The Boring Ecom Podcast

This season is sponsored by Lifetimely by AMP—my preferred analytics platform for DTC brands to use for understanding their true customer lifetime value and making better marketing decisions. Welcome back to the Boring Ecom Podcast. This week, I’m sitting down with Jason Prowd, Head of Product at Lifetimely by AMP—the analytics tool trusted by top e-commerce brands to unlock real growth. Jason’s journey is all about data obsession. From a background in software and financial services to leading product at Lifetimely, he’s worked closely with the best brands in the space, helping them move from “vibe-based” decisions to data-driven wins. In this episode, we break down how the smartest operators use cohort analysis, retention tactics, and product-level insights to drive profitable growth in 2025. What makes Jason’s perspective unique is his access to thousands of brands’ data and his hands-on approach to product development. He shares real case studies—like how brands discovered unexpected high-value customer segments, why copying competitors rarely works, and how small tweaks (like free samples or merch) can dramatically boost LTV. We dive deep into: Why averages are dangerous—and how digging into cohort data reveals hidden opportunities The mindset shifts that separate top-performing brands from the rest How to automate reporting and free up time for real experimentation Real-world examples of brands using Lifetimely to uncover new customer segments and retention wins The power of product-level LTV and how it should guide your acquisition strategy Why focusing on your own data beats chasing competitors’ tactics Actionable ways to move from guessing to confident, data-led decision making If you want to understand how the best DTC brands are using data to win in 2025—and hear Jason’s take on what actually works—this episode is for you. Find Jason: Lifetimely by AMP LinkedIn Follow Joseph Siegel on social: X (Twitter) LinkedIn Like and subscribe if this was helpful—it seriously helps us keep bringing you these behind-the-scenes founder stories.

This season is sponsored by Lifetimely by AMP—my preferred analytics platform for DTC brands to use for understanding their true customer lifetime value and making better marketing decisions. Welcome back to the Boring Ecom Podcast. This week, I’m sitting down with Troy Osinoff, a serial entrepreneur, agency founder, and the brains behind 8MB, the clipping agency that’s quietly disrupting e-commerce marketing. Troy’s story is wild. He’s been building internet businesses since age nine, dropped out of college to launch Makeagif.com, ran marketing for BuzzFeed, and now owns Juice and Peechee—agencies spending hundreds of millions a year for top brands. But his latest obsession? “Clipping”, the strategy of turning long-form podcasts and branded videos into short-form viral content, posted at scale across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. What makes Troy’s approach different is that his team actually owns the channels and accounts, so brands get authentic, targeted views (not fake numbers). They’ve driven massive results—like 20% lifts in Shopify sales and huge spikes in Amazon search, all while charging a fraction of Meta CPMs. We dive deep into: What “clipping” is and why it’s the cheapest way to get millions of views How Troy built a 1,000+ person team to create and distribute content at scale Real results for e-commerce and app brands (including viral TikTok campaigns and measurable sales lifts) Why owning your distribution channels beats relying on creator platforms How AI is changing content creation (and why generic AI voices actually work) The future of organic awareness and why most brands still aren’t doing this If you want to understand the next wave of organic marketing—and hear Troy’s take on why this is “the alpha” for e-comm—this episode is for you. Find Troy: 8MB X Instagram Follow Joseph Siegel on social: X LinkedIn Like and subscribe if this was helpful—it seriously helps us keep bringing you these behind-the-scenes founder stories.

Sean Jagermann, the 25-year-old founder of Bold Bar, shares his journey of launching a viral protein bar while working full-time in venture capital. He reveals the challenges of juggling both roles and his relentless pursuit of perfection, having gone through nine recipe iterations in his kitchen. Bold Bar stands out with 20g of protein, 100mg of caffeine, and honey as a sweetener, challenging the norms of the industry. Sean discusses personal struggles with eating disorders and the importance of authenticity in entrepreneurship, along with plans for future growth.

In this engaging discussion, Andrew Foxwell, co-founder of Foxwell Digital and a veteran of Facebook advertising, reveals the state of Meta ads in 2025. He shares insights on declining performance due to signal loss and economic challenges. However, Andrew offers hope by highlighting what successful brands do differently—through inventive inventory strategies and creative approaches. He also discusses his journey from politics to e-commerce, his agency's growth, and his unique hiring philosophy that advocates for equitable pay. Tune in for eye-opening strategies in a shifting landscape!

