Mistake #23: Not Validating a Product Before Manufacturing(And Assuming One Launch Is Enough)

One of the most expensive mistakes a founder can make is manufacturing a product before truly validating it. It usually starts with confidence — you believe in the idea, the product makes sense, the samples look great, and early feedback feels positive. So you move forward, place a large order, and commit real money.

Then reality shows up.The product doesn’t move the way you expected.Customers don’t reorder.Ads don’t convert.Retail buyers hesitate.

And suddenly, you’re stuck with inventory that cost time, money, and energy — not because the product was bad, but because it wasn’t fully aligned with the market yet.

Belief is not validation.

Believing in a Product Doesn’t Mean the Market Is Ready

Founders often assume that if they believe strongly enough, the market will eventually catch up. Sometimes that’s true — but only after iteration.

Customers don’t experience your product the way you do. They judge it by:

• how it fits into their routine

• how it compares to what they already use

• how it’s priced

• how it’s packaged

• how it’s positioned

If any one of those elements is off, the product won’t land — even if the core idea is solid.

That’s why validation isn’t a one-time event. It’s a process.

Launch

One Launch Is Rarely the Final Version

Another common mistake is assuming that if a product doesn’t work on the first launch, it failed. In reality, many strong products need to be launched two or three times before they truly line up with customer expectations.

Each launch teaches you something:

• the first might reveal packaging issues

• the second might expose pricing resistance

• the third might finally align the formula, format, and message

The problem isn’t launching again — the problem is scaling before you’ve learned enough.

Manufacturing Locks You In — Validation Keeps You Flexible

Once you manufacture at scale, flexibility disappears. You’re locked into:

• formula

• packaging

• pricing

• minimum quantities

• storage costs

Validation before manufacturing gives you room to adjust cheaply. Validation after manufacturing forces you to adjust painfully.

That’s why small test runs, even at higher per-unit costs, are not waste — they’re insurance.

Why We Built Our Own Manufacturing Capability

One of the reasons we opened our own manufacturing facility was to solve this exact problem. Control over production allows us to:

• test small batches

• make fast adjustments

• relaunch SKUs when needed

• avoid massive inventory mistakes

We’ve had products that went through three launches before we finally got them right. Each version was better than the last because it was shaped by real customer feedback — not assumptions.

That flexibility turned mistakes into momentum.

Smarter Ways to Validate Before Scaling

• Sell small test batches

• Sample with real customers (not friends or family)

• Test messaging before committing to packaging

• Validate by channel — DTC is not retail

• Watch behavior, not opinions

Paying more per unit early is far cheaper than manufacturing the wrong product at scale.

The Takeaway

Validation isn’t about proving you’re right — it’s about learning what the market actually wants. Even if you believe deeply in a product, it may take multiple launches before everything lines up.

Strong brands aren’t built in one attempt.They’re built through testing, listening, adjusting, and relaunching — until the product earns the right to scale.

💡 Founder’s Reflection (Mayer):I’ve manufactured products I believed in deeply — only to learn the market didn’t agree. That changed everything. Today, I expect iteration. That’s also why we opened our own manufacturing facility: to test small, adjust fast, and relaunch when needed. Some SKUs took three launches before we got them right. Now, I’m willing to pay more per unit and move slower early if it means avoiding massive mistakes later. I don’t scale anything until customers prove it’s worth scaling.