Accelerating in the Wrong Direction
So there we were, caught up in the mess of Vendor Express when Amazon decided to pull the plug. If you weren’t invited to Vendor Central, that first-party relationship was gone overnight.
Frankly, it was a blessing in disguise. Best part was I didn’t even have to make the call. Amazon made it for us.
Right around then, we were approved to join Amazon Accelerator. Our internal plan was to spin off a piece of the product line but Amazon had a different idea. They wanted the whole brand if they were going to buy and their offer was low 6figures.
Our goal from the beginning was to make the miracle berry affordable and available everywhere by getting it into retail grocery. We wanted people to see it as a real everyday option, not just an online novelty.
Amazon might have thought the same for the food brands they were buying. The year before, they’d just bought Whole Foods for $13.7 billion.
The lesson from Vendor Express was learning to say no when something doesn’t fit. We believed we could build the brand’s value with time so we passed and turned our attention to the next opportunity. This time, it was with Amazon’s biggest competitor. But we’ll get to that next week.
Now for this week’s flavor experiment: guacamole.
Avocados have a pretty neutral pH, so on their own, they don’t change much with the berry. But guac? That’s holy alright.
I headed to the market and grabbed ripe avocados, juicy limes, fresh tomatoes and good salt. Once I had everything mashed and mixed, that’s when the real fun started.
I let Nature’s Wild Berry coat my tongue for 30 seconds, then dove in with a chip.
The lime juice, the tomatoes and that little hit of salt all popped in a way that felt like a whole new level. It turned good guac into something that tasted like the ultimate summer fiesta in a bowl.
If you doubt it, you’ve gotta try it for yourself.
That’s this week’s flavor test and startup lesson. It’s not just about sharing our insights. It’s about having fun and bringing you along on the ride.
Each week there’s a new story, a new taste test and hopefully a little spark of curiosity.
Look for the hidden 48-hour alphanumeric discount code tucked somewhere in here for 20% off. It’s my way of saying thanks for showing up and being part of the adventure.
— Hank