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Limited Supply

Nik Sharma

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.

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  • 31 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 40 min
  • English

Episodes 31

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  • Wednesday · 52 min

    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

  • October 14 · 22 min

    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

  • October 7 · 32 min

    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

  • September 30 · 36 min

    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).

  • September 23 · 29 min

    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

  • September 16 · 48 min

    AI Landing Pages and Micro-Persona Ads (live from Verified, The Social Commerce Podcast)

    This week on Limited Supply, we're bringing you a special crossover episode. Nik recently sat down with David Vanderveen and Peter Griskum from Verified, The Social Commerce Podcast, and the conversation was too good not to share here too. They get into what is actually working in social commerce right now, starting with the Hudson method: building a network of thousands of micro creators who each represent a specific persona, so the brand gets a constant stream of content without ever running its own production. Nik breaks down how AI has changed the economics of creative, from landing pages built in Codex or Claude Code and shipped in 30 minutes, to why creative costs have collapsed while Meta's ad costs keep climbing. He also digs into the difference between celebrity brands that work and the ones that flop (hint: it usually comes down to team, product, and whether the celebrity actually shows up). If you want to see the ad swipe file Nik mentions, head over to ads.nik.co to check that out. And a big thanks to the team at the Verified, The Social Commerce Podcast. --- 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

  • September 9 · 34 min

    S17 E10: How to Launch Black Friday Two Weeks Early (with Ezra Firestone)

    What if your best Black Friday sale happened two weeks before Black Friday? This week's throwback comes from the very first Ecom Founders Q4 Summit, featuring Ezra Firestone. Ezra has been building ecommerce brands for 20 years, owns Boom, Overtone, Smart Marketer, and Zipify, and does over $140 million a year across his businesses. In this talk, he walks through his exact Q4 playbook from strategy all the way down to execution. Listen as Ezra breaks down why he launches his Prime Day sale alongside Amazon, why he opens Black Friday two full weeks early (he calls it Silver Friday), and how he plans specific peak days around Thanksgiving, actual Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Green Monday, and even a countdown to New Year's sale that most brands ignore completely. He also covers his merchandising framework built on incentive, deadline, and ownership benefit, why threshold based discounting beats a flat markdown, how he builds an early bird email list through video view campaigns before the sale even starts, and the exact elements every holiday sales page needs, from the Johnson box to the countdown timer to product page upsells. Whether you are building your Q4 calendar right now or just want a resend worthy post purchase flow, this episode is full of tactics you can put to use immediately. --- 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 --- Nik will be hosting the upcoming 2026 Ecom Founders Q4 Summit, taking place on September 24th in New York City. To learn more about the event, check out: ⁠⁠https://ecomfounders.com/q4⁠⁠ --- 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

  • September 2 · 21 min

    S17 E9: Why Routine Beats Discounts This Q4 (with Jen Gray)

    What if the real key to winning Q4 has nothing to do with discounts, and everything to do with routine? This week is another throwback from the Ecom Founders Q4 Summit, featuring the one of the most popular talks from the event: Jen Gray, formerly SVP of Marketing at Recharge, digs into the psychology of routine. Jen breaks down why the old school ideal customer profile misses the point, how millennials and Gen Z actually spend differently, and how brands like Casper, Tushy, and Barefaced turned one time purchases into daily habits through product diversification. She also covers product positioning and subscription strategy, plus a stat worth remembering going into BFCM: subscribers can be worth seven times more in LTV than one time buyers. This one's got a lot of visual data, so consider checking this one out on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@limitedsupply) after listening. --- 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 --- Nik will be hosting the upcoming 2026 Ecom Founders Q4 Summit, taking place on September 24th in New York City. To learn more about the event, check out: ⁠https://ecomfounders.com/q4⁠ --- 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

  • August 26 · 41 min

    S17 E8: What Every DTC Brand Should Know Before Q4 (with Shopify's Harley Finkelstein)

