#344 - David Protein’s $1,000,000 Week Launch with Cofounder Zach Ranen

Zach Ranen is the co-founder of David, a protein bar brand which disrupted the market with 50% more calories from protein than any other bar and a groundbreaking dollar-to-protein ratio. In this episode of the DTC POD, Zach shares David's pre-launch and launch strategies, leading to 1M+ dollars in sales in the first week. This includes engaging with influencers like Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman and giving away 20,000 product samples. Zach also gives insights into their R&D process, how they built the David brand, their product-led approach to growth, and future plans. Interact with other DTC experts and access our monthly fireside chats with industry leaders on DTC Pod Slack . On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover: 1. Pre-Launch and Launch Tactics 2. Product-Led Approach to Growth 3. Product Sampling Marketing 4. Influencer Partnerships 5. Viral Marketing Strategies 6. Brand Development 7. Naming and Visual Identity Timestamps 00:00 The idea behind David protein bars 05:59 From working in private equity to founding Raize and eventually David 16:55 Balancing taste with nutrition in developing David protein bars 24:22 David as a product-led company 27:52 Brand building for David: name, packaging, launch 35:04 Key lessons on manufacturing, distribution, product launch, and virality 43:53 David’s $10M seed funding, key investors, and influencers 48:10 Next steps for growth, channel allocation, strategy Show notes powered by Castmagic Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more. Additional episodes you might like: • #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth • #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content • #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views • #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands • #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook • ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands ----- Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further? Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you. Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox? Check out our newsletter here . Projects the DTC Pod team is working on: DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internet Olivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplement Castmagic - AI Workspace for Content Follow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates! DTCPod Instagram DTCPod Twitter DTCPod TikTok Zach Ranen - Co-Founder and President at David Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic Ramon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic

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