So You Want to Launch a Physical Product

Even growing up in the magical early days of the internet, I always wanted to design and sell a physical product that people love. I’m guessing you’ve thought about it too. Maybe it came from awe at the industrial design of gadgets made by companies like Apple and Sony, or the fun I had with action figures and Legos as a kid. For centuries longer than we humans have spent our hours looking at screens, we’ve built and loved all types of physical tools. It’s elemental. Who hasn’t taken a second look at the chair they sit in or the mug they drink from and thought, “I feel like this could be better”?

A few years ago, I took the leap and left my tech job to design and launch a series of physical products. The products I co-created have gone on to sell hundreds of thousands of units and create profitable, growing businesses. The first was Birthdate Candles, a line of all-natural candles with a personalized scent and reading based on your birthday. We launched in 2019, and in our first year did over $4M in revenue. The second was Therapy Notebooks, a guided journal that uses evidence-based techniques to combat anxiety. Our first notebook has sold more than 100,000 copies and is available at retail stores across America. 

Traction aside, moving from the world of bits to the world of atoms has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s brought me some financial freedom, and I’ve learned a ton by working with factories, freight shippers, and even fragrance houses. The day-to-day is completely fascinating, and entirely different from the jobs I had as a startup employee. 

The most satisfying part is making something a customer loves. Whether it’s a friend texting me a picture of a candle they saw displayed proudly on a coffee table, or a stranger sending an email about how the gift they bought was so perfect it made their aunt burst into tears, knowing that a product I made had an impact on someone’s life is a feeling that never gets old. 

As my businesses have grown, many friends have reached out with the same question: “Should I try out selling a physical product?” One writes a music newsletter and is thinking of ways to monetize it. One has a day job at a big tech company and wants to launch a side project to make some extra cash. One had just returned from backpacking across Asia and had an idea for travel gear. 

My answer: yes—but there are a few things you’ll want to consider first.

There’s a lot to love about physical products from a business perspective. For one thing, humans ascribe more value to an object in the physical world (at least for now, in our pre-metaverse era). You might not bat an eye at buying a $30 t-shirt, a $75 skateboard, or a $120 bottle of perfume, whereas paying $4.99 for an app in the App Store feels expensive. Software is ephemeral—our brains just respond differently to an item we can hold in our hands.

In addition, a physical product business doesn't necessarily need venture scale to be profitable. Any startup employee will recognize the necessary evils of VC-funded growth: building overwrought growth models for the board meeting, having a terminal “runway” for the company in case a next fundraise doesn’t materialize. Making and selling a physical product can be more of a “lifestyle” business, with lower overhead and R&D costs, and a more direct path to profitability. That strips away some of the business-building complexity, and lets you focus relentlessly on making awesome products and delighting your customers.