2x D2C founder. Ex-@gonoise, @Twitter, @McKinsey. 35u35. Startups and D2C. Movies, sports, science fiction. Dad jokes. Maker of lists.
Mar 17 • 14 tweets • 2 min read
I co-founded a new company and raised a seed round for our D2C startup in 2023 amidst the funding winter. Had the opportunity to compare it to the experience of raising an angel round for my first startup in 2016. Some observations:
Angel cheque sizes have not changed in 7 years. Inflation has made everything at least 2x costlier and presumably, angel investors are wealthier now than in 2016. Yet, cheque sizes are the same. Except...
Aug 19, 2021 • 16 tweets • 4 min read
Starting a #DTC ecommerce brand in 2021? Here’s how I would think - 🧵 (1/n)
Plan to be 100% online for the next 5 years. Retail deserves its own thread (hint: 😨), but TLDR: online is easier, leaner, faster, and you don't need to "collect". (2/n)
Apr 10, 2021 • 11 tweets • 2 min read
In the last couple of years I’ve advised multiple aspiring DTC founders on priorities and pitfalls. Business is Fight Club 🥊🥊, so let's make it interesting:
The first rule is to know which risk you are taking - product or brand. Product risk is creating a new category, often with innovative formulation/packaging. Brand risk is creating a new brand within an existing category. Product risk doesn't eliminate brand risk, it precedes it.
