Sendoso · eGift Platform Expansion
Sendoso · eGift Platform Expansion
Case Study · Sendoso
Scaled catalog coverage, landed strategic partnerships, and built operational infrastructure during a market inflection point.
2×
Active eGift Coverage
47
Countries Supported
1,764
Total eGifts Worldwide
Context & Mission
I joined Sendoso in early 2021 as the corporate gifting market rebounded from pandemic disruption. The company had significant momentum, raising a $100M Series C in September 2021, but by late 2021, the macro environment was shifting. Interest rates were rising, pandemic-era growth patterns were normalizing, and companies were starting to tighten discretionary spending. My mission: scale the eGift platform while the window was open.
Sendoso is a PLG digital and physical gifting platform helping businesses boost engagement and growth. eGifts were the most popular send option on the platform, representing over half of total sends. I owned the eGift platform strategy, partnerships, and internal tools, driving catalog growth and operational efficiency while aligning with broader marketplace goals.
2021 was the peak of the zero-interest-rate era, with record VC funding and aggressive growth expectations. Sendoso had just raised a $100M Series C, and the timing was right to scale the eGift platform aggressively.
Who we were serving
Sendoso's customers needed to send personalized gifts to prospects, clients, and employees around the world. The eGift catalog was the foundation of this experience, but coverage gaps limited personalization options, especially for international recipients and small business targeting.
Platform & partnership growth
I approached this as a platform and partnership problem. Scaling the catalog meant building vendor relationships, negotiating directly with eGift providers, and landing strategic partnerships that would unlock new markets and use cases.
Managed relationships with major eGift providers including Tango, XOXODAY, Gyft, NGC, and TOPPS. Negotiated directly with vendors to expand coverage and improve terms.
Landed Square as a strategic partner, improving eGift selection in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and U.K. This enabled more personalized gifting targeting small businesses.
Consolidated three parallel eGift redemption flows into a single, unified experience. Reduced complexity for users and laid the foundation for future marketplace features.
Enhanced internal tools to simplify eGift deactivation, refunds, and swaps. This freed up engineering resources and expedited customer support resolution.
What we actually shipped
These capabilities drove catalog growth, improved security, and streamlined operations:
Doubled active eGift coverage from 800 to 1,600 eGifts. Expanded to 47 countries, adding 12 new markets in 2021. Final catalog: 1,764 total eGifts (1,420 international, 344 U.S.).
Launched WeGift API integration with Square, unlocking access to their network of global small businesses. Enabled personalized local gifting in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and U.K.
Implemented two-factor authentication and AI-driven fraud detection to identify bot attacks. Protected eGift transactions from scammers, improving security and customer trust.
Consolidated three parallel eGift redemption experiences into a single, streamlined flow. Reduced user confusion and simplified the codebase for future development.
Built subscription plan infrastructure for feature gating and upgrade incentives, supporting revenue optimization and clearer value differentiation across tiers.
Enhanced self-service tools for eGift deactivation, refunds, and swaps. Improved invitation and reminder email workflows. Freed engineering from operational tasks.
The eGift selection experience
The eGift experience needed to feel personalized, fast, and delightful. Users could browse by category, search for specific brands, or let recipients choose their own gift. The expanded catalog meant more relevant options for every recipient, whether they were in San Francisco or São Paulo.
How we delivered
Scaling a marketplace requires balancing speed with quality. I focused on high-leverage partnerships, operational efficiency, and architectural decisions that would pay off as the platform grew.
Rather than relying solely on aggregators, I negotiated directly with eGift vendors. This gave us better terms, faster onboarding for new brands, and more control over catalog quality and coverage gaps.
The redemption flow consolidation wasn't just about user experience. It was about building a foundation for the marketplace vision. Partnered with the Head of Product to ensure architectural decisions supported long-term strategy.
The Square partnership wasn't just about adding more eGifts. It was about enabling a new use case (small business targeting) and expanding into markets where Sendoso had coverage gaps.
What we delivered
Active eGift coverage grew from 800 to 1,600, a 100% increase. Total catalog reached 1,764 eGifts across 47 countries, with 12 new markets added in 2021.
Square integration went live, enabling personalized small business gifting in four major markets. This opened a new use case for customers targeting local vendors.
Fraud prevention measures (2FA, AI detection) protected transactions and improved customer trust. This was critical for a platform handling gift card transactions at scale.
Streamlined internal tools freed engineering resources and accelerated customer support resolution, reducing operational overhead across the eGift team.
Where the work was hardest
Scaling a marketplace during a market inflection point required navigating both internal complexity and external uncertainty.
Early 2021
Three parallel eGift redemption experiences had evolved independently, creating user confusion and technical debt. Consolidating them required careful coordination across teams while maintaining service continuity.
Mid 2021
Managing relationships with multiple eGift providers (Tango, XOXODAY, Gyft, NGC, TOPPS) meant navigating different APIs, terms, and timelines. Direct negotiation gave us more control but required significant relationship management.
Late 2021
Launching in 12 new markets meant coordinating across multiple eGift vendors with different catalogs, currencies, and regional requirements, while simultaneously onboarding Square as a strategic partner.
Ongoing
Scaling fast without breaking things required investment in operational efficiency. Improving internal tools freed up engineering to focus on platform growth instead of losing velocity to support requests.
How this shaped my approach
Market conditions create windows of opportunity. Recognizing when to push hard on growth initiatives can multiply impact.
Relying on aggregators limits your options. Negotiating directly with vendors gave us better terms, faster onboarding, and more control over the catalog.
Technical debt from parallel systems compounds over time. The redemption flow consolidation wasn't glamorous, but it was foundational for future growth.
Internal tools and operational improvements aren't sexy, but they free up engineering and improve customer experience. This compounds over time.
Validation from teammates and the market
Feedback from engineering partners and recognition of the platform work.
"Serving together in the eGift team, we created a product that was not only scalable and resilient, but also laser-focused on features that elevated our product's impact. Kevin's dedication to clear written communication and his openness to feedback, both from our internal team and our valued customers, was exemplary."
"Our data has historically found eGifts to be the most popular send option, and the number one option to engage prospects, representing over half of the total sends through the platform in 2021."
