56 | The One With the Best Practices That Hurt Your Business

Everyone tells you to study successful brands.The problem? Most of the advice you're hearing was built for businesses 10, 50, or 100 times your size.In this Season 1 finale of Supply Chain Moves, we unpack one of the most expensive mistakes founders make: copying the operational playbooks of much larger brands. From hiring too early and implementing complex software to diversifying suppliers before you're ready, these "best practices" often create unnecessary costs, complexity, and cash flow problems.You'll hear the story of a growing pet brand that adopted a $40M company's supply chain strategy and ended up with tighter cash, lower margins, and more stockouts than before. Then we'll break down how simplifying the business helped restore profitability and momentum.If you've ever felt behind because you're still using spreadsheets, managing fulfillment yourself, or running a lean operation, this episode is your reminder that simplicity isn't a weakness. At the right stage, it's a competitive advantage.In This EpisodeWhy copying successful brands often backfiresThe hidden costs of importing "big company" infrastructure too earlyHow complexity compounds and drains cash flowWhy the scrappy phase teaches lessons software never canThe difference between copying tactics and understanding principlesHow to find advice that's actually relevant to your stage of growthThe real story of a founder who built a Ferrari pit crew for a go-kartWhy staying simple longer is often the smartest growth strategyKey TakeawayDon't copy the playbook. Understand the principle behind it.The tactics that help a $50M brand succeed can hurt a $500K brand. Instead of asking, "What are bigger brands doing?" ask, "What problem are they solving, and what's the simplest way to solve that problem at my stage?"If this episode helped make your supply chain a little less painful, share it with another founder because nobody deserves to learn these lessons the hard way. Follow Supply Chain Moves wherever you get your podcasts.Connect with Lara & Move Supply ChainWant to keep learning and connect with Lara and the Move Supply Chain community?Follow & Subscribe:⁠LinkedIn – Move⁠⁠LinkedIn – Lara⁠⁠X – Move⁠⁠X – Lara⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠YouTube⁠Get more insights:⁠Unboxed Weekly⁠ – Lara’s newsletter on DTC supply chain moves⁠Lara’s AI Brain⁠ – Ask Lara’s AI anything about supply chainSC Lounge⁠ – Join Move Supply Chain's free Slack community for DTC founders