This week I ran into some serious print on demand setbacks.
I promised to be as honest as possible with ExitLab, and honestly, this week didn’t go as planned.
Both my TeePublic and Redbubble accounts were suddenly suspended, with no clear explanation beyond violating their terms and conditions. No warning, no detailed reason — just gone.
My best guess is this: I previously had accounts on those platforms in 2024 under a different email address, and some of the designs I uploaded this time were reused from that earlier period. From their side, it may look like someone reuploaded stolen designs. From my side, it’s simply my own work.
I’ve contacted their legal teams and asked for clarification and hopefully a reversal of the decision, but right now there are no guarantees.
Looking back, I probably should have seen this risk beforehand — but honestly, it never crossed my mind.
So, in practical terms, it feels like I’m back at square one — but with luck, a little wiser this time.
Do These Print on Demand Setbacks Mean I Failed?
Not really.
But the project definitely hit a wall.
Since we’re already well into February and this ExitLab project runs only until the end of the month, hitting the income goal I set now looks unlikely.
Still, this is exactly what ExitLab is meant to show.
Not polished success stories, but what actually happens when you try to build something from scratch alongside a normal working life. Especially if you don’t feel particularly digital to begin with.
So what happens now?
Simple: I keep going.
I’ve already started uploading designs to other platforms like Spreadshirt, and I’ll continue testing and publishing designs for the rest of the month. Because the goal isn’t quick success — it’s building something that might work over time.
Another thing setbacks like this highlight is how little margin you actually have when you’re building something on the side of a full-time job.
Most days, I only have an hour or two to work on this project. So when accounts get shut down or work disappears, it stings a bit extra — because those hours don’t come back.
At the same time, focusing too much on lost time can easily wear you down.
The only real option is to keep moving forward, keep building, and trust that even when results don’t show immediately, the experience and lessons will be useful later on.
And at the very least, you know you actually tried.
Where Do the Original Goals Stand Now?
At the start of this ExitLab project, I set three goals:
• Publish 100 designs across print-on-demand platforms
• Earn 100 USD from t-shirt or design sales
• Run at least one social media campaign
After this week’s print on demand setbacks, reaching those targets before the end of the month looks… challenging. Maybe even unlikely.
But that’s also part of the experiment.
Instead of quietly adjusting the goals, I’ll keep them as they are and simply see how far I can get before the month ends. Then we’ll look at the results — good or bad — and decide what comes next.
And six months from now, I’ll revisit this project and see what actually grew over time.
A Question for the Future
One thing this week also made me question is the ExitLab format itself.
Is one or two months really enough time to properly test a project — especially when you’re building it alongside a full-time job and everyday life?
I don’t have the answer yet. But it’s something I’ll revisit as ExitLab moves forward.
In a strange way, this setback also forced me to step back and rethink parts of the ExitLab structure itself.
Sometimes things have to go wrong before you see how to build something better. And this week actually helped me clarify how future projects and follow-ups should work.
So even when progress feels slow, the bigger picture keeps taking shape.
Project #1 Continues
So for now, Project #1 continues.
I’ll keep uploading designs, testing platforms, and learning as I go for the rest of the month. Then we’ll look at the results and decide the next move.
That’s what ExitLab is about — trying, adjusting, and moving forward.
Let’s see how far we can get before the month ends.
