5 Go-to-Market Lessons from Building a 3D Commerce Category

When Beck Besecker started 3D Cloud in 2011, 3D visualization was barely on retailers’ radars. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, he shared how they built not just a company, but an entire market category. Here are the key go-to-market lessons from their journey.

1. Start with a Clear Thesis, Then Test Methodically

3D Cloud began with a bold thesis: “Eventually, three D will eat the Internet. Every single product on the Internet will be in 3d because it’s easier to maintain, it’s transportable.” Instead of rushing to market, they spent years testing different segments. As Beck recalls, “We probably spent four years trying to find it. We did fashion and shoes and luxury items and cars and industrial equipment and healthcare equipment.”

This methodical exploration eventually led them to the home improvement space, where they found the perfect combination of factors: products with long shelf lives, complex configuration needs, and clear visualization benefits.

2. Choose Investors Who Understand the Long Game

Rather than pursuing traditional venture funding, Beck deliberately sought out patient capital: “We’ve always raised money from high net wealth, former founders and entrepreneurs. We’ve never really raised monies from financial entities like a VC.”

This decision proved crucial for their category-creation journey. As Beck advises, “I encourage a lot of people, if you can do it, find a family fund that is financed by a former entrepreneur who understands operations and is patient, especially unless your business model is fully baked out and you’re ready to go.”

3. Build Your Category Through Market Validation

Instead of declaring themselves a category leader, 3D Cloud waited for market signals. The breakthrough came when major retailers started creating new roles specifically for their technology. “We started hearing from our retail partners, which are like Macy’s and Lazy Boy Bob’s furniture, Miller Knoll, that they started hiring people with roles that were like head of visualization.”

This organic validation led them to launch the first 3D Commerce Summit, creating a dedicated space for this emerging professional community.

4. Prioritize Retention Over Growth

While many startups chase rapid growth, Beck emphasizes a different priority: “The most important metric I care about is retention, which I’m sure every other B2B SaaS guy is nodding their head thinking, yeah, of course. And the worst thing you can do is take a client where the value proposition isn’t very strong and you’re constantly trying to fill the holes.”

This focus on retention has led to steady, sustainable growth: “Historical growth rate 25% for the last five, six years. That was just about the right pace. We’re not a hockey stick business.”

5. Practice Radical Transparency with Stakeholders

Beck emphasizes the importance of honest communication with investors: “If all I hear from good news from you, I can’t believe anything you say. You’ve got to be balanced.” This approach builds trust and ensures support during challenging times.

He adds, “The moment I have bad news, my brother and I call each other up, like, what are we going to do? And the answer is always the same thing, which is be fast and transparent.”

These lessons challenge the conventional wisdom about rapid scaling and venture funding. As Beck notes, “We tend to hear the quick hit stories, and that’s not real.” Instead, his experience suggests that building a new category requires patience, methodical exploration, and the right kind of capital partners who understand the long game.

For founders working on potentially category-creating companies, these lessons offer a valuable alternative to the typical Silicon Valley playbook. Sometimes, the path to success isn’t about moving fast and breaking things – it’s about having the patience to find the right market, the right timing, and the right investors who understand what you’re building.