Nabeal Khan@nkecom
I can’t get this Grüns deal out of my head.
Everyone focuses on the exit but I think what really matters is the acquisition on the other side.
I don’t think there is any better vertical in the world to invest in right now than a subscription-based consumables brand.
I’ll tell you why…
Ai is clearly the future. But I don’t think the play is building an Ai company. My theory is that every Ai company will eventually get replaced by Ai.
However, do you know what will never get replaced by Ai?
Physical products.
There is a massive misconception that ecom is a digital business. It is not. Go visit your supplier in China & tell him you run an online business. He will punch you in the face.
SaaS is an online business. Ecom is not.
Ecom is a physical business model operated remotely. The benefit for ecom operators is that ai tools are designed FOR US - not against us.
I honestly can’t think of many other businesses models where this is the case.
So, what is the biggest threat to ecom?
I think it’s probably 3D printers.
But i’ll tell you what 3D printers won’t be able to do (for a very long time at least) - print health products.
For example, let’s say you’re selling electrolytes. You can’t just magically print a sachet with a dozen different ingredients.
In addition to this - I think health & beauty are the two industries that are just going to keep on growing.
- Health is only going to grow in size because people are aging with smartphones & access to information. This has never happened before. Everyone will be researching why certain changes are happening to them, thus pushing people down funnels.
- Beauty is only going to grow because ai is going to make people feel uglier than ever before. Ai generates people more attractive than anyone you will ever see in your life. Think about how that will affect beauty standards in society - it’s a trillion dollar
opportunity.
So, if you want to build a $1bn+ business. I think if you look at the way the world is shaping up, it’s undeniable that a health-based DTC subscription brand is the play.
All the macro factors are in your favour.
You just need to make sure you optimize for these three things:
- Build an incredible product
Ai will soon kill your conversion rates if your product can be debunked
- Nail your positioning (op)
Ai will make building a brand easier. Why should customers choose yours?
- Distribution-max
Your advantage in ecom will always be your ability to compound attention that converts.
Once you understand all this, you start to realize why ecom is the best mode to scale to a $1bn exit.
If you are building in the ecom industry - I hope you appreciate how blessed we actually are. In a world full of doom & gloom, I can’t believe how bullish this industry is right now.
It’s a generational opportunity.
GOOD LUCK & HAPPY SCALING.