
Spoiler Alert: They Did
“Be passionate, patient and relentless. There is no other way to succeed in business,” says Vernen as he scans the dessert menu. “But you can’t be too stubborn. You don’t have all the answers. Setbacks will happen, but what really matters is learning as much as you can and doing better the next time. Growing is a constant act of restoration.”
Building a business means constant change, making the best of every situation, and showing up with even more drive every day. But beyond all that, success depends on the ability to evolve. “As technology advanced, we had to stay ahead of the game,” Vernen says firmly.
Artificial Intelligence brought a major disruption to our lives, our work, everything. And it’s only been a few years. “Who knows what life will look like ten years from now? This is just the beginning. That’s why we created our innovation department, led by a uniquely talented producer and developer, Florian Müller. Finding him was like catching lightning in a bottle.”
Today, AI is used everywhere, but understanding its real capabilities is key to reaching the next level. “We are training AI models to adapt faster and better to our clients’ needs. This helps them grow like never before. We’re here to support them through a journey that holds enormous potential to disrupt and democratize the e-commerce industry the same way the internet once did.”
We Are Family
“Do you know what I respect about Gabe Newell, the Founder of steam, he never gave his baby away. Steam doesn’t have real competition, and a big reason for that is they’ve spent years focusing on users, not shareholders. No investor pressure, no quarterly performance theatrics, just relentless commitment to the product and the people who use it.”
That philosophy resonates deeply with us at Doopic. We’re a family company, and that independence is our edge. It allows us to pivot quickly, make bold decisions without red tape, and adapt faster than larger, investor-led firms burdened by approval chains and diluted priorities. While others chase scale at any cost, we’ve built something sustainable, profitable, and resilient by staying smart and fiercely focused.
There’s a certain clarity that comes when you don’t owe anyone anything. We don’t have to dress things up for boardrooms or inflate roadmaps to justify funding rounds. Every decision we make starts with our customers, not our cap table. That’s why we can say no to trends that don’t serve our mission and yes to the things that actually move the needle.
We’re not against investors but we are not here to impress them, we’re here to serve our clients and build something that solves a real problem. That’s the game we chose, and we’re playing and after ten years we like coming to work every day.
