Unit Economics

The Unit Economics Podcast

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Exploring the hidden complexity behind every industry. A show investigating familiar brands, the products they make, and the people shaping them - with a focus on the decisions, economics, and mechanics behind the scenes. Hosted by Josh Stabinsky. 🎧 New episodes every week. 🌐 More at uepod.com Want to get in touch? hello@uepod.com

VOR 4 TAGEN

[Hotel Ceramics] Sara Victorio

In today's episode, I sit down with Sara Victorio, founder of Hotel Ceramics, a one-person handmade ceramics studio based in Portland, Oregon. We talk about how Hotel operates as a solo manufacturing business, from product design and material inputs to kiln capacity, production methods, and quality control. Sara walks through why she shifted from wheel throwing to slip casting, how that decision changed her labor economics and output constraints, and what tradeoffs it introduced operationally. We also get into pricing and margin considerations in handmade ceramics, including how labor, throughput, and failure rates factor into pricing decisions, and why Hotel uses a drop-based sales model rather than pre-orders. Throughout the conversation, we discuss demand management, customer expectations, repeat purchase behavior, and how distribution choices affect both cash flow and workload when the founder is also the sole producer. This was a clear, grounded look at the mechanics of running a small, design-driven physical goods business with real production constraints. I learned so much during my conversation with Sara, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

39 Min.
VOR 6 TAGEN

[Felt + Fat] Nate Mell

In today's episode, I sit down with Nate Mell, founder of Felt + Fat, a Philadelphia-based ceramics company producing tableware for both restaurants and direct-to-consumer customers. We talk about how Felt + Fat began supplying custom tableware to restaurants, why ceramics made sense as a business from a unit-economics perspective, and how debt-financed equipment shaped the company’s growth and risk profile. Nate walks through the operational realities of scaling a labor-intensive manufacturing business, the shift from wholesale to direct-to-consumer, and how capital decisions around space, equipment, and staffing affected margins and cash flow. We also get into the limits of vertical integration, what rapid expansion exposed about the business model, and how a period of financial distress forced a clear-eyed reassessment of what the company actually does best — ultimately leading to a narrower, more sustainable operating scope. This was a candid, detailed look at the mechanics of running a U.S.-based manufacturing business and I can't thank Nate enough for his transparency around some pretty sensitive topics. I learned so much during our conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

50 Min.
5. FEB.

[Erstwhile] Jared Klusner

In today's episode, I sit down with Jared Klusner, founder of Erstwhile, a jewelry business built around highly curated vintage and vintage-inspired pieces. We talk about Jared’s path into the jewelry world, how sourcing actually works in a niche, relationship-driven market, and why trust and expertise matter so much when you’re dealing in rare, one-of-a-kind goods. We also get into the mechanics of building a business around non-fungible inventory — from pricing and negotiation to replacement risk, inventory management, and the realities of scaling a high-touch operation without losing credibility. This was a fascinating look at what it really takes to build a relationship-driven business in high-end vintage goods. I learned so much from the conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

38 Min.
3. FEB.

[One Trick Pony] Lucy Dana

On today's episode, I sit down with Lucy Dana, co-founder and CEO of One Trick Pony, a peanut butter brand built around Argentinian peanuts and a novel approach to jar design. Lucy walks through the tradeoffs involved in supplier selection, inventory risk, and manufacturing control, including the very real consequences of getting early production decisions wrong. We get into how One Trick Pony thinks about differentiation in a crowded, commoditized category, why jar design — not ingredients alone — became the company’s primary growth lever, and the operational and margin implications of introducing custom packaging. Lucy also shares how pricing decisions have evolved alongside rising input costs and tariffs, why DTC played a critical role early on, and how the business is balancing e-commerce with retail as it scales. This was a thoughtful, transparent conversation about building a modern food brand from scratch and I learned so much during my conversation with Lucy. As always, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

