Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce
Building the business
1,338 episodes across 47 shows cover direct-to-consumer & e-commerce. The shows that cover it most are How I Built This, The Startup CPG Podcast and People of Packaging. The most recent, from 13 Oct 2026, is “361 - Men have skin too and love good packaging design! W/ Freddie Sheridan from YCODE” from People of Packaging.
Selling directly online: DTC brands, e-commerce, Amazon, subscriptions and customer acquisition online.
1338 episodes from 47 shows, most relevant and most recent first.
1338 episodes
diapers.com: Marc Lore. The ecommerce visionary who lost to Amazon but still made billions (2021)
Marc Lore, founder of diapers.com and jet.com, explains how he built an e-commerce empire by using diapers as a loss leader to drive traffic to higher-margin baby products. He details the 'scorched earth' strategy Amazon used to force his…
Dollar Shave Club: Michael Dubin, From Zero to a Billion Dollar Exit in Five Years (December 2018)
Michael Dubin, founder of Dollar Shave Club, explains how he leveraged his background in video marketing and improv comedy to disrupt the razor market dominated by Gillette. After meeting Mark Levine, who had 250,000 razors in a warehouse…
#266: Building an Organic Social Media Following with Lindzi Shanks, XO Marshmallow
Lindzi Shanks, founder and CEO of XO Marshmallow, explains how she built a 1.4 million follower social media presence and generated over $2 million in TikTok Shop sales by treating the marshmallow manufacturing process as inherently…
#231 - Tools I Actually Use to Save Time
Daniel Scharff, founder and CEO of Startup CPG, details the specific software and hiring strategies he uses to run his business efficiently. He categorizes his toolkit into core operations (Superhuman, Notion, Surfe), back-office solutions…
Advice Line with Michael Preysman of Everlane
Everlane co-founder Michael Preysman joins Guy Raz to advise three early-stage founders on building physical product businesses. He advises Todd Weinberg of KTCHN on sourcing and creative for his pickleball apparel brand, Anna Babbage of…
#175 - E-Comm Wizards: David Fudge of Aplós
David Fudge, co-founder and CEO of Aplós, discusses building a premium non-alcoholic spirits brand by leveraging his prior experience scaling Bonobos. He details the product development process involving mixologist Lynette Marrero, the…
Ep. 37 - Keeping Sales Up
Lucian Chapar and Stephen Oz of Opulo discuss strategies for maintaining and growing sales for their Lumen pick-and-place machine. They emphasize the importance of identifying customer demographics, using organic social media like YouTube…
Planning for a B2B Manufacturer Website That Drives Results w/ Randall Zaitz and Kevin McClary
Randall Zaitz, Digital Creative Director, and Kevin McClary, Head of Performance Marketing at Gorilla 76, discuss how B2B manufacturers should plan website overhauls to drive business results rather than treating sites as digital…
Ep. 29 - Managing Customer Support
Steven Shapar and Mitchell from Opulo discuss building a customer support infrastructure for their open-source hardware company, LumenPnP. They detail their transition from solo support to a team, emphasizing the use of HubSpot for ticket…
231: Selling Your Invention on Your Own Website Starting from Zero
Hamdy Albana, founder of Push Analytics, explains how hardware startups can scale from zero to millions in revenue by selling directly on their own websites via Shopify or Squarespace, rather than relying solely on Amazon. He details the…
Thrive Market: Nick Green
Nick Green, co-founder and CEO of Thrive Market, explains how he pivoted from selling his SAT prep company to building an online grocery marketplace after being rejected by dozens of VCs. He details the critical decision to raise seed…
Rick Steves' Europe: Rick Steves (2021)
Rick Steves, founder of Rick Steves' Europe, explains how he built a $100 million travel business by giving away content for free, starting with self-published guidebooks like 'Europe Through the Back Door' and low-cost minibus tours. He…
Founder Feature: The OB/GYN Formulating Pharmaceuticals for Period Care - Margo Harrison of Wave Bye
Margo Harrison, founder and CEO of Wave Bye, explains her strategy for launching a proactive, pharmaceutical-grade treatment for period pain and bleeding, targeting a market release between late 2027 and early 2029. She details the science…
#165 - The Rise of BRĒZ with Aaron Nosbisch
Aaron Nosbisch, founder and CEO of BRĒZ, explains how his company achieved rapid growth in the cannabis beverage space by leveraging his 15 years of e-commerce experience and a direct-to-consumer strategy. He details the product's unique…
e.l.f. Cosmetics: Joey Shamah. The Dollar Store Formula That Built a Cosmetics Giant
Joey Shamah, co-founder of e.l.f. Cosmetics, explains how he and partner Scott Vincent Borba launched a $1 makeup brand in 2004 by cutting out celebrity endorsements and premium packaging to focus on product quality and low-cost…
Partnership Not Ownership: Inside Main Post Partners' Investment Approach
