Ahem, here it is my first *~thread~ because I’ve been wondering this about brewery buyouts for farrrr too long without saying anything
Anywhere else in the world of business Ms. Entrepreneur works her butt off...
Anywhere else in the world of business Ms. Entrepreneur works her butt off...
she makes a quality product, builds a high-performing team, attracts consumers, and then the best thing in the world happens!
She’s bought by Google/Unilever/Kraft/etc. Everyone goes wild...
She’s bought by Google/Unilever/Kraft/etc. Everyone goes wild...
...she’s heralded as a great success, her college boyfriend kicks himself, she speaks at her high school graduation, everyone on that team she built gets full time benefits! She hires *more* great people.
Thousands of other business owners try to emulate her. But in beer...
Thousands of other business owners try to emulate her. But in beer...
...these brewers bang out a consistently great product that the market clearly wants. They QA, they market, the sell, checking all the boxes doing exactly what a small business should do. And then FINALLY the big payoff comes, the employees get better benefits...
...the brewers get ingredients at a better price, the founders get a little pay off for years—sometimes decades—of hard work.
And where are the loyal fans now? They’re *turning* on the brewers. Scolding them for making some real money, for employing more people...
And where are the loyal fans now? They’re *turning* on the brewers. Scolding them for making some real money, for employing more people...
for making smart business decisions. They’re warning on all there social media, “Remember _______ is not craft!!! Drink something else tho weekend!!”
I know there are downsides to big beer, I see it, I get it. (These problems exist in other industries too)
I know there are downsides to big beer, I see it, I get it. (These problems exist in other industries too)
...But my question is what do you *want* brewers and non-brewing brewery employees (hi marketing and sales I see you 👋) to do?? Continue to make the same wage forever? Leave the brewery for a more lucrative field? Continue to be told “this job is fun and the pay reflects that.”?
Every time I see these backlashes it blows my mind...getting bought out is not just part of business, it’s something that happens to very good businesses. It’s something that many entrepreneurs aspire to and it’s the end game for most start ups. So what gives?
Whoops picked the wrong time to step away from twitter and make the 6 hour trip to cape cod 🙈 appreciate all the thoughtful responses—the ones being not-so-nice illustrate the point 🙃
