FAIL: "I Started an Online Wine Business Right Before Lockdown"

Josh Lachovic, ex-startup founder turned growth agency founder, shares his journey from digital marketing roots to founding a wine startup that experienced meteoric growth during the pandemic, only to face the harsh reality when lockdown behaviors proved unsustainable.• Started in SEO and content writing at a PR agency, combining his tech background with writing skills• Moved to Pact Coffee before their Series A, experiencing the shift from agency to startup life• Joined health-tech Thriver as first employee and head of growth, growing from 500 to 100,000 customers• Launched WineList in 2019, initially as a podcast before evolving into a subscription service• Went full-time on March 1, 2020, with lockdown creating perfect market conditions initially• Revenue jumped from £3,000 to £50,000 within months, leading to rapid expansion• Pandemic success created false impression of product-market fit• As restrictions eased, retention declined dramatically despite various pivot attempts• Business shut down in September 2021 after funding fell through• Reflects that he should have recognized warning signs earlier rather than letting money run outSend us Fan MailStruggling to prove marketing's worth to your board? Grab our free one-page Board-Proof Scorecard: 👉 Download the scorecard 👈Got a marketing problem you would rather not admit to? Reply to this and we will answer it anonymously on the show.Subscribe to our newsletter The mistakes we see marketers make, every fortnight. 👉 [Subscribe here] 👈Follow Chris:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show:TikTok, YouTube