What's Next for Neutonic? | Chris Williamson "Key Man Risk" & Becoming Productivity Category Creator

It’s the middle of another week…and as Chris Williamson just discussed recently, I’m feeling that “productivity debt” weighing on me. Yet, I’m still sitting here quite certain that I can predict what’s next for Neutonic...the productivity CPG brand that he's building with James Smith (and Shan Hanif). But that “vague sense of falling behind” can come in many shapes and sizes. In fact, I’m feeling that productivity debt right now…after taking forever (especially for internet standards) to meaningfully comment on a specific piece of business news involving a brand operating within my deep domain expertise, which is (as many of you know already) the intersecting categories of functional foods, functional beverages, and nutritional supplements. So, while I certainly read a few of those articles that began circulating the interwebs earlier this month about Neutonic raising just over $3 million…all that initial dynamic fascination and pattern deconstruction (in an attempt to) “see around the corner” didn’t materialize into a formal output until now. But don’t fret, this extra “think time” invariably led to the type of compelling insights you won’t find anyone else. In November 2023, Neutonic initially launching one flavor of what it dubbed “the world’s first productivity drink,” quickly selling out all inventory online. And this positive commercial result was largely the result of Neutonic possessing two powerful “creators turned CPG founders” with Modern Wisdom podcast host Chris Williamson and fitness YouTuber James Smith. And not to sound like a broken record at this point…but I’m a longtime believer that the most popular creators of today can become the biggest CPG brands of tomorrow. But speaking of all that…since the initial launch, Neutonic has sold over 3 million cans of its productivity drink thus far. And within the U.S. and UK markets combined, deploying a sales channel strategy prioritizing DTC, Amazon, and TikTok shop…Neutonic reported generating more than $10 million in revenue. But while sales activity is still concentrated on RTD productivity beverages…the product line has expanded to include non-caffeinated “focus” powder sticks and non-caffeinated “brain” capsules, with all science-backed formulations sharing the same nucleus of utilizing the optimal clinical dose of Cognizin citicoline. But it’s pretty obvious that Neutonic has outsized ambitions, but a few million dollars of outside capital isn’t going to get a relatively unknown beverage brand, positioned within a nascent energy drink subcategory…considerable traction within certain U.S. sales channels (like convenience). So, my latest first principles thinking content piece will explore what Neutonic needs to achieve if it wants to attract strategic buyers like Nutrabolt (C4 Energy).