40 Min.
27. JAN.

[GOB] Lauryn Menard

In this episode, I sit down with Lauryn Menard, founder of GOB, a company rethinking single-use personal care products starting with earplugs made from mycelium. We talk about how GOB came to focus on a category most people overlook, and what it actually takes to commercialize a new biomaterial in a space dominated by low-cost, petroleum-based incumbents. Lauryn walks through the early research process, the tradeoffs involved in material selection, and the realities of working with suppliers and manufacturing partners when you’re building on top of emerging technologies rather than established supply chains. We also get into pricing and positioning in a highly price-sensitive category, how GOB thinks about margins and cost reduction over time, and why subscription has become the core business model as the company shifts toward daily-use, health-driven customers. Lauryn shares how GOB is approaching distribution across DTC, music venues, and retail, and how those channels serve different roles at different stages. This was a thoughtful, grounded conversation about building a premium physical product in a commoditized category, the real constraints of scaling physical products that don’t rely on petrochemicals, and what it actually means to design products with end-of-life in mind. I learned so much during our conversation and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

44 Min.
21. JAN.

[Jones] Hilary Dubin & Caroline Huber

In this episode, I sit down with Hilary Dubin and Caroline Huber, co-founders of Jones — a modern nicotine-cessation company built for people trying to quit vaping. Jones combines FDA-approved nicotine mints, a form of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), with an app that provides behavioral support and community. Hilary and Caroline started the company after struggling to quit nicotine themselves and realizing how outdated, stigmatized, and incomplete the existing NRT category felt — especially for younger users. We talk about how their personal experiences shaped the product, what it takes to build a regulated physical product alongside software, and why behavioral support is just as important as the nicotine replacement itself. We also get into manufacturing constraints, FDA economics, fundraising stress, and the realities of building a business in a tightly regulated space. This was an extremely transparent conversation about building a real company in what I consider to be a critically important category. I learned a lot from this one, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

43 Min.
15. JAN.

[Weast Coast Games] Dan Cassaro, Dan Christofferson, & Meg Yahashi

On today’s episode, I sit down with Dan Cassaro, Dan Christofferson, and Meg Yahashi — the team behind Weast Coast Games, a modern board game company designing beautifully crafted tabletop games. Weast Coast grew out of Young Jerks (the branding and packaging studio they’ve been building for over a decade) and this conversation provides a look at what happens when a design firm decides to make its own physical products. We talk about how a lunchtime prototype turned into a real board game business, how they think about gameplay and play-testing, and why they chose to lead with a high-cost, component-heavy game instead of playing it safe. We also get into manufacturing realities, pricing and margin decisions, using Kickstarter as a validation tool, and the ways in which game design has changed the way they think about client work. This was a fascinating look into balancing craft and creative ambition with the realities of producing and selling physical products — and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. (Also a shoutout to the team for designing this episode's cover art!)

38 Min.
14. JAN.

[Nymzo] Elliott Walker & Tim Hucklesby

In this episode, I sit down with Elliott Walker and Tim Hucklesby, co-founders of Nymzo — a modern chess brand rethinking one of the world’s most traditional games. Elliott and Tim are longtime brand designers, and their perspective on product, positioning, and credibility shows up in every part of Nymzo’s story. We talk through how they identified a real gap in the chess market based on what they were seeing culturally and commercially, and how that conviction translated into a premium, performance-driven physical product. Elliott and Tim break down what it actually took to manufacture a chess set from scratch — from tooling decisions and material choices to the realities of minimum order quantities and early production constraints. We also dig into bootstrapping, demand and distribution strategy, how they approached launching DTC, what they’ve learned from working with chess clubs as a discovery channel, and what it means to build trust and legitimacy in a legacy category that’s deeply rooted in tradition. Tim and Elliott are exceptional brand builders, and I think it really shows. I learned so much during our conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

48 Min.

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Exploring the hidden complexity behind every industry. A show investigating familiar brands, the products they make, and the people shaping them - with a focus on the decisions, economics, and mechanics behind the scenes. Hosted by Josh Stabinsky. 🎧 New episodes every week. 🌐 More at uepod.com Want to get in touch? hello@uepod.com

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The Unit Economics Podcast
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2025 - 2026
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