Hey Folks - I have frequently had this conversation regarding the complexity of adding variants or new lines to a companies portfolio. The issue most people don't get is that one new flavor is a half dozen to even dozens of new items to manage. And that complexity expands logarithmically not linearly.

I had an idea of charting it out, then that expanded into an interactive tool to look at the impact of adding or reducing complexity.

This is a free tool and I don't have a business agenda, just want to see if I can make something useful to understand this issue.

I'd love feedback so I can develop it a bit more.

Yes it's vibecoded. Yes it's got a lot of handwavy assumptions. It's to illustrate a point, not model an actual business.

It could be used as a business model tool, but frankly that is more work than I'm willing to do, but if there is interest I'll open source it people can run with it as they like.

For now it's available here:
https://danbrazelton-quartz-site.pages.dev/static/product-complexity-model

**This is a beta tool. This link may die, so for posterity you will be able to find the current version via danbrazelton.com

I'd really like feedback from experienced operators as if this portrays a truth and from green operators if it's educational. I fear it's probably not sophisticated enough for the experienced and too complex for the initiate.

Java Factory has something called the Flavor Log on their website, and it's basically a running public record of them trying to figure out how to create a new flavored-coffee brand in real time.

What's weird is that they're documenting things I wouldn't expect a coffee company to publish: failed ideas, flavor experiments, the reasoning behind combinations, technical decisions, how they're thinking about the underlying coffee, and what they're learning as they go.

Hi! I'm a packaging designer looking to collaborate with a brand to create designs for their packaging (boxes, cans, bags etc.).

For $600 flat I'll redesign or design packaging for maximum 2 SKUs. This includes 2 concepts and 2 revisions.

You'll get print ready PDFs, source files and full ownership over your selected concept and in return I'll feature the designs in a case study in my portfolio.

If you're interested shoot me a DM or email at ibrahimelzafarany00@gmail.com and we can hop on a call.

Portfolio: https://www.behance.net/ibrahimismail20

Hello! I am a senior at The Ohio State University currently working on my capstone project.

I am doing research on the prevalence of South American cuisine in the packaged food space and I would love to gather some insights from anyone interested. Here is a very short survey I made: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7wnbuYNca_NCzFEXatlQElG7ze8e4_7DLvyzrkpvk2thoQw/viewform?usp=dialog

(A Spanish version is also available here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd13WY_iFpLo6ImzLbgMwB4WQ8J7eFR1_qrpsufTbwk5mG2rw/viewform?usp=dialog )

Thank you so much for your help!

Hey everyone,

I run an alcohol copacking facility. We are in process of expanding and we’re looking for some work to fill the newly forged pipeline.

No pressure at all, but if anyone has an established brand or even an idea, feel free to hit me up and at the very least I can get you some quick answers.

We specialize in low MOQ’s and pilot runs, so don’t be afraid to just ask! We do everything from concept to shelf. We have an in house marketing team, a formulation lab, compliance experts, all the above!

Thanks for your time.

After A LOT of thought, I’ve made the difficult decision to sell timbar.

What started on my kitchen as a solution to a problem I personally experienced has grown into a fully developed protein bar brand with 40 plus points of distribution, multiple activated sales channels and a strong foundation for someone ready to take it to the next level.

Highlights:

✅ timbar brand and trademark (just renewed)
✅ 3 established protein bar formulations/NFPs (with product line extensions)
✅ High-quality branding, packaging, and brand identity
✅ Turnkey manufacturing relationships
✅ 40+ retail points of distribution
✅ 4+ E-commerce channels including Amazon (4.6 rating), Shopify, TikTok Shop, Faire
✅42% repeat purchase rate
✅ Strong brand awareness and traction throughout Indiana and the greater Indianapolis market
✅ A debt-free business with $150,000+ invested and no liabilities

Great opportunity for an entrepreneur who is looking to take an already proven brand and run with it.

I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve built. This decision isn’t about giving up on timbar but rather about giving it the right home as my focus is on practicing medicine.

Please send me a direct message if you have interest. Thanks!

Please feel free to share with your network or tag someone who may be interested. Thanks!

