Operators

Latest Episodes:

E050: Cody Plofker: Marketing Strategies, Meta Advertising, Maximising Contribution, International Market Expansion Apr 03, 2024

Show notes

00:00 Introduction

03:09 Panzerism: Trust No One

04:06 Termination of Relationship with an Agency

07:53 Success, Failure, and Overvaluing Contributions

09:46 Building Trust and Hiring Practices

13:32 Challenges with Meta Advertising

15:00 Diversification into Other Channels

25:17 Transitioning to Other Channels

27:40 The Importance of Profitability and Knowing Your Numbers

30:01 Dealing with Meta Performance Issues

31:01 Navigating Conversion Lag and Meta Changes

36:19 Balancing Growth and Efficiency

47:17 The Power of Product, Market, and Channel

48:40 The Success of Retail Stores

57:37 Expanding into International Markets

59:35 The Importance of Translating Content

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Sendlane.https://learn.sendlane.com/operators

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E049: Connor from Ridge: Artificial Newness, Channel Activation, Content Planning, Pricing Strategy Mar 27, 2024

Show notes

02:00 Preparing for Father's Day

07:14 Content Planning and Pricing Strategy

11:11 Media Mix and Channel Activation

29:45 Channel Diversification and Crop Rotation

32:39 Initial Wins and Marketing Strategy

33:36 Challenges with Meta Platforms

35:09 Identifying Issues and Taking Action

36:08 Reallocating Budgets and Measuring Incremental Lift

38:47 The Importance of CPM and Channel Diversification

44:12 Building Redundancy and Expanding Product Categories

51:07 Creating Artificial Newness and Leveraging Influencers

52:19 The Importance of Off-Platform Metrics and International Markets

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Fulfil.io.https://bit.ly/3pAp2vuThe Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands.

Northbeam.https://www.northbeam.io/

Sendlane.https://learn.sendlane.com/operators

Visit Our Website: https://www.9operators.com/

E048: Roman Khan: Buying and Growing DTC Companies Mar 20, 2024

Show notes

00:00 Introduction and Background to Roman

06:05 Roman's Journey and Current Ventures

10:14 Lessons from Rocket Internet

13:29 Communication Platforms and Future Plans

24:32 The Importance of Supply Chain Management

31:02 Building Strong Relationships with Suppliers

32:21 Using Factories as Financing Partners

32:55 Negative Cash Conversion Cycles and Negotiation

35:14 Building Transparent and Trusting Relationships with Suppliers

38:38 The Success of Multi-Brand Models

41:28 Investing in Kanpai Foods

44:37 Finding Success in Focusing on a Superpower

49:10 Preparing for the Future Beyond Meta

52:00 Living and Doing Business in Hong Kong

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/s... Powered By: Fulfil.io. https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu The Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands. Northbeam. https://www.northbeam.io/ Sendlane. https://learn.sendlane.com/operators Visit Our Website: https://www.9operators.com/

E047: DTC Hardships, Amazon Fees, Klaviyo Agency Move & More Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

00:00 Introduction and Market Update 07:39 D2C Apocalypse: Meta Issues 33:02 The Challenges of Being an Amazon Seller 34:21 The Importance of a Differentiated Value Proposition 35:07 The Evolution of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Brands 36:01 The Role of Product and Brand in Retail 37:28 The Potential Ban of TikTok 38:13 Regulatory Concerns and Potential Buyers for TikTok 40:14 The Uncertainty of TikTok's Future 42:31 Considering the Impact of TikTok's Potential Ban 44:21 The Need for Focus and Product Differentiation 45:59 The Difficulty of Attribution in Advertising 48:10 The Importance of Content and Influencers on TikTok 49:17 The Challenges of Diversification in the Current Landscape 53:25 The Value of Focusing on Product Quality 55:14 The Challenges of Being a Low-Profit, Low-Growth Commerce Brand 56:08 The Risks of Going Public as a DTC Brand 58:16 The Importance of Brand Partnerships and Collaboration 59:31 The Summary of the Armageddon Episode

E046: Ridge Retreat, Measuring Brand Awareness, The Rising Cost of Advertising & More. Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

