13 Things I’ve Learned in 13 Years of Building a Challenger Brand in CPG
Thirteen years ago, I had no idea what I was signing up for.
I thought launching a product and landing retail distribution was the hard part. I thought passion would carry me through the grind. I thought if you had a great product, the rest would take care of itself.
I was wrong.
Thirteen years, countless resets, sleepless nights, and some big wins later — here are the 13 lessons I wish someone had drilled into me on Day One of building a challenger brand in consumer packaged goods (CPG).
1. Your Product Isn’t the Hero
The problem you solve is the hero. Your brand is just the guide. If you think the product alone will carry the business, you’ll end up with a warehouse full of unsold inventory.
2. Retail Isn’t a Finish Line — It’s the Starting Gun
Getting on shelf feels like victory, but the real game begins once you’re there. Distribution is just permission to compete.
3. Velocity Beats Distribution
Don’t brag about door count if the product isn’t turning. Velocity keeps you alive. Distribution without velocity just makes your failure more expensive.
4. Data Is Your Weapon
Buyers don’t care about how much your mom loves the product. They want numbers: velocities, margins, category data, and proof points. Show up with a data story.
5. Packaging Will Humble You
What looks brilliant on a screen will disappear on shelf. You’ll redo packaging more than once — and that’s not failure, it’s learning.
6. Relationships Beat Cold Emails
This is still a people business. A single 15-minute conversation over coffee can unlock opportunities that 50 ignored pitches never will.
7. Trade Spend Is Not Optional
Think of it like rent. You pay it whether you like it or not. If you don’t budget for it upfront and measure it consistently, it’ll wreck your P&L later.
8. Don’t Chase Every Trend
It’s tempting to jump on whatever diet, flavor, or TikTok fad is hot. But fads fade. Anchor your brand to something timeless and layer relevance on top.
9. Your Margins Aren’t as Good as You Think
Founders love rosy spreadsheets. Reality always bites harder. Audit your COGs and margins quarterly. If you don’t, the market will do it for you — the hard way.
10. Cash Flow Will Keep You Up at Night
Profit on paper doesn’t mean money in the bank. You can have a “profitable” business and still run out of cash. Learn to manage the timing of dollars in and out, or you’ll drown.
11. Hire Slow, Fire Fast (Especially in Sales)
The wrong hire can set you back 12 months or more. Be patient when you hire, and decisive when you realize it isn’t working.
12. Protect Your Mental Health Like an Asset
Because it is one. Your business only thrives if you do. Burnout is real — guard your energy, health, and relationships like you’d guard your P&L.
13. Play the Long Game
The best brands aren’t built overnight — they’re built over decades. Every move you make should set up the next 10 years, not just the next quarter.
Final Thoughts
If there’s one thread tying all of this together, it’s this: CPG is a marathon disguised as a sprint.
Building a challenger brand will test every part of you — your creativity, your resilience, your relationships, your health. But if you play the long game, lead with clarity, and stay obsessed with solving real problems for real people, you’ll build something worth fighting for.
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