After achieving a fair amount of success with OverdoseVE, my business partner and I realized that we could do even better with the right product. Venezuela, like many other countries in South America, often replicates trends from the US. As teenagers, we saw an opportunity with the rising trend of vaping in the US, particularly in Miami.


The pandemic of 2019 played a crucial role in the development of our company. Due to curfews implemented to prevent COVID-19 from spreading, most of our sales had to be delivered directly to customers. At the start of the company, we secured a partnership with a local equivalent of DoorDash or Uber in Maracaibo. This partnership helped us expand and formalize our delivery and payment infrastructure.

Before teaming up with “MrDrop,” we relied on individualized and informal delivery drivers. This approach led to issues such as stolen merchandise, delayed payments, and inefficient service. By incorporating Google Maps personalized maps, we were able to sectionize each delivery zone in the city, making us know exactly how much it will take is to deliver the goods anywhere in the city improving overall efficiency.


At some point, my business partner and I decided to part ways. He moved out of the country, taking full control of OverdoseVE, while I retained full ownership of VapedoseVE. After the split, VapedoseVE improved significantly as I took sole responsibility for creative decisions, product management, selection, and financial administration. This created a huge workload, but with the right mindset, I had to make it work.

Expanding to other cities was crucial for VapedoseVE as it would create a sense of professionalism and trust among customers. We chose to expand to two cities: San Cristobal and Lecheria. Two new partners helped to manage and run the business on-site, ensuring smooth operations and media content. We applied the same approach with MrDrop in San Cristobal, taking advantage of an already established delivery infrastructure to build the base of our business.

Competition-wise, it was a great experience. I met amazing people and emerging brands like Cuviemood, MajorVape, and Podsystems (all this firsthand entrepreneurships by young teams like us). We even established agreements on product prices to avoid flooding the market with unnecessary deals or promos, keeping our profits high. Partnering with local stores to sell our products was a bittersweet experience. Each pitch built my confidence and my business. Each time I refilled my display box, I genuinely felt like I was part of something I built on my own.

Around two years after the initial idea for VapedoseVE, I also had to leave the country. Studying and living in Venezuela under a corrupt government made conditions quite difficult. I continued managing VapedoseVE remotely, dispatching products from Miami to my vendors. However, it didn’t last long as being present is crucial for a business owner. Additionally, our Instagram account was taken down due to upcoming legislation prohibiting the sale of nicotine devices. My best friend and ex-business partner’s led me use the name of OverdoseVe on the meantime avoiding the need to create a new brand from scratch.

From the beginning, I knew that every business is temporary. Some last a lifetime, but maturity is understanding that even the biggest companies have a deadline. I knew this concept wouldn’t last long in a corrupt third-world country, but I took my fair share of education from this business. A year later, Venezuela officially banned e-cigarettes and salt-Nic devices.