When I founded Reptigen LLC under the brand Chef Omar, Armenia had no live seafood market to speak of. Restaurants were shackled to frozen imports, while the tantalizing notion of serving live Kamchatka crab, sea urchins, or fresh oysters seemed less like a business plan and more like a pipe dream.
But therein lay the challenge — and the opportunity worth pursuing.
This venture wasn’t merely about delivering a product; it was about creating a market. In a region lacking the necessary infrastructure, logistics, and even customer expectations, this endeavor transformed business development into an art form — engineering an ecosystem.
1) Identifying the Market Gap (and Owning It)
Armenia boasted world-class chefs, luxury hotels, an upscale dining scene, and a burgeoning tourism industry. Yet, no one was catering to the tastes of live coldwater seafood enthusiasts. It wasn’t due to a lack of demand; rather, no one had discovered how to supply it.
While others viewed the situation as a dead end, I saw a blank canvas. The goal wasn’t just to sell seafood; it was to establish the first and only reliable supplier of live seafood, enabling restaurants to offer a premium experience previously unheard of in the region.
Lesson:
True business development involves creating the market you aspire to dominate.
2) When the Tech Doesn’t Exist Locally, Build It Yourself
This initiative required innovative proprietary aquaculture systems designed to keep coldwater marine animals alive for weeks — a feat never accomplished in the region. I designed and implemented a fully closed-loop filtration and preservation system, adapting techniques from top scientific marine labs for commercial use.
Here’s the crux of the insight:
Instead of waiting for the perfect conditions, I built them. I combined off-the-shelf marine technology, custom solutions, and hands-on engineering — not to reinvent the wheel, but to make it functional in our context. This approach made the business defensible.
Lesson:
Innovation isn’t always about invention; it’s often about effective adaptation in uncharted territories.
3) Scaling Without a Map
Every decision, from importing live animals across borders to navigating local customs, refrigeration logistics, and packaging for same-day restaurant delivery, had to be crafted from the ground up.
There was no existing playbook. So, I wrote my own:
- I didn’t hire a “supply chain expert.” I became one.
- I didn’t replicate competitors’ strategies. There were none.
- I designed our operations for gradual scaling — initiating with limited volumes, ensuring tight feedback loops from top chefs, and expanding only when consistency was guaranteed.
Lesson:
Market leadership is less about speed and more about delivering reliable promises.
4) Creating Trust in a Product That’s Never Been Seen Before
Convincing restaurants to transition from frozen seafood to live produce — especially at a higher price point — was no easy task.
Enter storytelling and education:
- I engaged chefs one-on-one.
- I delivered samples along with proper handling guides.
- I invited them to our facility to witness firsthand the pristine conditions under which live crabs and sea urchins were stored, fed, and maintained.
- I positioned our brand as not merely a vendor but as a partner in menu innovation.
The outcome? High-end kitchens transformed from mere clients into ardent brand ambassadors, proudly showcasing the first live Kamchatka crabs in Armenia.
Lesson:
Education markets innovation. Transparency fosters trust.
5) Making the Business Bigger Than the Product
At its essence, this endeavor was a logistics and infrastructure business masquerading as a seafood supplier.
Yet, the vision extended far beyond simple seafood supply: it aimed to create a cold-chain ecosystem capable of supporting other imported perishables—high-end produce, specialty dairy, and gourmet meats. What began with seafood set the stage for broader import channels and food tech innovations.
Even if the product evolves, the system remains robust.
Lesson:
Construct businesses that transcend their initial offerings.
The Takeaway for Entrepreneurs
If there’s one pivotal message for founders venturing into “impossible” markets, it’s this:
You don’t have to wait for the right conditions.
You can create those conditions yourself — thereby establishing a business that others will struggle to replicate quickly.
Reptigen LLC and Chef Omar didn’t merely import seafood. We imported possibility — local, fresh, and delivered daily.
Ultimately, real business development transcends the process of selling what people think they want; it is about paving the way for experiences they didn’t even know were possible.
