Ten years. That’s how long I’ve been in the DTC space, and honestly, it’s wild to look back at where it all started in 2015.
The game has changed completely, but some things stay the same.
If you’re building in this space or thinking about it, here are 10 things I’ve learned along the way.
Table of Contents
Time Wins
Success in DTC isn’t about overnight wins. It takes time and consistency to actually win. The brands and people who stick to it are the ones who make it. If you’re in it, stay in it.
Respect Everyone
This community is smaller than you think. The person you meet today might be your business partner, customer, or competitor tomorrow. I’m still friends with people I met in year one. Treat everyone with respect because you’ll probably run into them again.
Build Faster
Innovation is happening faster than ever. Back in 2015, you needed a whole team of people to build something. Now one person can build an entire business with AI. The barrier to entry has never been lower, which means the competition has never been higher.
Stay Curious
Never stop learning and stay curious. On day one, I asked for feedback from Noah and Anton. I try to have that same level of curiosity with my team today. The moment you think you know everything is the moment you start falling behind.
Provide Value
GTM for software has fully changed. Back then it was all about cold outbound. That doesn’t work anymore. Figure out a way to provide value to your future customers and you win. Start a podcast, host events, create content. Give before you ask.
Best People
Surround yourself with the best people. I reached out cold to Noah because he was crushing it. Forever grateful for everything I learned from him. Now our team at KNO is one of the best in the game (in my opinion). Your network and team will make or break you.
Health Matters
Prioritize health and personal relationships. After all, that’s the entire point of doing all this. Don’t sacrifice your body and relationships for a business. It’s not worth it.
Ask Help
Ask for help. Strangers in this community will hop on a call with you and help for free. They’ll look at your ad account, give product feedback, whatever you need. I’m still blown away by how generous people are.
Study Young
The young up and comers are crushing it. Noah Tucker, Shaan Arora, Varun Kundra and their teams are all changing the game. Go study what they’re doing. Fresh perspective is good, especially when you’ve been doing something the same way for years.
Question Assumptions
Question your assumptions. I recently realized I don’t actually know my customers’ pain points because I’ve never operated a DTC brand. In the next 30 days that’s going to change. Excited to show you all what I’ve been working on.
Bonus
I wish I learned about the mullet in 2015.
Conclusion
Looking back at 10 years in DTC, here are the key takeaways:
- It takes time and consistency to win
- Treat everyone with respect in this small community
- One person can now build an entire business with AI
- Never stop learning and stay curious
- Provide value to your future customers first
- Surround yourself with the best people
- Prioritize health and personal relationships
- Ask for help from the community
- Study what the young up and comers are doing
- Question your assumptions regularly
If you’re just starting out or you’re a few years in, remember that everyone in this space started somewhere. The community is small and supportive. Reach out, ask questions, and keep learning.
Ready to level up your DTC game? Start by questioning one assumption you’ve been holding onto and see where it takes you.