Currently in the trenches trying to get to $10K/month in DTC sales, consistently?

This week, I partnered with Shopify and Ugly Talk on “From $0 to $10K/month: the importance of doing things that don’t scale”, an in-person founder panel designed to help you with just that.

Joining me were Marcus Milione (Minted New York), Charlotte Cruze (Alice Mushrooms) and Gabi Lewis (Magic Spoon).

All three founders shared wildly different launch stories.

• Marcus built a 12K email list and sold out in minutes

• Charlotte threw a launch party with influencer gifts

• GabI coordinated investor-influencers for a big day one.

Success isn't about one magical moment—it's about stacking small wins over time.

Below are five key takeaways to keep in mind as you go from $0 to $10K/month in eCommerce sales…

BUT FIRST, HERE ARE SOME UPCOMING NEW EDITION EVENTS TO CHECK OUT…

1. Start building your audience 6-12 months before product launch

Without an audience, you're launching into a void.

Marcus built 12,000 email subscribers by posting three daily videos for eight months—before he even planned to start a business.

This organic approach built trust that translated directly into sold-out launch day sales.

Why this is important: Building an engaged email list means you're activating an existing community that trusts you, not starting from zero. Your list becomes your most valuable asset, providing product feedback and guaranteed launch day traffic.

2. Pay yourself!

Set a founder salary equal to 80% of your previous job's pay.

All three founders agreed: investors want you focused on growth, not rent stress. Calculate living expenses plus 20% buffer and pay yourself monthly, even when bootstrapping.

Include realistic founder salaries in fundraising projections and discuss openly.

Why this is important: Financial foundation is critical for maintaining focus and avoiding burnout. Living on ramen creates stress that impairs decision-making and leads to choices driven by desperation rather than strategy.

3. Skip traditional PR in your first year - invest in creators instead

Redirecting $10K-30K from low-converting traditional PR to micro-influencers can dramatically change early traction and customer acquisition costs. 

Gabi learned the hard way: despite Forbes and Fast Company coverage, no one clicks through paywalls to buy cereal.

Customers buy where they spend time: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. Find creators whose audiences and content style match your brand.

Why this is important: Traditional PR still has value for credibility and retailer relationships, but in year one, every dollar should go toward channels that directly drive revenue and customer acquisition.

4. Identify your one competitive advantage and double down

Resource allocation is everything for early-stage brands.

All three founders succeeded by mastering one channel rather than spreading thin.

• Marcus dominated content creation

• Charlotte perfected brand identity

• Gabi systematically conquered acquisition channels one at a time.

The temptation to do everything is strong, especially when you see competitors succeeding in multiple areas, but limited resources demand focus.

Why this is important: Spreading yourself thin leads to mediocrity at everything instead of excellence at something. Audit your team's strengths and lock in. Excellence in one area creates a defensible moat competitors struggle to replicate.

5. Create a "money-in, money-out" proof point before fundraising

Investors want to see that you've cracked the code on customer acquisition.

Gabi's advice: prove scalable acquisition before raising money—it's the difference between smart growth and burning cash.

Figure out how to turn $100 into $300 predictably. Test this formula 10+ times before approaching investors.

Why this is important: Proven unit economics transforms fundraising from speculation into scaling conversations. It protects you from committing to an unproven model for years and reduces premature fundraising risk.

This event was a lot of fun to put together. If you were there, thanks for coming. If you weren’t, I hope to see you at a New Edition Event soon!

Shoot me an email ([email protected]) if you want to chat about any of the takeaways above.

See you next time ✌️