Deodorant business

The "My First Million" podcast has several discussions on the deodorant business, particularly focusing on the success of Native Deodorant and its founder, Moiz Ali. Here are some key insights:

1. Building Native Deodorant:

   • Moiz Ali founded Native Deodorant, a natural deodorant brand, and sold it to Procter & Gamble for $100 million. The company had only raised $500,000 before the sale, making it one of the better direct-to-consumer (DTC) exits 1.

2. Scaling Challenges:

   • Initially, Native was making 20,000 units of deodorant a day by hand pouring each bar, which involved about 100 people working in Austin, Texas. Despite the initial manual process, they scaled impressively by optimizing their operations 2.

3. Customer Focus:

   • Moiz emphasized the importance of staying connected to customer feedback, especially for businesses generating less than $25 million annually. He believed that direct interaction with customers helped understand their needs and operational issues better 2.

4. Branding and Authenticity:

   • Moiz's approach to branding was personal and authentic. Despite initial skepticism from peers (like his friend from Pinterest), he built a trusted brand that resonated with customers 3 4.
     • 

       1

       Successful Deodorant Exit

       00:00:13
       
     • 

       2

       Scaling Strategy

       00:27:48
       
     • 

       3

       Branding and Inspiration

       00:43:40
       
     • 

       4

       Check Cashing Chaos

       00:03:30
       
     • 

       5

       Embracing Creativity

       01:03:02
       

5. Experience and Strategy:

   • Moiz highlighted that experience plays a critical role in understanding business challenges and making better decisions. His experiences at Procter & Gamble informed his insights on leadership transitions and maintaining company independence post-acquisition 2.

6. Creative and Artistic Side:

   • Moiz was also recognized for his attention to customer service and brand detail, which Sam and Shaan described as artistic. They encouraged him to pursue new creative projects rather than sticking strictly to the DTC model, leveraging his peak mental and physical abilities for innovative ventures 5.

These discussions offer a comprehensive overview of the strategies, challenges, and mindset that contributed to the success of a notable deodorant business like Native.