#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