00:00 Ridge Retreat

03:12 Off-Site Team Building

06:08 Challenges of Hosting Retreats

07:36 New Product Launch: Hexclad Pizza Steel

11:51 Measuring Brand Awareness13:18 Aided and Unaided Awareness

15:21 Actionable Insights from Brand Awareness Data

20:59 Awareness vs Competitors

25:11 The Size of the Market

29:14 Expanding the TAM

31:05 Brand Awareness vs Brand Affinity

33:01 Building Market Share Regionally

35:24 The Importance of Household Penetration

36:19 Creating Organic Demand and Network Effects

41:21 The Rising Cost of Advertising

44:22 The Limitations of Market Share

51:10 Failure as a Learning Experience

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/s...

Fulfil.io.

https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu

The Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands.

Northbeam.

https://www.northbeam.io/

Sendlane.

https://learn.sendlane.com/operators

Visit Our Website: https://www.9operators.com/

The Ridge X Marques Brownlee Partnership: A Deep Dive Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, the Operators discuss Ridge's recent announcement that they've partnered with Marques Brownlee, the number one tech YouTuber. The decision to bring in Marques as an investor, advisor, and board member is driven by the belief that creator-led brands are the future. Sean explains that the skills that made Ridge successful in the past, such as digital marketing, are no longer as relevant due to changes in the digital advertising landscape. The partnership with Marques aims to leverage his expertise in content creation and storytelling to elevate Ridge's brand.

01:11 Ridge's Partnership with Marques

05:46 The Importance of Standing Out

08:32 Impact on Marques' Relationships with Competitors

10:27 The Decision to Bring in an Equity Partner

11:38 Considering the Future of Creator-led Brands

15:37 The Marriage of Creators and Successful Brands

22:26 Involvement of Creators in Product Development

23:29 Learning from Hexclad's Partnership with Gordon Ramsay

24:16 Inspiration and Goals for Ridge

24:57 Choosing Influencers: Reach vs. Brand Alignment

27:04 Being Patient and Making the Right Move

28:27 Finding a Person with a Track Record of Relevance

29:09 Tiered Approach to Brand Partnerships

30:37 The Value of Organic Content and Authentic Partnerships

33:06 Building Relationships with Influencers

36:32 The Future of Organic Content for Brands

37:08 Product Roadmap and Influencer Partnerships

38:13 The Power Law of Organic Content

39:01 The Importance of Getting Good at Organic Social

40:21 Expanding into Different Communities and Markets

41:36 Summary and Appreciation

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/s...

Fulfil.io.

https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu

The Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands.

Northbeam.

https://www.northbeam.io/

Sendlane.

https://learn.sendlane.com/operators

Visit Our Website: https://www.9operators.com/

E044: January retail sales, Yeti’s earnings, Shopify’s Q4 & More Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

03:42 Discussion on January Retail Sales

24:07 Analysis of Shopify's GMV in Q4

33:09 Panzerism of the week

41:49 Creating a Fun Work Environment

44:00 Yeti's Earnings and Expansion into Cookware

54:00 Challenges in the Bag Industry

01:05:23 The Importance of Gross Margin in Business Growth

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/s...

Fulfil.io.

https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu

The Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands.

Northbeam.

https://www.northbeam.io/

Sendlane.

https://learn.sendlane.com/operators

Visit Our Website: https://www.9operators.com/

E043: Shopify's price increase, Tapestry's earnings, TikTok as a marketing platform & more Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

00:00 Introduction and Random Conversations

06:00 Review of Tapestry's Earnings

20:16 Discussion on Amer Sports IPO

28:17 Analysis of Shopify's Price Increase

42:16 Exploring TikTok as a Marketing Platform

46:34 Sean's Bearish View on TikTok

48:29 Overspending on Amazon Advertising

53:24 Evaluation of TikTok

57:13 Assessing TikTok's Audience Trust

59:07 Complexity and Uncertainty in Geopolitics

01:04:43 Handling the Unknown in Business

01:05:38 Geopolitical Considerations

Summary:

