Hi {{first_name | Ugly Talk Member }},
One founder won a pitch contest with a product no one knew what to call. Another spent a year building coffee for the wrong time of day. Both found out from customers, not the experts who said yes.
This week's lessons
From Ugly Talk: How Smart Brands Win in a Crowded Aisle, in New York City, May 2026.
Ugly Talk: How Smart Brands Win in A Crowded Aisle
1. The pitch comp she won with the wrong bag
Lauryn Bodden Speaking
"People translated that as it was like a microwavable pasta or just like freeze dried pasta."
The setback. Lauryn launched S'NOODS in March 2024 in a stand-up pouch. Shoppers walked up and asked if it was freeze-dried pasta. Then Fairway picked her as the pitch contest winner. They gave her marketing support and pushed her into Gourmet Garage and ShopRite. Same bag. Same problem. None of the experts said a word.
The comeback. Her customers did. Stores called. Shoppers complained. The bag had to change. She had picked a maker who let her order in small batches, just for moments like this. She switched to a real chip bag fast.
The takeaway. The people who say yes won't tell you what's wrong. The ones who won't buy will.
2. He built coffee for the wrong time of day
Eric Gonzalez Speaking
"When I started, I was thinking you'd drink decaf all day. The very common story we're hearing from customers is people are drinking it around 5 or 6 PM. It's become the post-work drink."
The setback. Eric spent more than a year on Tranquila Coffee before launch. He was sure people who can't handle caffeine wanted coffee all day. He tried 150+ decaf beans in his apartment. He hired the former head of R&D at La Colombe to make the drink. He sold it as a morning coffee.
The comeback. Customers didn't follow the plan. They drank it at 5 or 6 PM. The kind of coffee you can have after work and still sleep at night. Friends started making espresso martinis with it at bars. Eric is changing how he sells it now. Afternoon and evening. In bars too.
The takeaway. Customers will tell you what you're really selling. The fastest way to learn is to launch the wrong version and watch what they do.
Investors usually do the same. Next Wednesday at SVB, four of them don't.
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If this saved you a year of guessing, send it to a friend still waiting for the experts to say what's wrong.
See you in the next Ugly Talk.