Navigating the Reality of Launching—and Closing—an eCommerce Business with Mike Stevens

Mike Stevens is one of the DTC pioneers, with 8 years at Innocent Drinks back in the 2000s, and then founding good-for-you confectionery brand Peppersmith, which over 10 years he scaled all the way to exit in 2018. He’s also the author of the excellent and bestselling and award-winning book “The Direct to Consumer Playbook: The Stories and Strategies of the Brands that Wrote the DTC Rules”. 

 

Hit PLAY to hear: 

• The highs and lows of being an entrepreneur 
• Knowing when to transition your business, or to close it 
• Considering product-market fit 
• Opportunity cost and why it matters 
• Embracing failure as a learning opportunity 

 

Key timestamps to dive straight in: 

[05:58] Mike’s take on sustainability, functionality, his Amazon journey, multichannel business. 

[12:27] High acquisition costs due to low demand. 

[15:03] Real product, timing challenges, consumer purchasing shifts. 

[17:46] Running the business was full-time, unfeasible to leave on the side. 

[21:17] Considering opportunity cost over easy choices. 

[25:10] Passionate about purpose-driven products and consultancy. 

[27:05] Listen to Mike’s Top Tips! 

Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/516

Mike’s previous episode where he talks about his book: https://ecmp.info/390  

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