One of the significant challenges in an under-capitalized business is filling many skill gaps you bring to the enterprise as a founder. Consumer brands are elaborate pipe organs of decision-making, some of the most complicated consumer-facing businesses to run. This is especially true if you
Actually, I don’t know if you are. But what if you are? Categories are cultural spaces full of meanings and experiential expectations. Cheddar cheese tastes like X. I tend to want it on Z, but not on W. And down the nuanced rabbit hole we
Getting seduced by your own success is a thing. Whether it came right away or after years of struggle, it doesn’t matter. If you simply look at wholesale case volume growth, you may be in for a rude surprise in 6-9 months. You may find your growth
On Wednesday, November 8, I took a few founders through some beta paid training I put together this Fall. In this new training content, I walk viewers through the story of RampCo and how it went from 11% growth in its original core UPCs to 120%
I’ll explain. But before I do, less than 10 spots are available for TODAY’s quarterly cohort. So, you may want to grab one now. OK. For the rest of you reading this, this is my best explanation of why it matters for CPG founders new to
The following is a preview of Episode 53 of Startup Confidential, the fastest-growing podcast for founders of consumer brands. Yes, the chest-beating about door count continues unabated in the trade media. Must be proof of traction, eh? Um, no. So, there are 38,000 primary grocery points of
Sorry for the clickbait. This is not about current events or about 2024. This is an evergreen sermon on why you have to have a concise, crisp strategic plan, even as a Phase 1 consumer brand. You may have heard the phrase “strategic plan” before, even though
It’s not uncommon for math-driven founders to agree as a team to pivot their business without spending enough time considering their emotional readiness as a team. What might this emotional readiness consist of? Have you and your co-founders sat down to deeply share your fears about pivoting
The experience of approaching co-mans for your CPG business is when most founders realize the meaning of ‘zero leverage’ business conversations. Ouch. Co-mans are notorious for ‘using’ startups to plug small holes in their production capacity without caring about the end product quality. You are
Startups are supposed to be scrappy, opportunistic, and always hustling. Their agility is their superpower, right? Who has time for planning anything more than the supply chain? Why bother setting a comprehensive strategy as long as we're growing? As long as customers keep pouring in?