Why Your First Product Isn’t Supposed to Work

What happens when you take a centuries-old tradition and introduce it to a modern audience?That’s the question Brenden Silverman set out to answer with Leilo, a wellness drink inspired by kava – a traditional beverage from the South Pacific known for its calming properties. What started as a college experiment (complete with questionable early recipes and brutally honest feedback at frat parties) turned into a fast-growing brand.In this episode, Brenden shares how iteration, patience, and a little bit of scrapiness helped his team turn early skepticism into momentum. You’ll also hear how seller tools like Fulfillment by Amazon and Multi-Channel Fulfillment helped Leilo scale efficiently without getting buried in logistics.If your early experiments aren’t quite working yet, but you know you’re onto something – this episode is for you.Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ThisissmallbusinessIn this episode of This Is Small Business, you'll learn about:(01:16) — How early negative feedback might actually be your biggest advantage.(07:24) — The scrappy way to formulate a product when you can’t afford the experts.(10:56) — How Amazon can shortcut your customer acquisition journey and unlock serious growth.(12:08) — Amazon Multi-channel Fulfillment: How to scale faster by letting someone else handle operations.