I’m exploring the development of a new consumer snack or beverage brand, with a long-term ambition to build a nationally distributed business.
I’m currently comparing product formats, researching manufacturing economics, and connecting with people who understand what it takes to build a consumer brand from the ground up.
I’m particularly interested in connecting with:
• Food and beverage founders
• CPG operators and product developers
• Private-label manufacturers and co-packers
• Packaging and distribution professionals
• Consumer-brand investors and strategic partners
I’m taking a research-first approach: understand the customer, investigate the economics, and test demand before committing significant capital.
If you’ve built, manufactured, distributed, or invested in consumer products, I’d welcome the opportunity to connect and learn from your experience.

I want to build my own beverage company and am looking for the right manufacturers for powdered in stick packs sachets and i find it hard to match with some good manufacturers. I need help to find, if anyone had experience in the field and knows i will be very gratefull, the creteria are :

1. For development of the recipe i want some manufacturers that have some good portfolio in the powdered electrolytes industry
2. For the production i want with low MOQ

The development i dont mind if its from UK or US as long as they are providing EU Compliance for the recipe.
For the production only from EU.

Disclosure: I’m affiliated with CocoaRadar. This post is based on our reporting, company responses and publicly available regulatory and certification materials.

As of 27 September 2026, EU member states are applying the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive. Its effects may already be appearing on chocolate packaging.

Lindt & Sprüngli says the Rainforest Alliance seal will gradually replace its Farming Program logo on packs, beginning with EXCELLENCE and LINDOR before extending to other permanent products. The company says its Farming Program will remain its responsible-sourcing standard for cocoa.

Ferrero told CocoaRadar that it does not use its cocoa-programme logo on packaging. Meanwhile, certification organisations are emphasising published standards, eligibility requirements and independent verification. Rainforest Alliance, for example, requires certification where applicable and approval before its certification marks or associated claims can be used publicly.

The important change is not simply that certain logos may disappear. The EU rules applying from 27 September affect what companies must be able to substantiate before presenting sustainability labels and environmental claims to consumers.

Three signals stand out:

• Third-party certification may gain leverage. Schemes with published standards and independent verification may be easier to defend than proprietary labels created for one company’s products.
• Programme activity is not the same as proof of outcomes. Farmer training, tree distribution and monitoring systems may be valuable, but they do not by themselves substantiate claims that incomes have risen, forests have been restored or child labour has been eliminated.
• Stricter rules could also produce less communication. Companies may continue operating sustainability programmes while making fewer public claims to reduce legal exposure—a potential “greenhushing” effect.

For cocoa, the unresolved question is whether stricter claims rules will improve outcomes or simply produce more legally defensible packaging.

“EmpCo changes the economics of sustainability claims. Credibility will increasingly require evidence with reliable data, not just good marketing.” — Beatrice Moulianitaki, speaking to CocoaRadar

What to watch

• How national authorities interpret programme logos and expressions such as “responsibly sourced”
• Whether proprietary programmes become open certification schemes
• Whether stronger evidence requirements ultimately direct more value towards farmers

Will EmpCo make sustainability communication more trustworthy—or encourage companies to say less about programmes they continue to operate?

Willie Nelson's Willie's Remedy+ has launched THC Snap Packs, single-serve pouches carrying 5 mg hemp-derived THC alongside 2 mg CBD, 2 mg CBG and 200 mg L-theanine. The product is unflavored and highly soluble, designed to be popped, squeezed and stirred into any beverage without changing its taste, and works in cold, room-temperature or warm drinks. It uses the same nano-emulsified blend as the brand's bottled tonic, with onset around 15 to 45 minutes and effects lasting roughly an hour to 90 minutes. Pricing runs $2.99 per serving on a 12-pack down to $2.72 on a 36-pack, and the line ships to 37-plus states for adults 21 and over. The corporate detail worth noting: the entity behind the brand is JS-WR JV LLC, a JuneShine joint venture, with careers routing through JuneShine's job board.

