Instead of viewing the $11,000 cost for waterboy.com as a pure expense, the founders framed it as an investment after validating their product. They justified the cost by calculating the future value of simplicity in marketing communications, like podcast ads.
Waterboy opted for a "customer brand trip" instead of a traditional influencer trip, focusing on rewarding loyal buyers. The goal was community-building, not direct ROI. This authentic, against-the-grain approach generated significant buzz and ultimately proved to be ROI-positive.
Facing an unexpected manufacturing issue where their formula would erode aluminum cans, Waterboy's team didn't deliberate for weeks. They evaluated the alternatives (glass, carton) and their constraints (fragility, high MOQs) and decided to switch to stick packs within an hour.
The founders secured a deal with Target by approaching their pitch with a casual tone, believing it was just a preliminary meeting. This lack of self-imposed pressure allowed for a more authentic discussion that resonated with the buyers, leading to an "all doors" deal without a formal follow-up.
Before investing in production, Waterboy built a simple landing page to capture emails/SMS. They then created organic TikToks to drive traffic, validating consumer interest and building a pre-launch list with just a $700 investment, ultimately pre-selling their first production run.
To achieve true product-market fit, Waterboy intentionally prevented its co-founder with a social media following from creating early content. This strategy ensured that traction was from organic interest, not a pre-existing audience, providing unbiased validation for the product idea.
To land major retailers like Target, Waterboy focused on incrementality. They showed how their strong social presence and differentiated product would attract a new, younger Gen Z demographic to the store, increasing the retailer's overall category sales, not just replacing an existing product.