Side hustle to scale: what Gabby Leibovich learned building Catch from a garage
Thinking about turning a side hustle into something bigger? Catch co-founder Gabby Leibovich shares what works, what doesn’t and why most ideas don’t make it – based on building one of Australia’s biggest eCommerce brands.
Key points
- Every side hustle is different – luck, know-how and good timing all help.
- The tools are all there. The real adventure is finding your first loyal customers.
- Go deep on your niche, meet customers where they are and keep delivery simple
From Sunday market to Wesfarmers: how Gabby Leibovich got started
It’s 8am on a Sunday in 1988. An 18-year-old Gabby Leibovich is unloading a Holden Gemini full of fashion seconds onto a trestle table at the Wantirna ‘Trash and Treasure’ Market.
By midday, the rack is empty and the cash tin is full.
It wasn’t just a weekend job. It was the start of a journey that would take him from market stalls to building Catch – and eventually selling to Wesfarmers.
“My real university wasn’t uni,” Gabby says. “It was selling, dealing with customers, figuring things out as I went.”
Who is Gabby Leibovich?
Gabby is best known as the co-founder of Catch – the Australian online marketplace he built with his brother Hezi and sold to Wesfarmers for $230 million in 2019. He was also behind Scoopon, an early investor in Menulog, EatNow and Luxury Escapes and today backs early-stage founders through his own investment portfolio - few people in Australia have seen more side hustles turn into scale-ups.
How online shopping changed everything for small sellers
Fast-forward to the early 2000s. Gabby discovers eBay and the penny drops: "I thought –wow, you can sell a toaster online, 24 hours a day, to someone in another state. Before the internet, shopping was your neighbourhood. eBay changed the game."
What followed looked a lot like today's classic side hustle setup: a suburban garage, a growing pile of parcels and twice-daily walks down to the local Post Office.
"I became close with the team at my local Post Office. Some days I'd ship 5 items. At peak, 50 or 60. I owe a lot to Australia Post – it's part of my journey I'll never forget."
How do you know if a side hustle idea will actually work?
We asked Gabby the question every aspiring founder wants answered. His answer was disarmingly honest:
"It's the hardest question you could ask me. There is no formula. Walk down any high street and you'll see shops for lease everywhere. The majority of businesses fail."
He's not exaggerating. Of the roughly 30 startups he's backed over the last decade, many have not kicked off.
So what keeps him betting? "You learn more from the ones that don't work than the ones that do. And when one does land, it can change everything – for you, your customers, your family. That's what makes it worth it."
And according to Gabby there are three main factors that make-or-break side-hustle success.
The three forces behind every winning eCommerce startup:
- Luck – being in the right place at the right time
- Education – knowing your industry inside out
- Timing – reading the market and moving when the moment's right
Is now a good time to start a side hustle in Australia?
Despite the challenges to consider, Gabby believes "there's never been a better time to start. The barriers are lower than ever – the hard part now is standing out."
Today’s tools mean you can launch quickly. Platforms like Shopify, Canva and ChatGPT make it possible to build a website, write product descriptions and start marketing in a matter of hours. But that ease comes with a trade-off.
“The biggest challenge isn’t building the business anymore,” Gabby says. “It’s finding customers who will actually pay.”
With more sellers competing for attention, standing out – and building an audience you own – matters more than ever.
4 things to do if you're starting a side hustle
- Find your niche and go deep. Broad is tough. The sellers doing well are solving a specific problem for a specific customer.
- Go where the customers already are. Marketplaces can help you reach real buyers faster, without spending heavily on ads.
- Give customers a reason to come back. Don’t just chase attention – build something worth coming back to. That’s how you create a stronger foundation over time.
- Get delivery right early. Delivery isn’t an afterthought. Clear options, reliable and convenient pickup can make the difference between a one-off sale and a repeat customer.
The takeaway
The path from side hustle to scale isn’t straightforward. It’s a mix of learning, timing and persistence.
As Gabby puts it: “Anyone can build something. The real challenge is finding customers – and building something worth coming back to.”
Side hustle FAQs: starting and shipping in Australia
How do I know if my side hustle idea has potential? There’s no guaranteed formula. Gabby Leibovich’s view is to understand your market, test early and focus on whether customers are willing to pay.
How much money do I need to start? Often less than expected. With AI tools, a basic eCommerce presence can be built for a few hundred dollars. The bigger cost today is customer acquisition, not setup.
Should I sell on marketplaces or build my own site? For most new sellers, marketplaces are where the customers already are. Gabby's view: start where the traffic is, then build your own audience over time.
What's the easiest way to ship parcels as a small seller? For new sellers, MyPost Business offers simple pricing and flexible lodgement options at your local Post Office.
Start small, ship smart
Start small, ship smart
MyPost Business makes it easy to send your first orders with flat-rate pricing and no lock-in contracts – so you can focus on growing your side hustle, not managing shipping.