    What actually changes in Q4 every year, and what stays exactly the same? In this week's episode, Nik revisits a live conversation about the Q4 playbook for DTC brands with Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify. Recorded on-stage at an earlier Q4 Summit, what Nik and Harley cover still applies directly to 2026, so it felt like the right time to bring it back! Harley opens with fresh data from a survey of 18,000 consumers, breaking down where holiday spending is headed, why discounting and free shipping are still the top two loyalty drivers, and why shoppers are starting their holiday planning earlier every single year. From there, Nik and Harley get into why novelty might be the most underrated Marketing tactic out there (like Gymshark literally turning off their site for Black Friday), how small founder led brands can out execute big companies by doing things that do not scale, and where AI is actually moving the needle on personalization versus where it is just noise. Whether you are locking in your Black Friday promo calendar or just trying to figure out where to focus before the Q4 rush hits, this conversation is packed with tactical takeaways you can use right now. And stick around for the end of the episode where Nik shares some important info about the upcoming 2026 Ecom Founders Q4 Summit, taking place on September 24th in New York City. Nik will be hosting and shares information on how to grab your free ticket. To learn more about the event, check out: https://ecomfounders.com/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 Twitter/X: ⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma⁠

  • August 19 · 44 min

    S17 E7: The Acquisition Channel JRB Got Wrong ...and How They Fixed It

    How do you know when it's time to add TV to your Marketing mix? In this episode, Nik sits down with Cody Plofker, former CEO of Jones Road Beauty, and Sean Drobeck, Senior Team Lead, Services at Tatari (our presenting sponsor for this episode), to break down exactly how Jones Road built TV into a quarter of its ad spend, starting from zero TV experience. Cody shares how he scaled Jones Road entirely on paid social before hitting a wall of diminishing returns, why he assumed TV was only for giant brands (and why he was wrong), and how the channel created a halo effect that made his Meta campaigns convert even better. Sean then breaks down how Tatari builds a TV strategy for brands testing the channel for the first time, the truth behind remnant inventory, and why chasing free ad credits is the wrong way to judge a TV partner. You'll learn how to think about linear vs. streaming vs. CTV, how much budget you actually need to get statistically significant results, and how to measure TV without letting any platform grade its own homework. Whether you're bootstrapped and skeptical of TV or gearing up to test the channel before Q4, this episode gives you the exact framework Cody used to scale. --- Tatari helps brands run TV like a modern performance channel. Unlike most platforms that focus only on programmatic CTV, Tatari gives marketers access to all of TV - linear, streaming, programmatic CTV, and direct publisher inventory - in one platform. By combining premium inventory with transparent reporting and outcome-based measurement, Tatari lets growth teams evaluate TV the same way they evaluate paid search or paid social. The result: more control, better reach, and TV spend that can actually be tied back to business results. Learn more at ⁠⁠https://lp.tatari.tv/limited-supply⁠⁠ --- 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 Cody Plofker on Twitter/X: https://x.com/codyplof Follow Sean Drobeck on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seandrobeck/ Follow Nik on Twitter/X: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma⁠

  • August 12 · 36 min

    S17 E6: Why Your Company's AI Chats Are a Total Mess (And How to Fix It)

    Nik sits down with Jacob Posel, co-founder of HQ (https://hqforwork.com), to talk about the biggest problem nobody's solving in AI adoption: every person on your team is having a completely different experience with Claude or ChatGPT, and none of that context ever gets shared. Jacob breaks down why most companies end up with wild fragmentation instead of the compounding benefit they expect, how HQ works as a shared memory layer across your whole org (think Dropbox for agents, 1Password for agents), and what it actually takes to turn one person's AI workflow into a skill the whole team can use. They also get into Jacob's path from an AI/ML master's program straight into e-comm logistics, then Common Thread Collective, to co-founding HQ with Corey Epstein. Plus: why Marketing teams are seeing the biggest per-person leverage from AI right now, how HQ's "gardening agent" keeps stale context from poisoning your workflows, and Jacob's predictions for what's going to look ridiculous a year from now (spoiler: picking a model manually might be one of them). If you've ever built something great in AI and had zero way to hand it off to your team, this one's for you. --- Tatari helps brands run TV like a modern performance channel. Unlike most platforms that focus only on programmatic CTV, Tatari gives marketers access to all of TV - linear, streaming, programmatic CTV, and direct publisher inventory - in one platform. By combining premium inventory with transparent reporting and outcome-based measurement, Tatari lets growth teams evaluate TV the same way they evaluate paid search or paid social. The result: more control, better reach, and TV spend that can actually be tied back to business results. Learn more at ⁠https://lp.tatari.tv/limited-supply⁠ --- 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 --- To learn more about HQ, check them out at: https://hqforwork.com/ Follow Jacob on X: https://x.com/jacob_posel Follow Nik on X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/mrsharma

