The $200K Lesson Every CPG Founder Needs to Hear
I once approached a $200K launch the way I approached $11M launches — and it taught me something every founder should know.
A few years ago, I interviewed for a mid-size CPG brand and got the prompt:
“How would you launch X product with a $200K budget?”
At the time, I was coming off $5M–$11M big CPG launches… so let’s just say my answer reflected that.
Now I regularly build launch plans on $10K, and working at that level forces you to get brutally disciplined about what actually drives adoption.
Here’s the framework I use now — built for scrappy brands trying to grow without lighting money on fire.
Subscribe & Save isn’t a Retention Lever
S&S is not a retention lever.
Let me describe Subscribe & Save from the customer’s POV:
“I love the product. I want to buy it again. But I don’t know how fast I go through it… So now I’m supposed to pick 1 month? 2? 3? And if I get it wrong, I’m stuck skipping, pausing, editing, canceling.”
Consumption rarely matches the neat 30-day cycles brands default to.
CPG founders: AI is Your New Category Maker
And most brands aren’t ready for it.
I follow the same advice I give founders: Repurpose your content. Watch your analytics like a hawk. This morning I checked my website analytics and saw something new: a referral hit from ChatGPT.
No, ChatGPT didn’t magically “discover” my site. Someone asked it a question, it used my content in its answer, and the user clicked the source link pointing back to me.
That’s where marketing is headed: AI Search Optimization (AEO).
“What’s your ROI?”
A founder recently asked if I’d be open to being paid on commission instead of my usual retainer for my strategy work.
I get why they asked. It’s tempting to want everything to tie back to a clean ROAS number — especially when budgets are tight and results feel urgent.
But that question misses how growth actually works.
Too Many Priorities, Not Enough Precision
Founders, I hear ya.
Too many priorities, not enough time or hands.
But here’s the thing…
The 5 Growth Leaks Quietly Killing Most CPG Brands Under $5M
Most founders think they have a marketing problem. In reality, they have leakage — and the numbers tell you exactly where it’s happening.
Top 5 reasons: fuzzy positioning, no purchase or subscription strategy, channel sprawl, PDPs that don’t convert and no velocity system.
You just got on shelf — congrats! Now prove you can stay there.
Getting on shelf isn’t the finish line — it’s the starting gun.
Buyers watch those first 3 months closely and if your product doesn’t move fast enough, that space goes to someone else.
Going Viral ≠ sales
Every founder dreams of going viral.
Lately I’ve seen more brands hiring “social specialists with viral experience.”
Unpopular opinion: going viral rarely builds a business.
No Nielsen data? No problem.
“What should a brand do if they don’t have access to big data when pitching a buyer?”
Buyers are measured on a handful of metrics you can actually influence. Here’s what really matters to retail buyers (beyond sales & velocities).
If I Were a Brand Founder… Part 2
You can win Black Friday and still lose the quarter.
The difference? Systems that turn sales into sustained momentum.
Here’s how the best brands do it 👇
(Part 2: Conversion Strategies — the follow-up to Tuesday's Strategic Foundations.)
If I Were a Brand Founder…Part 1
Here’s How I’d Be Prepping for Black Friday, starting with strategic foundations for both DTC and retail businesses.
Friendly Reminder to Leave Your House
Last week I went to DC Startup & Tech Week, and it was revitalizing to be surrounded by passionate, driven founders — especially in CPG, where you can literally touch and taste the ideas people are bringing to life.
So here’s your gentle nudge.
Reddit is Under-leveraged
Hot take: Reddit is one of the most under-leveraged parts of the modern growth ecosystem.
Thinking of quitting your job to go solo?
The best prep I did for consulting wasn’t a business plan, savings, or networking.
It was Rover, Etsy, and a DIY website.