Roy Steves
@roysteves.bsky.social
Co-Founder and CEO of StatBid, a search marketing agency for Ecommerce companies. Founder of Poolaroo, a pool supplies retail site, where we are redesigning how Ecommerce operations works in 2025 and on.
Had a great trade show this week. So many followups to work through next week, but Poolaroo has a lot of momentum from this trip! #ecommerce #onlineretail
October 25, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Had a great trade show this week. So many followups to work through next week, but Poolaroo has a lot of momentum from this trip! #ecommerce #onlineretail
If you're using generative AI to make "UGC," I'm sorry, but we aren't going to be friends.
I'm a huge fan of AI tools, but honesty still counts, and that's just deception. 🙄
I'm a huge fan of AI tools, but honesty still counts, and that's just deception. 🙄
October 15, 2025 at 12:12 AM
If you're using generative AI to make "UGC," I'm sorry, but we aren't going to be friends.
I'm a huge fan of AI tools, but honesty still counts, and that's just deception. 🙄
I'm a huge fan of AI tools, but honesty still counts, and that's just deception. 🙄
Ah, no, the one I was on is closer to it, now that I dug up the photos. Still, a lovely place to crawl around and explore.
October 14, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Ah, no, the one I was on is closer to it, now that I dug up the photos. Still, a lovely place to crawl around and explore.
When one of the friendly strays decides to hop on your lap. :3
June 6, 2025 at 12:26 AM
When one of the friendly strays decides to hop on your lap. :3
A very satisfying outcome for a first timer project! Thanks to the San Francisco Center for the Book for hosting the class!
May 25, 2025 at 11:28 PM
A very satisfying outcome for a first timer project! Thanks to the San Francisco Center for the Book for hosting the class!
This pub restroom is a crash course on color theory, with the shadows.
May 14, 2025 at 2:33 AM
This pub restroom is a crash course on color theory, with the shadows.
Two more buckets of litter extracted from the neighborhood. It's so nice to be out on a spring day, leaving things better than I found them.
April 13, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Two more buckets of litter extracted from the neighborhood. It's so nice to be out on a spring day, leaving things better than I found them.
Ugh, yeah, fair enough.
Although it's shorter to pronounce that way, I keep seeing it as a made up word that would fit into this sentence: "I just love to semrush my cat's wittle face!"
Although it's shorter to pronounce that way, I keep seeing it as a made up word that would fit into this sentence: "I just love to semrush my cat's wittle face!"
April 10, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Ugh, yeah, fair enough.
Although it's shorter to pronounce that way, I keep seeing it as a made up word that would fit into this sentence: "I just love to semrush my cat's wittle face!"
Although it's shorter to pronounce that way, I keep seeing it as a made up word that would fit into this sentence: "I just love to semrush my cat's wittle face!"
Paint is done, branding is up, and first product is waiting!
Next... to set up and learn the flash controller and camera. That should be the easy part, right? 😅
#ecommerce #poolaroo #shopify #productphotography
Next... to set up and learn the flash controller and camera. That should be the easy part, right? 😅
#ecommerce #poolaroo #shopify #productphotography
March 21, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Paint is done, branding is up, and first product is waiting!
Next... to set up and learn the flash controller and camera. That should be the easy part, right? 😅
#ecommerce #poolaroo #shopify #productphotography
Next... to set up and learn the flash controller and camera. That should be the easy part, right? 😅
#ecommerce #poolaroo #shopify #productphotography
My exhausted mug notwithstanding, getting pretty close to a working white seamless! That's just with the ceiling lights and my phone, so the actual light rig, camera, and post should work!
#ecommerce #poolaroo
#ecommerce #poolaroo
March 21, 2025 at 12:04 AM
My exhausted mug notwithstanding, getting pretty close to a working white seamless! That's just with the ceiling lights and my phone, so the actual light rig, camera, and post should work!
#ecommerce #poolaroo
#ecommerce #poolaroo
After inventing the "air purifier," I got the first coat on the wall!
March 11, 2025 at 11:28 PM
After inventing the "air purifier," I got the first coat on the wall!
It was like a fogbank at first...
March 10, 2025 at 11:42 PM
It was like a fogbank at first...
I may never be rid of the cornstarch-fine dust from multiple rounds of putty/sanding...
But down to maybe one round left! Close enough I picked up the paint and rollers on the way.
Overkill product photo backdrop? Yes. Regrets? None.
But down to maybe one round left! Close enough I picked up the paint and rollers on the way.
Overkill product photo backdrop? Yes. Regrets? None.
March 10, 2025 at 11:36 PM
I may never be rid of the cornstarch-fine dust from multiple rounds of putty/sanding...
But down to maybe one round left! Close enough I picked up the paint and rollers on the way.
Overkill product photo backdrop? Yes. Regrets? None.
But down to maybe one round left! Close enough I picked up the paint and rollers on the way.
