Blog
Articles published in descending order.
Product reviews: we need them to sell, but we have to sell first to get them…what is a startup to do?
It's the classic chicken or the egg...which came first. We need product reviews to sell, but how do we get them if we have not sold? Unfortunately, product reviews have been completely distorted in the marketplace [...]
What is a moonshot?
I am copying this word for word from Peter Diamandis. This is worth keeping in mind for entrepreneurs. My definition of an entrepreneurial or corporate Moonshot comes from my friend Astro Teller, who is the [...]
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
Original entry: 8/15/2017 Content added 5/8/2018 I continue to study this area but as of yet, not done anything directly in it, other than using SAAS systems that use AI (like X.ai). But I continue [...]
How to use autoresponder sequences for all your marketing and sales
Autoresponders are traditionally thought of in terms of email; you get a subscriber to your list and a series of emails goes out to them. Or, a customer buys a product so they get a [...]
The North Star Metric
There's something called the North Star Metric, which one can also refer to as a super metric or a super KPI (key performance indicator). I found it to be best described in this one sentence, pulled from this post: [...]
How best can I introduce a product into the consumer market [wheat meals, oat meals and other cereals]?
This is a Quora question I was asked to answer. My answer is as follows. This is a high level plan I recommend based on the very general information you provided. The first thing is [...]
Who is going to win the next election (hint: its about database marketing)
I'm not a political junkie, but a marketing junkie, and political campaigns are really just marketing campaigns. The last two major U.S. presidential elections have been driven by database marketing, and since that is what [...]
What is a list of consumer product markets/industries and their average markups?
I see a lot of articles that highlight the industries/products with the highest markeups (e.g., glass frames, cosmetics, watches, etc.), but I’m not just looking for the highest, I’m interested in a more comprehensive list. [...]
Amazon and Whole Foods Market
Original entry: 7/1/2017 Updated: 8/16/2017 There's much discussion about this acquisition and its impact on AMZN, WFM, consumers and competitors. I have seen no discussion about the impact on brands and manufacturers in CPG, or [...]
The Flow of Money in a Consumer Product Company (infographic)
The best way to think about this is a profit and loss statement, starting with revenue at the top and net income at the bottom. A customer flows from the top, acquired through marketing [...]
What are Honest Co.’s gross margins (and some rules of thumb for figuring this out)
This is a Quora questions I was asked. Here is my answer I did a quick search in my industry source and did not find anything that specific. Here are some quick metrics to make [...]
Are you in alignment with your investors?
I want to cover fundraising and investors, and even if you do not plan to raise money, this discussion has important implications for giving equity to cofounders, employees, advisors, consultants or partners. Investors invest to [...]
How can a local retail store survive, or prosper, in the age of superstores and the Internet market?
This is a Quora question I was asked and here is my answer. I don't work in retail, but sell to retailers, so I can only talk from this perspective. In addition, while I [...]
Review of Internet Trends 2017 Report in context of consumer products
I reviewed this year's report and extracted pieces of data important to consumer product brands selling to consumers direct or through resellers. Here they are. Global internet users = 3.4 bil at 10% per [...]
What do I need to know if I want to be an egg distributor (especially) in South Jakarta?
I have a counter in pasar pd labu and currently thinking to have an egg distribution business.what are the things i should know before hand? e.g : where can i get source of egg? (agent/breeder) [...]
Do most mega supermarkets charge $10,000+ one-time fees for newly registered suppliers?
This is a Quora question I was asked and here is my answer. Yes, that is normal. Most major retailers charge up front fees, called slotting fees, some which can easily be high in the [...]
What is an effective way of creating a brand?
I want to create a premium accessories brand. Our products will be hand made from the highest quality materials. I have already created the designs of the products, but I wanted to hear about the [...]
What are key success factors of new brand launch in fashion categories of cosmetic and jewelry?
This is a Quora question I was asked and here is my answer. Based on your question, it appears you have a brand with products geared toward the fashion categories of cosmetics and jewelry. You [...]
How to know you are pushing the edge with your marketing
This landed in my inbox recently. A disgruntled email subscriber was not happy...and you can tell because they have multiple misspellings in their response...a possible clear sign of frustration. I don't get these very often [...]
The correct way and the specific equation to use to determine markups and margin for resellers and retailers
I got this question emailed to me by Marty: I'm looking to find out the typical pricing markups (margins) for plastic storage containers, from manufacturing through retail. I came across your post on Quora (dated [...]
Retail Distortion
Original entry: 5/15/2017 Updated 6/25/2017 There is huge disruption going on at all levels and categories of retail, as far as I can see. This is causing what I call distortion. Distortion in that some [...]
Revenue strategies in the early days of your consumer product startup
In the early days of your startup, there are three revenue generating strategies that you want to try and adopt into your business. First, try to maximize the price of your product to get as [...]
Productivity
Original entry: 5/1/2017 Update: 7/23/2017 Update: 8/19/2017 Update 1/18/19 The last few years I have mostly spent hunkered down, building my Lean & Agile Framework to support my Growth Stack, which is my approach to [...]