type
summary
created
Tue Apr 07 2026 02:00:00 GMT+0200 (Central European Summer Time)
updated
Tue Apr 07 2026 02:00:00 GMT+0200 (Central European Summer Time)
sources
raw/notes/varsovia-meeting
tags
meeting strategy mills side-trims kyb visibility

Varsovia Meeting Summary

abstract
Meeting notes from a ~15-minute Portuguese-language call between Rafael and Thierry covering mill strategy, side-trims distribution, KYB at registration, dual visibility settings, container filling, and the make-to-order opportunity.

Overview

This meeting produced several foundational product decisions for B2BPaper. The conversation covered real-world mill behavior, competitive research findings, and strategic product direction. Key themes: mills care more about geographic visibility control than price; surplus is the entry hook but planned production is the deeper market; KYB must happen upfront at registration.

Key Topics

1. Side-Trims and Market Separation

A mill already ships side-trims to the Philippines specifically to avoid cannibalizing its jumbo roll sales in South America. Side-trims are byproducts cut into small reels and deliberately shipped to different countries from the primary product. The critical insight: mills care deeply about not competing with themselves, making visibility control the top priority feature.

2. Container Filling Problem

When a single lot does not fill a container, the mill needs to add complementary widths (e.g., if buyer needs 165mm width, mill adds 155mm + 175mm to complete the fill). What sizes are acceptable depends entirely on the buyer's machine specs. Action item: Thierry to talk to Simei (Brazil contact) about how mills handle this in practice.

3. Make-to-Order Opportunity

The platform does not have to be surplus-only. Surplus is the entry hook that attracts mills initially. Once onboarded, mills could also list planned production (small runs, close-to-needed widths). If it sells, they produce; if not, they do not. Zero inventory risk. This transforms B2BPaper from a surplus marketplace into a make-to-order + surplus marketplace.

4. Go-to-Market Strategy

Start with "friendly mills" from Thierry's Hazel contacts. The product is in beta; mills must understand it is not finished. Launch with one mill, learn, then expand. Warning: if a mill has a bad early experience (no sales), they will not return easily.

5. KYB/KYC at Registration

Competitors require Know Your Business verification at registration, before the buyer can even see available products. Buyers are redirected to a third-party KYB service immediately after registering. When the buyer is ready to transact, all documents are already in the system, enabling fast checkout. Decision: B2BPaper should adopt the same approach.

6. Freight and China Problem

Chinese paper has high production capacity but freight from China to South America was very expensive at time of meeting, killing many sales. Europe-to-South-America routes were better, giving European mills a structural advantage on the platform.

7. Trader Opacity and Visibility Settings

Example: a Chinese trader buys from a mill, says it is going to Morocco, but actually ships to Venezuela. The mill unknowingly competes with its own clients. Platform solution: give mills visibility controls to choose which countries/regions can see their listings. Two separate visibility settings needed: one for production lots, one for side-trims.

Open Action Items

Action Owner
Talk to Simei about container filling practices Thierry
Implement KYB at registration (upfront) Rafael/builder
Design dual visibility settings (production vs. side-trims) Rafael/blueprint
Define "friendly mill" shortlist for beta Thierry
Review b2bpaper.com landing page Both

Sources

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