Long-term Optimization Requires Learning

When starting out feedback is more important than sales

In a drink brand’s early days, instead of becoming a “selling machine,” focus on building a “learning machine.”

𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀 🔁

Your top priority should be designing processes that create tight, rapid feedback loops.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁?

📦 Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sales: Selling directly from your website or at events gives you immediate, unfiltered data on who your consumers are. Most early-stage brands don’t adequately track these sources of information.

📱Social Media Listening: If DTC can tell you who your consumers are, then actively monitoring social media shows you why they love your brand. This is critical in helping you refine your marketing and content strategy. I like starting on Reddit, but what people are saying is more important than where they are saying it.

🤝 Retailer and Distributor Conversations: Move from selling quotas to learning quotas. This is about finding out how you can make your partners’ lives easier. Asking for information is every bit as important as asking for the sale.

Chasing growth without understanding is a fast way to burn through cash. 💵🔥

🏗️ It’s time to build the processes that will support you in better understanding your customers and consumers. Ultimately, that’s what will help your brand scale. 🚀