  • August 5 · 58 min

    S17 E5: Your Moat Already Expired (And Most Founders Don't Know It Yet)

    In this latest episode of Limited Supply, Nik gets in the guest seat for a conversation with Ryan Ayala for his show, The Alchemist's Library (https://www.alchemistslibrary.org/). Listen as Nik and Ryan break down why the old moats (distribution, proprietary data, a big audience) don't hold water the way they used to now that small teams are running 20-agent AI stacks and compressing weeks of execution into hours. Nik breaks down why agencies get brutal to run once you cross $200-250K a month, why raising too much money can trap a startup before it's proven anything, and where he is actually seeing opportunity right now in niche agencies and boring Main Street businesses nobody wants to touch. Also, Nik calls it out at the top of the episode...the Ecom Founders Q4 Summit is officially back! Third year running, and it's the biggest one yet. For more information, check out https://ecomfounders.com/pages/q4-summit. Questions on the Q4 Summit, or just want to talk about the episode? DM Nik on Twitter/X (@mrsharma) or email him at nik@nik.co --- Tatari helps brands run TV like a modern performance channel. Unlike most platforms that focus only on programmatic CTV, Tatari gives marketers access to all of TV - linear, streaming, programmatic CTV, and direct publisher inventory - in one platform. By combining premium inventory with transparent reporting and outcome-based measurement, Tatari lets growth teams evaluate TV the same way they evaluate paid search or paid social. The result: more control, better reach, and TV spend that can actually be tied back to business results. Learn more at https://lp.tatari.tv/limited-supply --- 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

  • July 29 · 26 min

    S17 E4: Stop Building Landing Pages by Hand...Here's What's Next

    Nik breaks down what's actually new with GPT-5.6 Sol and why it's a bigger deal for marketers than most people realize. He walks through how he's using it inside his AI agent "Jet", why hyper-realistic product imagery is now table stakes, and how a tool called Jurni is changing the way he builds high-converting landing pages. Nik also gets into the real question every marketer should be asking: what should stay in-house, and what's better handed off to an external vendor or freelancer. --- Tatari helps brands run TV like a modern performance channel. Unlike most platforms that focus only on programmatic CTV, Tatari gives marketers access to all of TV - linear, streaming, programmatic CTV, and direct publisher inventory - in one platform. By combining premium inventory with transparent reporting and outcome-based measurement, Tatari lets growth teams evaluate TV the same way they evaluate paid search or paid social. The result: more control, better reach, and TV spend that can actually be tied back to business results. Learn more at https://lp.tatari.tv/limited-supply --- 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

  • July 22 · 25 min

    How Brands Are Building Creator Armies Right Now (Live from Social Commerce Summit NYC)

    Most brands are still buying ad space…the smartest ones are building an army instead. In this episode, Nik shares his recent conversation from the Social Commerce Summit in NYC, where he and Heatmap.com's Dylan Ander dig into exactly what's working in social commerce and creator marketing right now. Nik breaks down why the best brands have stopped treating creators like a media buy and started industrializing them, building real, commission-based "creator armies" the same way Comfort scaled with the now-famous Hudson Method. He unpacks his concept of persona mapping and persona maxing, why YouTubers and vloggers specifically outperform every other creator type on paid, and gets brutally honest about his own celebrity brand flops to explain why most celebrity brands don't survive past day three. For brands doing $3–10M a year without a nine-figure budget, Nik lays out a practical playbook: parallel-path your creator and paid funnel strategy, feed winning ad angles back to creators (and vice versa), and find your product's exact price "sweet spot" for TikTok Shop before you scale spend. If you're trying to figure out where your next dollar of creator marketing budget should actually go, this episode is as tactical as it gets. --- Tatari helps brands run TV like a modern performance channel. Unlike most platforms that focus only on programmatic CTV, Tatari gives marketers access to all of TV - linear, streaming, programmatic CTV, and direct publisher inventory - in one platform. By combining premium inventory with transparent reporting and outcome-based measurement, Tatari lets growth teams evaluate TV the same way they evaluate paid search or paid social. The result: more control, better reach, and TV spend that can actually be tied back to business results. Learn more at https://lp.tatari.tv/limited-supply --- 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

  • July 15 · 31 min

    S17 S2: The Creative Supply Chain Every Brand Needs (And Most Don't Have)

