Limited Supply

Nik Sharma
  • 4.9 (149)
  • Marketing
  • Weekly

So many DTC brands think nice PR is more important than honesty. But that’s not us. I'm Nik, and I'm tired of all the hot air in our industry. This podcast is the behind-the-scenes conversation that gets to the heart of what DTC is really like. Nik Sharma founded Sharma Brands - and has no reason not to call people out, and share his spicy takes. Joined by the most experienced names in the industry, these are the conversations you won’t hear anywhere else. We’ll be diving deep into industry moves, autopsies on failed brands, and why we’re investing in certain companies. Episodes drop every Wednesday. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

  1. 19h ago

    The AI System Every DTC Brand Needs This Q4 (with HQ’s Corey Epstein)

    Is your team using AI like a smarter search box, or like an actual workforce? Nik shares a talk from the Ecom Founders Q4 Summit by Corey Epstein, founder of HQ, the software Nik calls "the nucleus of his entire AI setup". And if you’re heading into the holiday downtime (Thanksgiving week, or that quiet stretch around Christmas), it’s the perfect time to build a better AI setup before the new year. Corey breaks down the four levels of AI adoption and why most “power users” are still stuck at Level 2, building workflows where a human is in the loop at every step. He explains how to go from one-off tasks to AI workers that own a full role, why you need to build a “city” (a company brain that agents and humans share) instead of just prompting a chatbot, and why non-technical operators are out-building engineers right now. Learn why AI agents are “smart but drunk” and how to give them guardrails, how Ralph loops and acceptance criteria let you build big things while you sleep, why Corey thinks AI is how DTC gets its margins back, and his step-by-step for getting started. If you want your brand’s AI system ready for the rest of Q4 and the new year, this one’s for you. --- Triple Whale is the AI operating system built for modern commerce. We help you see what's actually working in your business, what's not, and what to do next. Then we take action for you — pausing the underperforming ad, generating the next batch of creative, flagging the inventory risk before it hurts your bottom line.  Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://triplewhale.com/limitedsupply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Want more DTC advice? Check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply YouTube page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more insider tips. And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply Slack Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Check out the Nik’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DTC newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Follow Corey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coreyepstein.com/ Follow Nik on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/mrsharma

  2. Nov 4

    How Hiya Became a Category Leader Without Taking VC Money (with Adam Gillman)

    Can you build a category leader without ever taking VC money? Adam Gillman says yes, and Hiya Health is his proof. Adam is the co-founder and president of Hiya Health, a children’s wellness brand that launched in 2020 and is now the category leader in the US. Before Hiya Health, he ran a mobile consulting company, a chain of fitness studios in Los Angeles, and Field, a premium cannabis brand where he learned some hard lessons about venture capital and leadership. In this episode, Nik and Adam dig into all of it. Adam explains why VC should be an accelerant and not an excuse, how Hiya Health earned parents’ trust by walking the vitamin aisle and reading competitors’ labels in one of its first ads, and how a manufacturing constraint turned into the glass bottle and sticker packs that became the brand’s signature. They talk about why “our customer is not our consumer,” why subscription businesses flip the usual acquisition math, and why Hiya Health waited more than two years before launching its first additional SKU. Adam also shares where supplements are headed (retail and DTC are becoming one business), why creative volume is the new edge, and why he says trust is the product. Then Nik throws him a curveball: build a daily hydration brand for adults over 50 from under $50K. Adam’s must-do list for founders is simple: get a 13-week rolling cash flow forecast in place and stop wasting money on flat-fee creator posts. Would you build a subscription brand around a daily habit? Tell us what you’d pick in the comments. --- Triple Whale is the AI operating system built for modern commerce. We help you see what's actually working in your business, what's not, and what to do next. Then we take action for you — pausing the underperforming ad, generating the next batch of creative, flagging the inventory risk before it hurts your bottom line.  Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://triplewhale.com/limitedsupply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Want more DTC advice? Check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply YouTube page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more insider tips. And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply Slack Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Check out the Nik’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DTC newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Follow Adam Gillman on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/AdamGillman Follow Nik on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/mrsharma

  3. Oct 28

    How to Take Your Brand Global in 2027 (Without Tying Up Your Cash)

    Going global in 2027 doesn’t have to mean opening new warehouses or locking up a pile of cash in inventory. Nik sits down with his longtime friend Izzy Rosenzweig, founder and CEO of Portless (https://www.portless.com/) and a self-described proud supply chain nerd. Izzy came up as a brand guy, running his own brands that manufactured in China and shipped around the world. Along the way he built a deep logistics network that reaches the last mile in 80+ countries, and that network became Portless. Nik and Izzy get into international expansion from every angle: how to go, when to go, which products are the right fit, how much incremental revenue to expect (Izzy says brands see 30% to 40% more revenue from outside their core market), and how to approach it from an advertising standpoint, including why CPMs in markets like the UK and Australia can be cheaper than the US and why English speaking markets are the easy first test before you try Europe. If you’re past $1M in revenue and wondering when to expand beyond one market, or how to free up cash to grow faster, this one’s for you! --- Triple Whale is the AI operating system built for modern commerce. We help you see what's actually working in your business, what's not, and what to do next. Then we take action for you — pausing the underperforming ad, generating the next batch of creative, flagging the inventory risk before it hurts your bottom line.  Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://triplewhale.com/limitedsupply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Want more DTC advice? Check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply YouTube page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more insider tips. And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply Slack Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Check out the Nik’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DTC newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Follow Izzy on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/IzzyRosenzweig Follow Nik on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/mrsharma

