Retail Trial Tactics: QR First-Shot Free

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Michael Brandt, founder and CEO of Ketone IQ, to explore one of the most ambitious category creation stories in modern CPG. Ketone IQ has raised significant capital, secured military research partnerships with the Department of Defense, landed major retail distribution including Target and Sprouts, and achieved mid-eight figures in revenue with a $110 million valuation—all while educating consumers on an entirely new-to-them ingredient.

Michael breaks down what ketones actually are in refreshingly simple terms: a form of energy your body naturally makes that your brain loves to use. When you're fasting, exercising hard, or following a ketogenic diet, your body produces more ketones—and that's when people report feeling sharp, focused, and energized. Ketone IQ bottles that feeling, making it accessible without the restrictive diets or intense workouts. Michael traces his journey from competitive marathon runner (5:57 mile pace) experimenting with biohacks and intermittent fasting to recognizing ketones as the common thread behind peak mental performance.

Throughout the episode, Michael shares the unglamorous realities of creating an entirely new category: early product development when ketones cost $30 per shot, convincing co-manufacturers to produce something they'd never made before, securing Department of Defense contracts to fund R&D, and building initial traction with special operators and elite athletes for whom cognitive performance is life or death. He discusses the strategic decision to start D2C-first to provide rich educational context that brick-and-mortar couldn't offer, how the brand's "nuclear furnace" of DTC business now fuels retail expansion, and why he wishes he'd started building his founder brand on social media earlier.

Whether you're creating a new category, scaling from D2C to retail, or building a brand that requires significant consumer education, this conversation offers honest lessons on stewarding new ingredients to market, maintaining IP moats while developing ecosystems, leveraging partnerships for education at scale, and why the "job's not finished" mentality keeps founders grinding even at eight-figure revenue.

Listen in as they discuss:

• What ketones actually are: your body's natural energy source that your brain prefers
• How ketones differ from caffeine: actual cellular energy vs. blocking sleep hormones
• Michael's origin story: competitive marathon running and biohacking led to Ketone IQ
• The keto diet connection: why low-carb eating produces ketones naturally
• Creating a new category vs. entering existing ones: the Gatorade playbook for electrolytes
• Early product development: when shots cost $30 and no suppliers existed
• Securing Department of Defense contracts to fund R&D with special operators
• Building traction with elite athletes, UFC fighters, and Ironman competitors first
• The strategic decision to start D2C-first for educational context and rich consumer information
• Why 90%+ of future volume will be retail, but D2C is the "nuclear furnace" driving awareness
• Landing Target, Sprouts, and Vitamin Shoppe: the "as seen on Instagram" shelf strategy
• NSF Certified for Sport: building trust and compliance when stewarding new ingredients to market
• The QR code strategy: always-on demos with first shot free via Venmo/PayPal reimbursement
• Preparing for competition: maintaining IP moats while developing category ecosystems
• Why Michael wishes he'd started founder content creation earlier
• The importance of personal brand before launching: building community pre-idea
• Hiring smartly: bringing in Monster Energy leadership for convenience channel expansion
• Reaching $110M valuation at mid-eight figures revenue
• What it feels like to scale: running faster, but never easier—more zeros, same obsession

Episode Links:

Ketone IQ Website: https://www.ketone.com Instagram: @ketone Founder Instagram: @michaeldbrant

Michael Brandt - Founder & CEO, Ketone IQ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldbrant/ Instagram: @michaeldbrant

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Show Links:

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• Episode music by Super Fantastics