    A billion-dollar ad budget sounds like it solves everything. It doesn't. Nik shares a recent experience he had sitting in on a CMO offsite for one of the largest consumer brands in the world, expecting the conversation to be light-years beyond anything a $10M or $50M brand deals with. Instead, he found the exact same problems: slow creative production, personalization that doesn't scale, and attribution that never tells the full story. In this solo episode, Nik breaks down why more resources at a big company often means more dependencies, not more speed, and uses the "telephone game" as the perfect analogy for what happens when a single test has to pass through strategy, brand, legal, and five other teams before it ever runs. He also gets into: Why lean, scrappy brands often move faster than teams with 10x the budget The real cost of approval bottlenecks on how fast you can learn Why deliberate angle testing beats "spray and pray" every time A first look at the "creative supply chain," the framework Nik's been using with clients to source, produce, and test content on repeat If you've ever wondered why growth feels harder the bigger your team gets, this episode is for you! --- Tatari helps brands run TV like a modern performance channel. Unlike most platforms that focus only on programmatic CTV, Tatari gives marketers access to all of TV - linear, streaming, programmatic CTV, and direct publisher inventory - in one platform. By combining premium inventory with transparent reporting and outcome-based measurement, Tatari lets growth teams evaluate TV the same way they evaluate paid search or paid social. The result: more control, better reach, and TV spend that can actually be tied back to business results. Learn more at https://lp.tatari.tv/limited-supply 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

  • July 8 · 38 min

    S17 E1: Founder Mode: Building a Second Brain to Supercharge Execution (Live from Ecom AI Summit)

    Most founders are still stuck living in a chat window…and it's quietly costing them hours every day. In this episode, Nik shares his recent keynote from the 2026 Ecom AI Summit in NYC, breaking down exactly how he built "Jet Damon," his personal AI chief of staff, and the second brain system now running nearly every part of his business. Listen as Nik walks through the three stages most operators get stuck in on the way to real AI leverage, then goes step-by-step into how a Mac Mini running Hermes powers 20+ specialized agents, from copywriters to an e-commerce ops manager, each paired with a "senior" agent that reviews their work before anything ships. Nik prompts a full advertorial from scratch in real time, and shares the exact prompt he uses to onboard a brand-new agent in under two minutes, plus how his daily "cockpit" report flags revenue dips, rising CAC, and competitor moves before he's even out of bed. If you're ready to stop checking five dashboards a day and start building a system that runs itself, this is the actual blueprint. And if you want to follow along with Nik's full slide deck, head over to https://jet.nik.co/ --- 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

  • June 24 · 23 min

    S16 E13: Shopify's AI Revolution: What You Need to Know

    Shopify just dropped its biggest update of the year — and if you're in ecom, this one actually matters. In this latest episode of Limited Supply, Nik breaks down the five Shopify announcements that are going to change how brands build, sell, and scale in the age of AI commerce. From making your entire product catalog readable by LLMs to a massive affiliate play that could reshape the publisher ecosystem, Shopify isn't just keeping up with AI — they're betting the whole roadmap on it. Nik covers the vibe coding integration that finally makes one-shot landing pages a reality inside your main Shopify store, why Sidekick is actually worth your attention now, and how the Shop app is positioning itself to become the default shopping agent across every AI surface you use. Plus: the smaller updates that quietly matter — A/B testing on live themes, scheduled go-lives, WhatsApp as a native marketing channel, and what checkout intelligence actually means for conversion. If you've been watching the agentic commerce wave from the sidelines, this is your signal to start paying attention. --- What’s Instant? It's the secret weapon to triple your email revenue with AI-powered flows and campaigns. Instead of sending the same cart reminders to everyone, Instant gives every shopper a personalized email experience: Copy, products, and offers that adapt to your shopper’s behavior and purchase history in real time. Emails sent at the exact moment each shopper is most likely to buy. 11+ abandonment flows and smart multi-step campaigns live in minutes. Built for DTC marketers. Made for revenue growth. See why brands are replacing their ESP with Instant: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instant.one/sharma⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. --- 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

