That Will Never Work #68: The Premium Product Conundrum
Sep 27, 2022
Justine Potashnik, founder of Nature First and eco-friendly entrepreneur, shares her journey from fashion to creating a soapberry-derived laundry formula. She discusses the hidden truths behind 'earth friendly' products and the challenges of pricing her premium solution in a crowded market. Justine explains how her formula matches Tide's effectiveness and recounts her experiences launching during COVID. Marc gives strategic advice on targeting niche markets and the importance of innovative packaging, revealing insights into product commercialization.
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Origin Story: Kitchen Lab To Startup
- Justine discovered soapberries while trying to clean a fabric she made and turned her kitchen into a lab testing boiled berries.
- Seeing a scarf lift clean convinced her to pursue a commercial solution from the Himalayan soapberry.
Plant Saponin Matches Conventional Power
- Nature's saponin is a plant-based surfactant that can match commercial detergents' cleaning power.
- Justine's Advanced Soapberry Formula tests ~99% as effective versus brands like Tide.
Start Narrow, Then Scale
- Focus initial sales on a narrow niche of customers who need the product's unique benefits.
- Use that niche traction to scale rather than trying to be everything to everyone at launch.