  4. Oct 21

    Why Clean Data Matters More Than the AI Model You Pick (with Triple Whale’s Maxx Blank)

    What happens when a scrappy reporting widget built for one Shopify brand turns into an AI agent that helps run ad spend for some of the biggest DTC brands out there? Nik sits down in-studio with his friend Maxx Blank, co-founder of Triple Whale, to trace the whole story. It starts with Mentor Pass calls, a braid brand called Madison Braids, and a browser widget that was never supposed to become a software company. Then they get into where things stand today with Moby, Triple Whale’s AI agent built for DTC. Maxx breaks down what an agentic harness is (and why it’s different from using ChatGPT or Claude on their own), why clean data is the real unlock for AI, and how Triple Whale built its own real-time data warehouse long before anyone was asking for one. They also cover the approval layer that keeps agents from going rogue with your budget, the new growth engine where a CMO agent, a media buyer agent, and a creative strategist agent work together (Maxx says brands are seeing 10% to 30% ROAS efficiency gains), and what’s inside the BFCM Command Center for planning, pacing, and competitor tracking. Plus, why AI is more of an Iron Man suit than a replacement for your team, why every brand starts with a dashboard, and what you can set up for free tomorrow. If you’re heading into BFCM and wondering where AI actually fits into your Marketing stack, this one’s for you. --- Triple Whale is the AI operating system built for modern commerce. We help you see what's actually working in your business, what's not, and what to do next. Then we take action for you — pausing the underperforming ad, generating the next batch of creative, flagging the inventory risk before it hurts your bottom line.  Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://triplewhale.com/limitedsupply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Want more DTC advice? Check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply YouTube page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more insider tips. And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply Slack Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Check out the Nik’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DTC newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Follow Maxx Blank on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/aryehMaxx Follow Nik on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma⁠⁠

  5. Oct 14

    What Solawave Would Repeat (and Rethink) in Q4 (with Andrew Silberstein)

    What happens when a shipment shows up late right before Q4 and you have to rethink your entire offer? This week’s episode comes from the Ecom Founders Q4 Summit, where Andrew Silberstein, co-founder of Solawave, sat down for a fireside chat moderated by Dan Pantello of Marpipe. Solawave is one of the fastest growing performance marketing driven consumer brands out there, and Andrew was once a client of Nik’s back at Sharma Brands. Nik shares the conversation here because it covers everything Solawave has learned about Q4: what worked, what didn’t, and what they’d do differently. Andrew breaks down the 2022 Q4 where a late shipment pushed the team to test buy one, get one free instead of a straight discount, and how it lowered CAC by about $40 and roughly doubled revenue that year. He also gets into why he isn’t worried about training customers to wait for deals (Solawave is on track for 150% year over year growth), how the brand built an ecosystem of serums and tools to keep customers coming back, and why upselling in the cart beat putting everything on the same page. Plus: the email mistake that spiked unsubscribes, how Solawave tackles gifting attribution with an unboxing experience people actually scan, and why men are a lot cheaper to reach on Meta. --- Triple Whale is the AI operating system built for modern commerce. We help you see what's actually working in your business, what's not, and what to do next. Then we take action for you — pausing the underperforming ad, generating the next batch of creative, flagging the inventory risk before it hurts your bottom line.  Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://triplewhale.com/limitedsupply⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Want more DTC advice? Check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply YouTube page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more insider tips. And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply Slack Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Check out the Nik’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DTC newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Follow Nik on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma⁠⁠

  6. Oct 7

    Build a Q4 Landing Page With AI

    Most AI landing pages look like slop. Here's how to build ones that actually convert. This week, Nik goes all in on landing pages with a presentation from the recent Ecom Founders Q4 Summit. He's been building pages with AI for a while now, and he's turned his whole process into a skill you can copy and use for free. Nik also shares example pages he built for Caraway and Love Wellness, with no brand files and no inside access, just to prove it works on a brand he had zero context on. Inside the talk, Nik covers why untrained AI produces generic pages, his five question rule that every page has to answer, and the 30 or so modules he recommends including, from the promotion bar to social proof to the comparison table. He also walks through his exact process (product, persona, and problem, then evidence, past alternatives, and your angle), plus two shortcuts for when you need a page fast: tally up what customers mention most in reviews and turn the top five into a listicle, or find your weakest performing ad and build a challenger page for it. You'll also get his full tool stack (Codex, GitHub, Vercel, HQ for memory, and Microsoft Clarity), a live look at how a Love Wellness page came together in about 45 minutes, and a Q&A covering brand kits, landing page versus homepage, on-site chatbots, and conversion benchmarks (including a 10% landing page versus 2 to 3.5% on a collections page). Grab the free landing page skill here: https://lp-skill.nik.co/ (Password: Q4). --- Triple Whale is the AI operating system built for modern commerce. We help you see what's actually working in your business, what's not, and what to do next. Then we take action for you — pausing the underperforming ad, generating the next batch of creative, flagging the inventory risk before it hurts your bottom line.  Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://triplewhale.com/limitedsupply⁠⁠⁠ --- Want more DTC advice? Check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply YouTube page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more insider tips. And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply Slack Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Check out the Nik’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DTC newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Follow Nik on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma⁠⁠