  • June 17 · 38 min

    S16 E12: The Anatomy of a High-Converting Listicle

    Most brands spend thousands driving traffic but send visitors to the wrong pages. In this solo episode, Nik breaks down his complete process for creating high-converting landing pages and listicles that turn paid traffic into customers. From research and copywriting to UX, design, and testing, Nik shares the exact framework he uses to build pages that consistently outperform traditional product pages and homepages. You'll learn: Why AI can sometimes hurt the research process How to uncover customer insights that actually matter How to structure landing pages that keep visitors engaged from click to conversion Whether you're running paid social, optimizing conversion rates, or building your next campaign, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can implement immediately. And be sure to check out the links below to see the listicle examples Nik shares during the episode Bioroot labs listicle - nik.co/pod-lp-1 Bioroot labs PDP - nik.co/pod-lp-2 Hydroh listicle - nik.co/pod-lp-3 Hydroh PDP - nik.co/pod-lp-4 Koriderm listicle - nik.co/pod-lp-5 Purestrike listicle - nik.co/pod-lp-6 IM8 8 Reasons Why - nik.co/pod-lp-7 Gruns collab - nik.co/pod-lp-8 Gruns 7 reasons - nik.co/pod-lp-9 Gruns 6 reasons - nik.co/pod-lp-10 --- What’s Instant? It's the secret weapon to triple your email revenue with AI-powered flows and campaigns. Instead of sending the same cart reminders to everyone, Instant gives every shopper a personalized email experience: Copy, products, and offers that adapt to your shopper’s behavior and purchase history in real time. Emails sent at the exact moment each shopper is most likely to buy. 11+ abandonment flows and smart multi-step campaigns live in minutes. Built for DTC marketers. Made for revenue growth. See why brands are replacing their ESP with Instant: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instant.one/sharma⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. --- 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

  • June 10 · 24 min

    S16 E11: How AI Is Revolutionizing Landing Pages

    Your landing page is good…but AI can make it great! In this latest episode of Limited Supply, Nik explores the transformative impact of AI on landing pages, creative content, and e-commerce strategies. Listen as ne discusses how AI accelerates page creation, enhances ad creative, and enables hyper-targeted merchandising, while also warning about potential pitfalls of AI-generated garbage if not managed properly. Nik also talks about: The explosion of ad creative and its impact on marketing AI shopping agents transforming consumer discovery Landing pages as AI merchandising tools Whether you're an AI skeptic or a seasoned DTC pro looking to make some improvements, this solo episode is packed with ideas you can use today. --- What’s Instant? It's the secret weapon to triple your email revenue with AI-powered flows and campaigns. Instead of sending the same cart reminders to everyone, Instant gives every shopper a personalized email experience: Copy, products, and offers that adapt to your shopper’s behavior and purchase history in real time. Emails sent at the exact moment each shopper is most likely to buy. 11+ abandonment flows and smart multi-step campaigns live in minutes. Built for DTC marketers. Made for revenue growth. See why brands are replacing their ESP with Instant: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instant.one/sharma⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. --- 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

  • June 3 · 38 min

    S16 E10: Practical AI for Brands

    AI is everywhere…but what's actually working for brands today? In this latest episode of Limited Supply, we're jumping into a panel discussion from last year's Ecom AI Summit, featuring leaders from DTC powerhouses like Unilever, True Classic, Jones Road Beauty, and Athena. This session cuts through the hype and shares how these market leaders are putting AI tools to work across marketing, ecommerce, customer experience, operations, and search. From AI-powered personalization and creative testing to AI search optimization, autonomous agents, and team-wide AI adoption, this conversation explores the practical applications brands are implementing right now and where the technology is heading next. Whether you're overwhelmed by the pace of AI innovation or looking for actionable ideas you can bring back to your team, this episode is packed with real-world insights from operators on the front lines. And don't miss your chance to sign up for this year’s Ecom AI Summit, taking place on June 25 at Webster Hall in NYC: https://ecomfounders.com/pages/ai-summit What’s Instant? It's the secret weapon to triple your email revenue with AI-powered flows and campaigns. Instead of sending the same cart reminders to everyone, Instant gives every shopper a personalized email experience: Copy, products, and offers that adapt to your shopper’s behavior and purchase history in real time. Emails sent at the exact moment each shopper is most likely to buy. 11+ abandonment flows and smart multi-step campaigns live in minutes. Built for DTC marketers. Made for revenue growth. See why brands are replacing their ESP with Instant: ⁠⁠⁠⁠instant.one/sharma⁠⁠⁠⁠. --- 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

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