This is a guest blog post from Jacques Bodin-Hullin, CEO of Monsieur Biz, our Bronze Sponsor for SyliusCon. Jacques shares the incredible 5-year journey behind creating the beloved Sylius elePHPant – from initial spark to the challenges of production, and how this passion project reflects Monsieur Biz’s dedication to the Sylius community.
You might have spotted it on our social media: our adorable Sylius elePHPant is finally here! But behind this little plush toy lies a 5-year adventure, filled with obstacles, laughter, and a few extra gray hairs. Let me tell you this incredible story.
It all started with a personal obsession. As an elePHPant collector for years (I own nearly 40 of them!), I’ve always dreamed of creating my own version of PHP’s iconic mascotte. You know that photo of me carrying about thirty different elePHPants in my arms? (of course you don’t) It perfectly sums up my passion for these little creatures.
The idea for the Sylius elePHPant was born from an unexpected mix: I had already participated in the AFUP elePHPant project a few years earlier, and one day, while looking at the rocket on the Sylius website (yes, yes, the colors of the elePHPant come from that specific rocket), my brain made the connection. Why wouldn’t an eCommerce framework as popular as Sylius have its own elePHPant?
For me, the elePHPant isn’t just a mascotte: it’s a symbol of belonging to the PHP community. After 23 years of PHP development and since we’ve been using Sylius at Monsieur Biz (2018), it was time to take the leap!
Still, it took several months before we received our first prototype…
Spoiler alert: if you think creating and crowdfunding a plush toy is simple, think again!
First major obstacle: finding time to manage a Kickstarter campaign. Between exchanges with the factory, managing the crowdfunding platform, and our client projects, we clearly underestimated the scope of the task. Result: We waited too long to start the project due to a lack of availability.
Logistics turned out to be a real nightmare. Juggling between different countries, comparing shipping prices from 4 or 5 shipping companies, handling customs paperwork… Not to mention having to move more than 50 boxes containing our precious elePHPants!
Want a memorable story? We received over 900 plush toys in the wrong color! I literally turned white when I discovered it in the picture my colleague sent me. In the end, we had four different prototypes, 3 of which we kept, before achieving the expected result. We even had an elePHPant twice the weight!
Several times, I thought about giving up entirely. Fortunately, I could count on the precious help of my colleagues: Rozenn at the beginning, then Olivia afterwards. Without them, this project would never have seen the light of day.
Today, when I see the 60 boxes received after the second batch of plushies, I tell myself it was all worth it!
We still have more than +20 of them (boxes!).
This elePHPant adventure perfectly reflects Monsieur Biz’s philosophy: “to receive is to give“.
As long-term Sylius partners, they’ve built their huge expertise around Sylius. Their deep understanding of the platform allows them to complete complex eCommerce projects from various industries, delivering the best possible solutions for their clients.
Since 2018, they’ve been actively contributing to the Sylius ecosystem with:
Out of kindness and their ongoing commitment to open-source, Monsieur Biz decided to share the elePHPant with the community at SyliusCon by giving away TEN small and ONE large in a contest! 🐘
To take part, simply register via the form we’ll announce at the conference. Jacques will hand out the plushies during the closing keynote – but here’s the catch: if you’re not there, the prize will go to someone else. So make sure you stick around until the very end!
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