Overkill product photo backdrop? Yes. Regrets? None.
Phew! I was so worried those panels would split as I bent them, but it works! Buckets of wood putty alternating with rounds of sanding are next!
#ecommerce #productphotography #cyclorama
#ecommerce #productphotography #cyclorama
March 6, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Phew! I was so worried those panels would split as I bent them, but it works! Buckets of wood putty alternating with rounds of sanding are next!
#ecommerce #productphotography #cyclorama
#ecommerce #productphotography #cyclorama
After spending the workweek at my desk, working on Poolaroo, it's kind of nice to get back over here.
So many hand-cut curves, I've generated literal buckets of sawdust, and taxed the hell out of the saw's (several) batteries.
...but this cyclorama is going to be worth it! Baby steps. 😅
So many hand-cut curves, I've generated literal buckets of sawdust, and taxed the hell out of the saw's (several) batteries.
...but this cyclorama is going to be worth it! Baby steps. 😅
February 28, 2025 at 11:27 PM
After spending the workweek at my desk, working on Poolaroo, it's kind of nice to get back over here.
So many hand-cut curves, I've generated literal buckets of sawdust, and taxed the hell out of the saw's (several) batteries.
...but this cyclorama is going to be worth it! Baby steps. 😅
So many hand-cut curves, I've generated literal buckets of sawdust, and taxed the hell out of the saw's (several) batteries.
...but this cyclorama is going to be worth it! Baby steps. 😅
You may not like it, but this is what peak performance (in e-commerce product photography) looks like.
Only like eight more of those cyclorama ribs to cut, once the backup saw batteries show up. 😅
Only like eight more of those cyclorama ribs to cut, once the backup saw batteries show up. 😅
February 21, 2025 at 10:43 PM
You may not like it, but this is what peak performance (in e-commerce product photography) looks like.
Only like eight more of those cyclorama ribs to cut, once the backup saw batteries show up. 😅
Only like eight more of those cyclorama ribs to cut, once the backup saw batteries show up. 😅
This is how the pros do French onion soup, right?
Well, it worked brilliantly!
Well, it worked brilliantly!
February 14, 2025 at 9:44 PM
This is how the pros do French onion soup, right?
Well, it worked brilliantly!
Well, it worked brilliantly!
Ours too! Puts the "degenerate" in degenerative disk disease," this guy.
Just glad that Solensia shot (in his case) works so well for him.
Just glad that Solensia shot (in his case) works so well for him.
February 6, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Ours too! Puts the "degenerate" in degenerative disk disease," this guy.
Just glad that Solensia shot (in his case) works so well for him.
Just glad that Solensia shot (in his case) works so well for him.
While building a fully remote company has many rewards, there is still something magical about securing a physical space that makes a project feel... real.
Welcome to Poolaroo's new product photography studio and return center!
Welcome to Poolaroo's new product photography studio and return center!
February 4, 2025 at 10:04 PM
While building a fully remote company has many rewards, there is still something magical about securing a physical space that makes a project feel... real.
Welcome to Poolaroo's new product photography studio and return center!
Welcome to Poolaroo's new product photography studio and return center!
"You should lower the price of your biggest seller to get even more volume!" is going to be the new "you should raise your budgets and bids."
Conflicts of interest are real, and should not be ignored. Google is far from a neutral party in this.
#googleads #ecommerce #aipricing #itsatrap
Conflicts of interest are real, and should not be ignored. Google is far from a neutral party in this.
#googleads #ecommerce #aipricing #itsatrap
February 3, 2025 at 5:11 PM
"You should lower the price of your biggest seller to get even more volume!" is going to be the new "you should raise your budgets and bids."
Conflicts of interest are real, and should not be ignored. Google is far from a neutral party in this.
#googleads #ecommerce #aipricing #itsatrap
Conflicts of interest are real, and should not be ignored. Google is far from a neutral party in this.
#googleads #ecommerce #aipricing #itsatrap
It took me so many years, but I am SO glad I managed to move here!
January 21, 2025 at 8:09 PM
It took me so many years, but I am SO glad I managed to move here!
Google claiming they're doubling down on AI in 2025 is exciting and all...
But I still feel like they're way behind OpenAI and Anthropic so far.
Competition will be good for users, though, so I'm still rooting for them to catch up.
But I still feel like they're way behind OpenAI and Anthropic so far.
Competition will be good for users, though, so I'm still rooting for them to catch up.
December 30, 2024 at 6:23 PM
Google claiming they're doubling down on AI in 2025 is exciting and all...
But I still feel like they're way behind OpenAI and Anthropic so far.
Competition will be good for users, though, so I'm still rooting for them to catch up.
But I still feel like they're way behind OpenAI and Anthropic so far.
Competition will be good for users, though, so I'm still rooting for them to catch up.
A digital portrait I did of Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer.
December 1, 2024 at 10:21 PM
A digital portrait I did of Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer.