If you walked into Cozi Coworking a few years ago, you might have seen a guy quietly testing products on his laptop. No fanfare, no “hustle” noise—just focus. That guy was Firas Balaffou.
Fast forward to today: Firas is the founder of TheraPet, one of the fastest-growing pet wellness brands in the U.S. While many know him from his previous success story with Necklow, his new venture plays in a completely different league.
We sat down with him to deconstruct how Firas Balaffou made TheraPet a multimillion-dollar empire—and why he’s betting on Tunisian talent to help him win.
Interview: Firas Balaffou on TheraPet & E-commerce
CoZi: Firas, let’s skip the bio. Who are you today?
Firas: I’m Firas Balaffou. I started in e-commerce back in 2019 out of curiosity. Today, I’m building TheraPet—a calming solutions brand for pets in the U.S. market.
The mission has evolved from “selling products” to “dominating a category.” We want to own behavioral wellness for dogs and cats. This isn’t just about sales; it’s about tapping into the booming global pet wellness market.
CoZi: Did you wake up one morning with a master plan?
Firas: [Laughs] Not at all. It started with pure curiosity. But over time, the goal shifted from making money to building companies that actually last.
CoZi: What’s the biggest misconception about starting from Tunisia?
Firas: They think the barrier is capital or location. It’s not. The biggest obstacle is your own limiting beliefs. But I learned that limits mostly exist in your mind. Consistency compounds.
The “Gym” Years: From Dropshipping to Brand Equity
CoZi: You started with dropshipping. Was it easy?
Firas: It was chaotic, fast, and intense. But it was the best training ground I could have asked for. It taught me how to understand customer psychology and adapt quickly.
CoZi: Why did you leave dropshipping behind?
Firas: Because it has a ceiling. Dropshipping is a cash-flow game, not an equity game.
I realized that if I wanted to build real wealth—like the exit I experienced with Necklow (acquired by OpenStore)—I had to stop “selling items” and start building a brand.
Why Firas Balaffou & TheraPet Won the Market
CoZi: The U.S. pet market is brutal. Why did TheraPet take off?
Firas: It comes down to product differentiation and obsession.
Most competitors were selling pills. We introduced pheromone technology via a simple diffuser. We solved a complex problem (anxiety) with a lazy solution. Owners loved that.
CoZi: You didn’t outsource marketing early. Why?
Firas: Because you can’t outsource the “brain” of the business. My co-founder Hamdi and I stayed deeply involved in the creative strategy. When you stay close to the market, you move faster than the big corporations.
The Environment Factor: Why Place Matters
CoZi: Does working from spaces like CoZi actually help?
Firas: It’s about structure. When you’re an entrepreneur, your biggest enemy is the chaos in your own head.
Coworking provides a performance environment. Whether you are staying at CoZi Coliving or just coming for the day, it’s a form of “productive peer pressure.” It raises your standard.
The Tunisian Bet: Investing in Local Talent
CoZi: You sell in the U.S., but hire in Tunisia. Why?
Firas: Talent is the new currency. Great people are rare. Companies like OpenStore understand operations, and that’s what we are building here.
We decided to play a different game: building talent from the ground up, locally. There is incredible potential here. We aren’t just hiring; we are developing the next generation of e-commerce experts.
The Final Lesson
CoZi: What warning would you give the Firas of 2019?
Firas: I’d tell him: “Beware of early success.” The most dangerous moment is when things start working. The real winners are the ones who keep the same hunger even after they make their first million.
CoZi: What’s the goal now?
Firas: We are just getting started. The goal is to be everywhere a pet owner shops—from Amazon to Costco to Target. We are building a legacy.
Want to follow in Firas’s footsteps? Success starts with the right environment. Join the community at CoZi, check out our Incubation Programs, or simply book a desk to start building your own empire from Djerba.