In this engaging conversation, Dennis Hegstad, a serial entrepreneur known for his innovative ventures like LiveRecover, shares his journey from gaming to e-commerce success. He dives into the secrets of building 13 million Twitter followers through viral memes and discusses his impressive $100k daily ad spend for Fashion Nova yielding 800% ROI. Dennis candidly addresses the challenges of platform risks, revealing how recent Shopify changes impacted his businesses, and hints at his next venture focusing on American-made consumer products.

Get a 45-Day Free Trial with Alia: The Best Pop Ups In Ecommerce. Let them know the Boring Ecom Podcast sent you to claim this deal. Drew Arciuolo transformed his family's footwear business into a social media phenomenon by focusing on one simple thing: genuine reactions. From struggling through COVID to 3.5x growth in a single year, Drew reveals how VKTRY Gear found its perfect audience in basketball players trying to increase their vertical. In this episode, Drew breaks down his content strategy: documenting real athletes' reactions instead of scripting ads, spending 115 days on the road capturing authentic moments, and building a 20-terabyte content library that drives both organic growth and paid acquisition. He shares how pivoting from a broad athletic audience of 65 million people to a hyper-focused niche of 900,000 basketball players unlocked explosive growth. What makes Drew different? He's not just a marketer—he's a former athlete with a competitive drive that won't quit, waking up at 4AM with ideas and texting them to himself. Whether you're struggling to find your audience or looking to scale through authentic content, Drew's journey offers a masterclass in patience, focus, and community-building. We also talk athlete mindset, viral hooks that actually convert, and why showing up in person creates an unbeatable moat for your brand. Plus, the Mac McClung partnership that crashed their site and became their most-searched week ever. Key Topics: (01:32) From College Athlete to VP of Marketing at His Family's Business (04:18) The 7-Year Journey from Struggling Startup to Social Media Powerhouse (08:00) How COVID Nearly Killed the Business and Forced a Pivot (10:00) Finding Product-Market Fit by Going Smaller, Not Bigger (13:50) The Viral Video That Changed Everything (18:20) Building a Brand Through Authentic In-Person Connections (21:12) The Emotion-Driven Content Formula That Sells (27:40) Athlete Mindset vs. Entrepreneur Mindset (34:00) Partnering with NBA Dunk Champion Mac McClung Thank you to our sponsors Alia Pop Ups⁠ Follow Joe (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Richie (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) for more e-commerce insights and to join the conversation.

In this exciting discussion, Jacob Posel, an AI engineer and viral Twitter sensation, explores the groundbreaking concept of vibe marketing. He unveils how brands can leverage multimodal AI to create stunning ads without a design team. Jacob shares tips on prompting techniques and why starting fresh chats is crucial for optimal outcomes. The conversation dives into the transformative potential of AI in marketing, the new business models it unlocks, and the future of UGC. Get ready to master AI and revolutionize your marketing strategy!

Get a 45-Day Free Trial with Alia: The Best Pop Ups In Ecommerce. Let them know the Boring Ecom Podcast sent you to claim this deal. Luca Washenko’s story reads like a case study in chaotic brilliance. From reselling sneakers at 14 to facing lawsuits, debt, and nearly going bankrupt—he’s been through every extreme. But after losing everything, he didn’t just bounce back—he built a $72 million brand powered by TikTok Shop. In this episode, Luca breaks down exactly how he did it: the affiliate hacks, the creator flywheel, and the product testing system that took him from his mom’s basement to 8-figure months. He also pulls back the curtain on TikTok Shop—the hype, the hidden pitfalls, and why most brands shouldn’t touch it. What makes Luca different? He’s not optimizing buttons on a landing page—he’s obsessively studying the psychology behind virality, outmaneuvering giants with speed, and building creator ecosystems from scratch. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling past 7-figures, Luca’s insights hit hard. We also talk info products, short-term wins vs. long-term leverage, and why most partnerships fail. Spoiler: it’s not about contracts—it’s about trust. Key Topics: (01:45) From Selling Caffeine Vapes in College to TikTok Virality (07:51) Scaling with 75 Creators and 150 TikTok Accounts (10:55) The Harsh Reality of TikTok Shop (and Its Ceiling) (13:13) Product Testing, Affiliate Arbitrage & Viral Angles (22:00) Why You Must Stay Ahead of the Curve (31:45) The Info Product Trap vs. Building a Real Brand (38:10) How Luca’s Structuring His Path to a $100M Exit (43:15) The Most Dangerous—and Most Powerful—Lever in Business Thank you to our sponsors Alia Pop Ups⁠ Follow Joe (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Richie (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) for more e-commerce insights and to join the conversation.

