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College Thesis Turned into Business: 5 Things to Learn from FILED Asia
How Filed became a business from a thesis project
Filed began in 2007 as a thesis project by six college students at Ateneo de Manila University. In an interview with GMA News in 2012, Stephanie Lim, one of the founders of Filed, shared that they were required to set up a business as third-year Management majors. “While most of our batchmates opted to work with concepts related to the food industry, we decided to veer away from all that. We wanted to create something more tangible and relevant to us as students, and we brainstormed our way to the File Folders,” she recalled.
Stephanie revealed that their capital was only ₱60,000. In 2008, their first retail store was a bookstore in Ateneo de Manila University, with the Classic File Folder being the first and only product sold. This product introduced the concept of organization by integrating ziplocks, envelopes, pockets, key holders, card slots, ID pockets, and a mesh pencil case into a single product.
It was only in 2010 that Filed became a full-fledged office and school supplies brand. “After graduating from college, we actually continued the business, but it remained merely as a sideline. We consigned our products in retail outlets and joined some bazaars, but none of us were really focused on the business,” Stephanie shared.
Eventually, they quit their day jobs and concentrated on the business, with Stephanie, Ervin Jader, and Imman Santos remaining of the six original members.
In that same year, Filed partnered with Fully Booked, one of the country’s biggest bookstore chains, which paved additional mileage for the brand. Currently, Filed is available in 33 Fully Booked branches nationwide.
Over a decade later, Filed’s products have exponentially grown to more than a hundred innovations and are now available worldwide through its online store.
Lessons to pick up from Filed’s journey
Starting with a problem is one effective way to build a business
Stephanie’s group veered their thesis project away from food business concepts because they saw a problem they encountered themselves and by their fellow students: the need for organizational solutions.In the mentioned interview, she shared, “We wanted something relevant, functional, and stylish, that we ourselves as students could use. We wanted to tell the market that there's a way of being organized and stylish at the same time.”
A lot of business owners immediately jump to the attempt of coming up with brilliant, revolutionary products that will spark attention among consumers. Many forget that attention naturally comes when a product or service solves a problem they often encounter.
Being students themselves, Stephanie’s group saw this thesis project not only as an opportunity to get an A, but also to provide effective solutions to problems that interrupt daily student activities.
Because of this, Filed was able to become a timeless brand, helping every generation of students become more organized and efficient.
Business capital does not have to be excessive
It has been significantly easier to build a business during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The global dilemma has been seen by many as an opportunity to start anew, especially with how accessible online shopping and digital work have become since then, therefore opening a big number of livelihood opportunities that may or may not require physical operations.
According to the UCLA Latino Politics & Policy Institute, the “small business boom” of 2020–2023 brought an unusual mix of high business creation and high turnover. It was a similar situation even for the Philippines, where you can start your business for ₱10,000 to ₱20,000, maybe ₱50,000 if it is a physical store that requires tools and consumables.
However, for small businesses that survived COVID-19, recovery has shifted from regaining lost ground to adapting to a “new normal” in which costs remain structurally higher, and credit is harder to secure.
For Filed, which started in 2007 with only ₱60,000, it was a bit of a gamble considering the nature of the business. It needed sturdy and credible materials to be able to produce high-quality items. At the same time, digital business being an uncommon industry made it much dicier.
Filed did not look at the capital. More than ₱60,000, the students had three things: belief in their creation, passion for fellow students, and a vision. These, as capital, are just as important as an operating budget.
Product diversification is key
In diversifying products, two more things Filed specialized in were adapting to trends and fostering differentiation.
In 2009, the brand took a slight turn from their typical creations. They embraced the “summerific hues” and launched beach bags, partnering with big celebrities back then: Chesca Garcia Kramer, Iya Villania, and Angel Aquino.
In 2011, Funky doodles were also a thing, to which Filed responded with a creative Doodle Planner and launched Moodi, their very first character icon.
In 2012, they launched the Scribble Planner, which featured artistic calligraphy designs. They created new versions of the product every year since then.
Five years since launching, some time between those momentous years, Filed has expanded to 7 products from the Classic Filed Folder—adding Flip Folder, Filler Organizer Pack, Filler Notes, Googly Gooeys Folder, Canvas Folder, and Doodle Planner.
In 2026, the brand has over 50 office and school supplies on multiple online shopping platforms, including Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, and its very own shop on the Filed website.
Try out their products with a 3% discount using the code: GETFILEDOM
Related: Making Profit Out of Potential: Product Diversification Tips
Your testing ground can be your first market
Filed made a smart move when they opened their very first store inside Ateneo de Manila University.
The thesis groupmates were students on campus with real observations about the needs of other students. They noticed the struggles of handling ten papers at once, missing a newly bought pen, rummaging through your entire bag for a ₱10 coin fare, and countless more problems that can get significantly easier to manage if only more useful school supplies were accessible.
The perfect market was right in front of them, as it was the same group of people that inspired the business.
Business owners need not overthink where else to sell their products. The very first place where the business idea was prompted may often be the best place to find your first customers. And from there, word naturally and easily spreads. Today, Filed’s market has extended to office workers.
Your customers can be businesses
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is looking at consumers as the only customers. The people who buy your products do not have to be the ones using them. You can sell to businesses just as much as you sell to consumers.
Filed collaborates with local universities and corporate businesses to integrate its products for corresponding purposes. These may include student merchandise, corporate gifts, and general giveaways.
“Businesses” do not necessarily equate to brands or large corporations either. They could be individual resellers who offer your products in your stead. Offering your items in bulk allows you to help independent distributors and gain traction without direct efforts.
Knowing things like this can open a lot of opportunities for your business to grow. In the business industry, there is always something new to learn and explore.
In the same interview, Stephanie said, “We've grown and expanded in ways we did not think was possible a few years ago.”
Her advice to young entrepreneurs: “A great idea is only as good as its execution. If you have a business idea, take that first step to action and implement your idea, as one can never know if it's good or not until it materializes.”