In this episode, the Operators discuss various topics including Tapestry's earnings, the Amer Sports IPO, Shopify's price increase, and the effectiveness of TikTok as a marketing platform. They analyze the financial performance and growth potential of Tapestry, a well-run business in the accessories industry. The Operators also share their thoughts on Amer Sports' house of brands and the challenges of being an outdoor brand in a recession. They debate the impact of Shopify's price increase on businesses and the value it provides compared to other platforms. Finally, they discuss the view-through nature of TikTok and its potential as a search engine. The conversation covers topics such as overspending on Amazon advertising, the evaluation of TikTok as an advertising platform, assessing audience trust on TikTok, the complexity and uncertainty in geopolitics, and handling the unknown in business.

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/s...

Fulfil.io.

https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu

The Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands.

Northbeam.

https://www.northbeam.io/

Sendlane.

https://learn.sendlane.com/operators

Visit Our Website: https://www.9operators.com/

E042: January Performance, International Thoughts, Sean's Challenge, Conditioning Customers & More Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

00:00 January Performance

03:06 International Expansion

06:23 Competitor Challenges

11:31 The Rise and Fall of Brands

19:01 Surprising January Results

22:03 International Market Opportunities

32:00 Inventory Shortage

38:54 Scaling and Customization Challenges

39:28 Using Pre-Orders to Manage Demand

40:13 Scarcity as an Asset

41:46 Expanding to International Markets

42:16 Leveraging Scarcity for Higher Margins

45:13 Conditioning Customers to Act Quickly

Summary: The conversation covers the performance of the Operators in January, the challenges and opportunities of international expansion, the rise and fall of brands, surprising January results, international market opportunities, and an inventory shortage problem. In this conversation, the Operators discuss various strategies for managing demand and scaling a business. They explore the challenges of scaling custom products, the use of pre-orders to control inventory, and the benefits of scarcity as a marketing tool. They also touch on expanding to international markets and the importance of conditioning customers to act quickly. They also help solve a challenge for Sean.

Operators Exclusive Slack:https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/s...

Fulfil.io.

https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu

The Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands.

Northbeam.

https://www.northbeam.io/

Sendlane.https://learn.sendlane.com/operators

Visit Our Website: https://www.9operators.com/

E041: Competitors, Avoiding Imitation, Red Ocean Strategy, Timing Expansion, Hero Products & More Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

Episode 41

Summary

The Operators discuss the topic of competition and how entrepreneurs think about their competitors. They explore the importance of understanding the competitive landscape and share their thoughts on spending time and energy on competitors. The conversation also touches on the concept of red ocean industries and the benefits of being in a growing category. The Operators emphasize the need to focus on running your own race and the dangers of imitating competitors without understanding their context. They also discuss the timing of expanding into new markets and the challenges of measuring success. The episode concludes with insights on learning from aspirational competitors and the importance of taking big swings in business.

Chapters

00:56 Thinking About Competition

07:51 Competition in Red Ocean Industries

09:24 Learning from Competitors

11:41 Competing in Growing Categories

15:49 Share of Wallet and Running Your Own Race

20:14 Avoiding the Trap of Imitation

23:46 Understanding Competitors' Strategies

28:31 Competitors as a Tailwind

32:20 Disruptive Growth and Timing

36:50 Expanding into New Markets

38:43 Specialization and Omni-Channel Approach

43:11 The Challenge of Measuring Success

45:41 The Importance of Product Innovation

49:35 The Combination of Competitive Advantages

54:05 Learning from Aspirational Competitors

56:36 Paid Ads and Focusing on A-Plus Projects

59:02 Avoiding Busyness and Taking Big Swings

Operators Exclusive Slack:https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/s...

In the world of eCommerce, a legendary WhatsApp group is rumored to hold the secrets to unimaginable success. The catch? You must have nine figures in revenue to gain entry. The world's biggest brands have denied its existence for years, until now. Four titans known as "Operators" are leaking the secret contents in an effort to share their wealth of knowledge with people like you.

Fulfil.io.

https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu

The Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands.

Northbeam.

https://www.northbeam.io/

Sendlane.

https://learn.sendlane.com/operators

Visit Our Website:

https://www.9operators.com/