Matt Epstein’s story is a crash course in modern entrepreneurship. At just 23, he's been through the wringer—he launched a custom product business, lost money despite massive sales, and ended up in debt. But rather than tapping out, he regrouped. Dropshipping helped him regain confidence, and now he's building an agency and new e-commerce ventures. Matt keeps it real about the agency game: most ideas suck until they don’t. What separates winners is how fast you can test, adapt, and pivot. He’s spent millions on paid ads, learning firsthand what works and what doesn’t. One of his big takeaways? Positioning is everything. Take Mary Ruth’s vitamins—same basic ingredients as hair serums, but packaged differently, and suddenly it’s a hit. It’s less about reinventing the wheel and more about how you sell it. He also emphasizes cutting through the brand fluff. Early-stage companies obsess over logos and color palettes when they should be focused on getting results. Speed beats perfection. Brand guidelines shouldn't hold back progress—especially when nobody really knows or cares about your brand yet. Matt is a big believer in the power of the right angle. You’re not selling filtered water—you’re selling better skin. He’s also bullish on AI-powered SEO, seeing platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity as new search engines in disguise. If you're not thinking about how to rank in AI, you're already behind. Bottom line: move fast, test everything, tell a great story, and don’t get precious about your brand. Key Topics: (03:38) Matt Epstein’s Entrepreneurial Journey (08:06) Creating Winning Products with Unique Positioning (16:38) “Ideas Are Just Ideas” (25:30) The Pitfalls of Over-Indexing on Brand (33:38) Why Founders Need to Tell Their Story (35:32) Ranking on ChatGPT and Other AI Platforms (40:51) Training AI Models to Put the Spotlight on Your Brand (42:42) Who Will AI Replace?   Thank you to our sponsors ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AfterSell⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Parker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rivo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Postscript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Richie (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Joe (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) for more e-commerce insights and to join the conversation.

“E-Commerce is a much harder business than is purported in marketing.” Today, we’re joined by DTC legend Fan Bi all the way from Australia! With over 15 years of e-commerce experience under his belt, Fan’s peeling back the industry's glossy exterior to expose why the majority of today’s business owners stay poor. Fan dives deep into the operational challenges that frequently lead to financial strain for e-com businesses of all sorts. He offers a ton of practical advice aimed at helping entrepreneurs navigate the harsh realities of our field while maintaining profitability for the long-term! As we shift the focus to the low-bid market, Fan demystifies misconceptions surrounding enterprise value and business exits. Many small business owners erroneously chase revenue multiples, not realizing that true value lies in cash flow and sustainable models, often determined by a multiple of EBIT. Finally, Fan discusses the dangers of personal guaranteed debt and the importance of aligning ambition with a realistic outlook on the day-to-day when running a business! Key Topics: (03:58) Buying DTC Brands in “Special Situations” (06:31) Why Most E-Commerce Business Owners Stay Poor (11:36) The Value of Operators in Leadership Roles (16:51) Striking the Right Balance Between Operations and Marketing (22:36) Fan’s M&A Predictions for Q1 2025 (26:52) Treating E-Commerce Like a Small Business (31:37) The Superpower That All Successful E-Commerce Operators Possess Thank you to our sponsors ⁠⁠⁠⁠AfterSell⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠Parker⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Rivo⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Postscript⁠⁠⁠ Follow Richie (⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Joe (⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠) for more e-commerce insights and to join the conversation.