Ecommerce Masterplan: Interviews And Advice To Help Build Your Online Retail Business Faster

Mike Stevens is one of the DTC pioneers, with 8 years at Innocent Drinks back in the 2000s, and then founding good-for-you confectionery brand Peppersmith, which over 10 years he scaled all the way to exit in 2018. He’s also the author of the excellent and bestselling and award-winning book “The Direct to Consumer Playbook: The Stories and Strategies of the Brands that Wrote the DTC Rules”.  Hit PLAY to hear: The highs and lows of being an entrepreneur Knowing when to transition your business, or to close it Considering product-market fit Opportunity cost and why it matters Embracing failure as a learning opportunity  Key timestamps to dive straight in: [05:58] Mike’s take on sustainability, functionality, his Amazon journey, multichannel business. [12:27] High acquisition costs due to low demand. [15:03] Real product, timing challenges, consumer purchasing shifts. [17:46] Running the business was full-time, unfeasible to leave on the side. [21:17] Considering opportunity cost over easy choices. [25:10] Passi