5,000 to 500K Units: Retail Demo Strategy That Scaled

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews David Lee, Co-founder and CEO of Nex. Nex has built Next Playground, an active play system that's transforming how families engage with screen time by turning living rooms into interactive fitness and gaming experiences. Starting as a basketball training app called Home Court that went viral during the pandemic, the company pivoted to create a motion-tracking camera system that has now sold 350,000 units and secured placement in over 5,000 retail locations. Through strategic retail partnerships, mission-driven product development, and a subscription model that funds continuous innovation, Nex is carving out a new category between traditional gaming consoles and fitness equipment. Topics Discussed: Pivoting from a basketball training app to a family-focused hardware platform based on viral pandemic trends Scaling from 5,000 units to forecasted 500,000 units through retail partnerships Building trust for a $249 considered purchase through omnichannel marketing Implementing in-store demos as a primary conversion driver in 4,000+ retail locations Using subscription models (quarterly/annual only) to fund continuous game development and maintain customer relationships Leveraging major IP partnerships (Barbie, Kung Fu Panda, Bluey) to expand content library Operating a distributed team of 110+ people across product, hardware, and game development