Tara Hyland, Principal at Main Post Partners, explains the firm's growth equity approach, which focuses on founder-led consumer businesses with $25M–$200M in revenue. She details how Main Post differentiates itself from venture capital by…
Ep. 27 - Launch Day
Steven Hawes and Lucian Chepa of Opulo discuss the meticulous planning and execution of launch day for their open-source hardware products, such as the Lumen and Feeder. They detail strategies for website propagation, community seeding via…
227: How to Sell Your Invention Direct to Companies as a Promotional Product
Jeff Lerner, CEO of Misnomer and former Google marketing lead, explains how hardware startups can bypass traditional retail to sell inventions directly to corporations as promotional products. He outlines a strategy of identifying a…
226: Maximizing Your Invention’s Perceived Value Through Marketing
Valentin Radu, CEO of Omniconvert and author of 'The CLV Revolution', explains how hardware startups can maximize perceived value and pricing through marketing rather than just product features. He argues that 96% of buying decisions are…
E-Commerce for CapEx Equipment and Contract Manufacturers w/ Curt Anderson
Curt Anderson, founder of B2BTail, redefines e-commerce as 'easy commerce' for manufacturers, arguing that even complex CapEx equipment and contract manufacturers can leverage online sales. He illustrates this with examples of a contract…
Weee!: Larry Liu
Larry Liu, co-founder and CEO of Weee!, explains how he pivoted his company from a failed group-buying platform to a $4 billion Asian grocery delivery service. After facing bankruptcy in 2017, Liu realized the core problem was not group…
Primary: Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard
Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard, co-founders of the children's clothing brand Primary, explain how they built a $50 million profitable company by rejecting industry norms like logos, gendered sections, and seasonal trends. They…
#148 - Meta Ads: AdCrunch, Victor Vo and Andrew DiLullo
Andrew DiLullo and Victor Vo of AdCrunch Digital explain how CPG brands can use Meta Ads to drive growth, emphasizing that an average order value (AOV) of $75 or higher is ideal for profitability. They detail a strategy of testing 40-80…
#184 -Distributor Spotlight: Karen Slusher of Azure Standard
Karen Slusher, Chief Experience Officer of Azure Standard, explains how this family-owned organic distributor supports emerging CPG brands through a unique buying club model and partnerships with independent retailers. She details Azure's…
Everlane: Michael Preysman
Michael Preysman, founder of Everlane, explains how he pivoted from a Tumblr-based iPhone case platform to launching a direct-to-consumer apparel brand focused on radical transparency. He details the process of sourcing Supima cotton and…
#204 - Investor Spotlight: Habitat Partners with Daniel Faierman
Daniel Faierman, Partner at Habitat Partners, an early-stage VC spun out of Red Antler, explains that his firm prioritizes intact gross margins and capital efficiency over revenue projections when evaluating CPG brands. He details key KPIs…
215: Launching a New Product on Walmart Marketplace
Michael Lebhar, founder of SellCord, explains how hardware startups can launch and scale on Walmart Marketplace, noting that while getting approved is easier than Amazon, success requires optimizing listings for Walmart's specific 'listing…
214: Affiliate Marketing for D2C Sales of Inventions
Alex Back, founder of Couch.com and former founder of Apt2B, explains how hardware startups can leverage affiliate marketing to drive direct-to-consumer sales. He details the mechanics of affiliate platforms like Impact and CJ Affiliate…
213: Researching How Your Product Fits on Amazon
Lesley Hensell, co-founder of Riverbend Consulting and author of The Amazon Incubator, explains how hardware startups can research and succeed on the Amazon marketplace. She details the importance of keyword research using tools like…
296 - From Wall Street to Food Street: Sid Banthiya's Transformative Journey into Consumer Brands
Sid Banthiya, an advisor and investor with executive experience at Blue Apron and Milk Bar, discusses how packaging intersects with finance, operations, and marketing in consumer brands. He explains that while direct-to-consumer channels…
Harry’s Razors: Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider
Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider, co-founders of Harry's, explain how they disrupted the razor industry dominated by Gillette and Procter & Gamble by launching a direct-to-consumer brand in 2013. They detail the process of partnering…
Advice Line with Miguel McKelvey of WeWork
WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey joins host Guy Raz to advise three founders on scaling their physical product businesses. He advises Jane Barthell of Copa Threads on storytelling to justify high prices, Melissa Jensky of Good Grief on…
#167 - 5 Financial Factors That Make or Break E-commerce Brands with Paul Bianco