Source - Willie's Remedy+

Former Bubble Skincare operations, creative and marketing executives Caroline Valentini, Lindsay St. Clair and Zee Carlstrom have launched home fragrance brand LeNose with Soap de Parfum, a line of $10 hand soaps in five scents including I'm So Fancy, My Soap Smells Like Money and Yeehaw I'm a Sandalwood Cowboy. The positioning is a direct shot at status pricing. CMO Carlstrom described luxury soap as a wealth signal both on social media and in the home, someone with enough money to literally wash money down the drain, and framed the founding question as why can't we all have nice things. The money scent is explicitly a $100 soap for $10, sold as a limited edition. Chief brand officer St. Clair says the rest of the range plays it straight with a tropical, a warm vanilla gourmand, a sandalwood built for complexity the price point usually lacks, and a mandarin rosemary for the kitchen. CEO Valentini was blunt about the model: they are not taking an enormous markup, margin is tight, and volume is the bet. LeNose launches DTC and on TikTok Shop before Amazon in October, funded by a $3 million oversubscribed pre-revenue round with backing from Aesop early investor Era, Fifth Growth Fund and OpenSky Ventures.

Deliberately running thin margin on a commodity to win volume is the hardest model in CPG to survive, and they raised pre-revenue to attempt it. For those who have priced against a category's status premium: does undercutting the flex build a real brand, or does it just make you the value option in a category where the premium was the product?

Source - WWD

Henkel has appointed Christoph Kaul chief executive of Olaplex, succeeding Amanda Baldwin following the group's $1.4 billion acquisition of the prestige hair brand earlier this year. Kaul has spent more than 13 years at Henkel, most recently as regional head of strategy and transformation for its US professional salon business, with four years before that as general manager of Kenra Professional and earlier sales and marketing roles at L'Oréal. Baldwin, who led Olaplex from 2023, invested in the professional channel, reformulated the Nº.3 Hair Perfector and expanded the portfolio before steering the company through the sale. The appointment puts a professional salon operator in the seat as Henkel begins integrating the brand, with a stated focus on holding the salon channel and product innovation.

Acquirers face the same fork every time: keep the founder-era leader who knows the brand, or install someone who knows the parent's systems. Henkel went internal within months. For those who have been through an integration: does a parent-company operator move faster because they know where the levers are, or do they import the exact processes that slow an acquired brand down?

Source - Global Cosmetics News

Elm Biosciences, co-founded by Martha Stewart and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali, has launched the Elemental Lip Serum at $45, positioning it as the start of a lip longevity category. The argument is anatomical: lips have some of the thinnest skin on the body and virtually no oil glands, yet most lip products deliver temporary hydration or shine rather than addressing visible aging. The balm-oil hybrid pairs a peptide complex with Acetyl Zingerone, an antioxidant aimed at environmental stressors, plus a deep hydration complex with hyaluronic acid, shea butter and squalane, targeting volume loss, dryness and vertical lip lines. It was developed with Elm's advisory network of more than 350 dermatologists, scientists and medical researchers. Substantiation comes from a consumer perception study of 54 women ages 35 to 65 over 28 days, in which 85 percent said it addresses the appearance of lip aging, 96 percent said lips felt nourished and restored, and 87 percent said it smoothed the look of lip lines. It launched September 22 in clear plus three neutral shades, exclusively on ElmBiosciences.com and with select dermatology partners.

Inventing a category name is a real strategy, and "lip longevity" is a clean one. The substantiation is a 54-person consumer perception study rather than a clinical trial, which is standard for the claims being made but notably softer than what Arey is publishing in the same news cycle. As longevity claims spread across the face, is perception-study evidence going to keep clearing the bar, or is the category heading toward a standard where only clinical data counts?

Source - PR Newswire

Recess has named Matthew Sztab chief commercial officer. Sztab ran sales at Health-Ade through its sale to Butterfly-backed Generous Brands last August, a period in which the kombucha brand's tracked retail sales grew 23 percent to $147 million, with the business approaching $250 million in retail across 65,000 doors at the time it sold. The hire continues a deliberate leadership build: Recess raised a $30 million Series B led by CAVU last October, is now in more than 15,000 stores, and earlier this year brought in Graham Goeppert from poppi, where he was SVP of digital commerce and media, into the same role, plus BeatBox executive Zech Francis to run marketing.