  7. Sep 30

    What Does It Actually Take to Win BFCM? (Live from Q4 Summit, with Cody Plofker)

    What does it actually take to win BFCM? This week's episode comes straight from last week's Ecom Founders Q4 Summit in New York City, where Nik sat down with Cody Plofker, former CEO of Jones Road Beauty, for a live fireside chat. Cody recently stepped down as CEO after years running the brand at Jones Road Beauty, and he's now building something new while staying on Jones Road's board. In this conversation, he gets refreshingly honest about what actually works heading into Black Friday, and what he'd do differently. Cody breaks down why almost nobody discovering your brand on Black Friday is a first time visitor, which means the real work happens all year, not just in November. He walks through how Jones Road used moments like Memorial Day and Labor Day as tune ups before their biggest offers, why he treats the whole Q4 calendar as a season instead of a single weekend, and the mistakes he's made on both sides of inventory planning (overbuying and underbuying both suck, just in different ways). He also gets into his TV strategy and media mix, why he's skeptical of free ad credits even when they're tempting, how he thinks about the creative supply chain and budgeting around fifteen percent of spend toward creative, and why Q1 might actually be the real Q4 for wellness and subscription brands. Whether you're deep in Black Friday planning right now or already thinking ahead to Q1, this one is packed with tactical, no fluff advice. --- Triple Whale is the AI operating system built for modern commerce. We help you see what's actually working in your business, what's not, and what to do next. Then we take action for you — pausing the underperforming ad, generating the next batch of creative, flagging the inventory risk before it hurts your bottom line.  Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠https://triplewhale.com/limitedsupply⁠⁠ --- Want more DTC advice? Check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply YouTube page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more insider tips. And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply Slack Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Check out the Nik’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DTC newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Follow Nik on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma⁠ Follow Cody Plofker on his website (https://codyplofker.com/) and on X (https://x.com/codyplof), and be sure to check out his podcast, Marketing Operators (https://codyplofker.com/podcast).

  8. Sep 23

    How HexClad Turned Cookware Into a Billion Dollar Brand (with Danny Winer)

    What does it actually take to turn cookware into a billion dollar brand? With the Ecom Founders Q4 Summit taking place this week, we are taking you back to a past Q4 Summit conversation where Nik sat down with Danny Winer, co-founder and CEO of HexClad. Danny built HexClad into a unicorn in about a decade, and in this conversation he gets into exactly how he did it. Danny walks through why he leaned into storytelling from day one (HexClad is badass cookware, not just cookware), the humbling lesson he learned from a juicer business that failed almost overnight, and why he was told cookware was too competitive and DTC cookware would never work. He breaks down HexClad's approach to novelty, either reinvent the product completely or make it look incredible in your kitchen, how the brand became a media company before it became a bigger cookware company, and the real story behind how Gordon Ramsay got involved. He also shares why HexClad treats promotions differently from discounts, how the brand keeps finding new customers at scale, and his best Q4 advice: treat it as a twelve month project, not a fourth quarter scramble. Whether you're building a product brand or trying to figure out your own Q4 strategy, this one is full of lessons you can actually use. --- Triple Whale is the AI operating system built for modern commerce. We help you see what's actually working in your business, what's not, and what to do next. Then we take action for you — pausing the underperforming ad, generating the next batch of creative, flagging the inventory risk before it hurts your bottom line.  Learn more at ⁠⁠https://triplewhale.com/limitedsupply⁠ --- Want more DTC advice? Check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply YouTube page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more insider tips. And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Supply Slack Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Check out the Nik’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DTC newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Nik on Twitter/X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma⁠

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4.9
out of 5
149 Ratings

About

So many DTC brands think nice PR is more important than honesty. But that’s not us. I'm Nik, and I'm tired of all the hot air in our industry. This podcast is the behind-the-scenes conversation that gets to the heart of what DTC is really like. Nik Sharma founded Sharma Brands - and has no reason not to call people out, and share his spicy takes. Joined by the most experienced names in the industry, these are the conversations you won’t hear anywhere else. We’ll be diving deep into industry moves, autopsies on failed brands, and why we’re investing in certain companies. Episodes drop every Wednesday. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Information

  • Creator
    Nik Sharma
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    202
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 Nik Sharma
  • Show Website
    Limited Supply

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