From Homemade Candy to Homeswap: The Entrepreneurial Journey of Nicolai Mazur
From selling sweets in his mum’s kitchen to leading product at a global travel startup, Danish entrepreneur Nicolai Mazur shares what he’s learned about building brands that connect people.
When Nicolai Mazur was just 13, his entrepreneurial journey began in the most unexpected of places — his mum’s kitchen. With a pot of boiling sugar and a handful of local shops willing to take a chance on homemade candy, Mazur launched his first business.
“I even reached out to Johan Bülow from Lakrids by Bülow to ask for advice,” he recalls. “He actually became a mentor. He taught me early that building a brand isn’t just about the product — it’s about the story, the feeling, the small details that make people care.”
That lesson stuck. Since then, Mazur has built ventures grounded in one central belief: the best products don’t just solve problems — they connect people.
From lockdown love stories to national success
Years later, during the quiet uncertainty of the COVID lockdown, Mazur found himself searching for a way to bring connection back into daily life. “The whole country was shut down, and I missed taking my partner out on dates,” he says. “So I decided to turn our living room into different bars and restaurants. One evening we even did a full pub crawl at home.”
That night sparked the idea for Dately — a home date kit that brought couples everything they needed for a cosy evening in: snacks, activities, conversation cards and even a curated Spotify playlist.
What began as a lockdown experiment quickly grew into a thriving business. Dately sold more than 70,000 products across the Nordics and even landed Mazur a spot on Denmark’s Dragon’s Den.
But success came with its share of hard lessons. “At one point, we landed a huge order with one of Denmark’s biggest retailers — about a third of our yearly turnover,” Mazur recalls. “We thought we had financing secured, but the bank pulled out last minute. I had a week and a half to find 1.5 million kroner or lose the deal. That’s when I learned what entrepreneurship really means: pressure, chaos, and excitement all at once.”
Still, the most powerful moments weren’t financial. “Once, I was in a parcel shop, waiting to pick up a package,” he says. “The guy in front of me was there to collect one from my company. Suddenly it wasn’t just numbers in Shopify anymore — it was real people. Real couples spending time together because of something we’d built.”
Another time, a customer used a Dately box to propose to his girlfriend. “That still gives me chills,” Mazur says. “A product we created became part of one of the biggest moments in someone’s life.”
Building belonging through Homeswap
Today, Mazur serves as Chief Product Officer at Homeswap, a fast-growing platform helping people travel the world by exchanging homes instead of paying for accommodation.
“When I joined, it was literally just an idea on a whiteboard — no name, no product, just a vision,” he says. “Now we’re live in more than 20 countries and growing fast.”
Homeswap’s model is simple: members host travellers in their homes, earn credits, and use those credits to stay in other people’s homes around the world. It’s travel built on trust, sustainability and connection — the same themes that have run through all of Mazur’s ventures.
“What drives me today is the same thing that’s always driven me: creating something that makes people feel connected,” he says. “Dately helped couples reconnect. Homeswap helps people feel at home anywhere in the world.”
Founder Insights: Lessons from Denmark
When do you feel most creative?
“Usually when I’m not trying to be. It can happen while I’m cooking, walking, or late at night when everything’s quiet. I’ve learned not to force creativity — it works best when you give it space.”
What’s the biggest lesson from Dately that you bring into Homeswap?
“That a product only really works when people can feel connected to it. Dately was about love and presence. Homeswap is about trust between strangers. The goal hasn’t changed — to build relationships, not just transactions.”
What’s the hardest part of leading a fast-growing company?
“Letting go. When you build something from scratch, you want to control every detail. But to scale, you have to trust others. Now, I focus more on direction and culture than on managing every move.”
What drives you right now?
“I love creating something that didn’t exist yesterday. But now it’s also about impact — building something that changes how people travel and connect.”
The Danish founder spirit
Mazur’s story captures the essence of Danish entrepreneurship — a blend of creativity, humility, and human-centred thinking. From his mum’s kitchen to a global travel platform, the common thread has been clear: building things that bring people closer together.
As Homeswap expands internationally, Mazur remains grounded in that same belief. “Whether it’s love or travel, it’s about belonging — that feeling that you’re part of something real.”
And that, perhaps, is the truest mark of a founder: not just creating products, but crafting experiences that connect us all.
0 comments