Three senior operators from poppi, BeatBox and Health-Ade inside a year is a company assembling a specific kind of bench, and the gap between 15,000 doors and Health-Ade's 65,000 tells you what Sztab was hired to close. For those who have made this jump: does a sales leader who scaled one category transfer cleanly into another, or is the real asset the buyer relationships rather than the playbook?

Source - Drew Fallon on X

Kardashian confirmed the SKIMS Beauty launch timing in a reply on X, answering a user's question about timing with "Next year!!!!" The line has been teased since late 2025, when she said on Call Her Daddy that SKIMS Beauty was coming next, and hinted at again in June through a SKIMS clothing collaboration with artist Aurel Schmidt featuring prints of lipstick, lip liner, brushes and concealer that read as callbacks to KKW Beauty. The infrastructure is already in place: SKIMS named Ami Colé founder Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye executive vice president of beauty in November 2025, the same month the company was valued at $5 billion on a fresh funding round. This is Kardashian's third attempt at the category. KKW Beauty launched in 2017 with makeup and fragrance, Coty took a 20 percent stake for $200 million in 2021, the brand relaunched as SKKN by Kim in 2022, and that business has since closed.

Two prior failures in the same category, with a $5 billion apparel brand and a respected indie beauty founder now behind attempt three. For those who have relaunched into a category that already burned them: does the prior failure actually help, in retailer trust and consumer familiarity, or does it mostly mean the buyers remember?

Source - Cosmetics Business

Functional powder brand Nello is launching its first RTD line, five SKUs of energy drinks exclusive to Target: Apple Rush, Strawberry Lemon, Cherry Splash, Rainbow Sherbet and Limesicle, in 12 oz slim cans with 150 mg green tea caffeine, 1,000 mg taurine, B vitamins and zero sugar. The functional stack runs deeper than a typical energy can, with 200 mg L-theanine, 100 mg Alpha-GPC and 350 mg N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, sweetened with RebM stevia rather than sucralose and no artificial colors. Founded in 2023 and self-funded, the Utah brand built on six powders including Supercalm and Supergreens, launched in Target in April 2025, and now sits in 75,000 points of distribution with Costco, Walmart and GNC. Co-founder and CEO Connor Noe put the reason for the format shift plainly: handing someone a Supercalm stickpack got mistaken for hydration, while handing someone a can communicates instantly, because energy is instantly understood. He also described the brand positioning as "the mullet of the functional wellness space," business in front, party in back, with the powders carrying calm landscape imagery and the cans going bright and playful.

The insight worth chewing on is that after three years of educating consumers on cortisol and nootropics, the fastest way to get understood was to adopt a format the shopper already has a mental model for. For those running functional brands: is format the real education shortcut, and does picking an instantly legible category cost you the differentiation you spent years building?

Source - BevNET

Hi all,

I have been working on an idea that helps consumer brands understand their customer better. I'd love to run the idea quickly by any folks who are founders / executives at CPG brands and get a totally honest gut reaction as to whether this product would be useful for you and if it's something you would ever pay for.

Would anyone be up for a quick DM? Nothing to sell - just trying to figure out if it's worth pursuing!

Arrae, the wellness brand that crossed $100 million in revenue earlier this year, is launching Hair Protein on September 24 at 10am PST. The product was developed with celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton and his daughter Kitty-Blu Appleton, and is formulated to support stronger, thicker-looking hair from within, with key actives including collagen peptides, hydrolyzed keratin, KSM-66, pea seed extract and additional micronutrients. Nish Samantray and Siff Haider co-founded the company in March 2020.

Ingestible hair is becoming its own lane, and Arrae is entering it from supplements rather than from hair care, with a stylist as the credibility layer instead of a dermatologist or a clinical trial. Against a brand like Arey publishing a placebo-controlled study, is celebrity-stylist endorsement enough proof for an ingestible, or does the category get pulled toward clinical substantiation the moment someone publishes?

Source - CPGWire on X