Don’t fall pray to the “second product syndrome” (An alert for emerging CPG brands 🚨)
Here’s why early successes can actually lead to failure…
Ever wondered why lightning in a bottle rarely strikes twice?
It’s not luck. It’s strategy.
Bobby Bitton from O Positiv learned this the hard way.
Their first hit? FLO, a menstrual pain gummy.
Their follow-up product — immunity?
A complete flop.
The mistake was simple.
They strayed from their lane.
Success breeds confidence.
Confidence breeds overreach.
Overreach breeds failure.
O-postiv’s comeback story is instructive, and a valuable lesson for us CPG pundits.
They paused.
They listened.
They researched.
They began to deeply understand their actual value proposition.
The revelation?
Women trusted them for specific life stages.
They pivoted to focus on four key moments in women’s lives.
The result?
Runaway successes with MENO and URO products.
You see, this “second product syndrome” plagues countless brands.
You stumble into success without truly understanding why customers loved you in the first place.
Finding sustainable, predictable product-market fit requires discipline.
Stay in your lane.
Understand your core value.
Talk to your customers – really listen.
The most dangerous moment isn’t failure.
It’s that first success when you think you’ve got it all figured out.
Don’t expand. Deepen.
Don’t diversify. Specialize.
Don’t assume. Verify.
Your second product should build on your first’s foundation.
What made you special once can make you special again.
But only if you truly know what that special thing was.
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What does your product innovation roadmap look like?