Paul Bianco, founder and CEO of Graphite Financial, explains five financial factors critical for e-commerce and CPG brands, emphasizing that finance should be a strategic co-pilot rather than just number-crunching. He details the 'four…
R&D RADIO: Building a Reliable Formula Brand with Casey Bauer, COO, Bobbie
Casey Bauer, COO of Bobbie, explains how the company maintains food safety as one of only four U.S. infant formula manufacturers by conducting over 2,000 safety and quality checks at multiple stages, from raw materials to finished cans. He…
Advice Line with Julia Hartz of Eventbrite
Julia Hartz, co-founder and CEO of Eventbrite, joins Guy Raz to answer calls from early-stage founders. She advises Mia Miller of Pottery to the People on leveraging her YouTube audience to drive e-commerce sales, Jen Sweetsoff of Anyway…
Character Limit with Kate Conger and Ryan Mac
Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, authors of the book Character Limit, discuss Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter and his subsequent management chaos with hosts Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal. The conversation details how Musk's lack of due…
210: Using Ad Funnels for D2C Product Sales
Taylor Frame, Co-Founder of Focus Funnels, explains how physical product startups can build direct-to-consumer sales funnels by focusing on four pillars: product, positioning, placement, and audience. He details the three core aspects of…
202: Paid Advertising for Hardware Products on TikTok
Nikki Lindgren, Founder of Pennock, explains how hardware startups can leverage TikTok’s paid advertising ecosystem to drive sales, emphasizing the platform's low-cost entry and high engagement potential. She details the importance of…
201: Product Listing Success on Amazon Marketplace
Robb Green, founder of Solving Alpha, explains how to launch products on Amazon by optimizing listings for visibility and conversion. He details the importance of the main image, title, and keyword indexing, noting that Amazon's algorithm…
#142 - Buyer Spotlight: Christine McNerney and Jason Bidart, Thrive Market
Christine McNerney, VP of Merchandising Ops for Health, Beauty, and Home, and Jason Bidart, VP of Food Merchandising, both at Thrive Market, discuss the retailer's high ingredient standards and sourcing strategies. They detail how Thrive…
Advice Line with Nick Green of Thrive Market
Nick Green, co-founder and CEO of Thrive Market, joins Guy Raz to advise three founders: Mercedes Smith of Blackstrad Concert Attire, Danny Walsh of Peak State Coffee, and Riya Jane of Voice Back. Green discusses how Thrive Market uses…
Advice Line with Danny Meyer of Shake Shack
Danny Meyer, founder of Union Square Hospitality Group and Shake Shack, joins Guy Raz to advise early-stage founders on scaling physical product businesses. He helps Janelle Bass of Pony Boy Slings design a brand persona for canned…
#251 - Scaling the Brand: Ops, Systems, and Simplicity with Mezcla and Doss
Yoga Charya, President and COO of Mezcla, and Sebastiaan Debrouwe from Doss discuss how Mezcla scaled from a specialty retail niche to national distribution in Target, Whole Foods, and Costco. Charya explains their operational philosophy…
#463: Finding MedTechs Leading Voices with Sean Smith
Sean Smith, founder of MedTech Leading Voices, explains how B2B marketing in the medical device industry must prioritize human connection and expert attribution over polished corporate messaging and AI-generated content. He argues that…
Advice Line with Michelle Wahler of Beyond Yoga
Michelle Wahler, co-founder and former CEO of Beyond Yoga, joins Guy Raz to offer advice to early-stage founders. She discusses the importance of focusing on sustainable growth rather than chasing a massive exit, and shares insights on…
#244 - Live Pitch Practice & Feedback
Host Daniel Scharff and former retail buyer Caitlin Bricker provide live feedback to eleven CPG founders pitching at Expo West, including Divya Kumar of AyurSome Wellness, Spencer McManus of Kaviva, and Kristoffer Quiaoit of Good Journey…
199: Selling a New Product Successfully on Amazon
Tim Angel, founder of Zugu, explains how his company achieved over $30 million in annual sales by focusing exclusively on high-quality iPad cases sold via Amazon. He details a strategy of starting with a premium product to avoid price…
198: Hardware Success on Walmart Marketplace
Will Haire, CEO of BellaVix, explains how hardware startups can successfully list and scale products on the Walmart Marketplace, contrasting it with Amazon and physical retail. He details the streamlined onboarding process, the strategic…
187: e-Commerce Strategies for New Hardware Products
Lamees Butt, Senior Vice President of Zoovu, explains how hardware startups can bridge the gap between technical specifications and customer needs through effective e-commerce product discovery. She discusses the importance of humanizing…
#69 How to Design a High Converting Ecommerce Website
Kelly Ferris, Senior Director of Sales for Small Business at BigCommerce, explains how CPG brands can design high-converting ecommerce websites by prioritizing trust, site speed, and seamless checkout over mere aesthetics. She discusses…