Key Takeaways

  • Midday Squares hit $40 million in revenue by selling roughly 60 chocolate bars per minute, a pace Nick attributed to unconventional, constraint-driven tactics.
  • They intentionally avoided traditional paid advertising, setting a 'no Facebook ads' rule to reach their first $1 million in revenue, which forced creative, hyper-local community building.
  • Early growth involved hand-delivering orders in Montreal, giving personalized social media shoutouts (like "Shout out Chuck" for a customer's dog), taking Polaroids, and documenting every step of their journey.
  • A high-stakes negotiation with Costco culminated in a bold promise: break the 14-day roadshow sales record in exchange for national distribution across 1,999 locations.
  • Founders looking to replicate this can follow the "Midday Squares' Local Launch & Costco Entry Playbook" to scale through authentic engagement and audacious retail partnerships.

The Midday Squares' Local Launch & Costco Entry Playbook

  • Step 1: Constraint-Driven Local Launch: Start with minimal capital (e.g., $60k). Impose strict constraints, such as 'no paid ads' and 'local-only sales,' to force creative, community-centric growth. Focus on reaching $1M in revenue within a single city to prove product-market fit before expanding.
  • Step 2: Intrigue-Driven Content Marketing: Document the behind-the-scenes journey (e.g., in labs with food scientists, manufacturing plants) through consistent social media posting. Show the environment and process without fully revealing the product, generating natural interest and curiosity about what you're building.
  • Step 3: Hyper-Personalized Direct-to-Consumer Delivery: For early local orders, hand-deliver products. Engage personally with customers by using their names, creating custom shoutouts (e.g., on Instagram), wearing memorable outfits, and taking Polaroid photos with them. Film these interactions to generate more content and foster strong customer relationships. Offer a very low-cost trial product to encourage initial purchases and credit card transactions.
  • Step 4: Strategic & Bold Retail Entry (Costco Roadshow Example): Be persistent in negotiations with major retailers, even if disagreements last years. Leverage existing customer demand (e.g., high search volume for your product + retailer name) as proof of concept. Make bold, data-backed commitments (e.g., promising to break a sales record during a roadshow) to incentivize buyers. Most critically, founders must lead roadshows themselves, spending long hours (e.g., 12+ hour days for 14+ days) on the ground rather than outsourcing to third parties. Actively pitch with keywords (e.g., 'gluten-free', 'diabetic friendly') and use customer feedback from the roadshow to refine product packaging and messaging for broader retail success.

When This Works (and When It Doesn't)

This playbook works well for CPG brands aiming for rapid growth through authentic community building and high-impact retail partnerships. It is particularly effective for founders willing to personally hustle, create highly engaging content, and invest significant time in grassroots efforts. The physical product allows for the personal delivery and roadshow elements, which are central to its success.

However, this approach falters for purely digital products or services without a tangible component for localized hand-delivery or in-person demonstrations. It also demands immense founder time and energy, especially for the multi-day roadshows. Startups with very high upfront capital needs or those in highly regulated industries might find the initial constraints too limiting, or the hyper-personalization difficult to scale before reaching a critical mass.

What to Do With This

If you're launching a new CPG product—say, a healthy snack bar—apply Midday Squares' playbook this week. First, launch in just one city, like Denver, with a tight budget and a self-imposed ban on paid ads. Focus on generating curiosity by posting behind-the-scenes content of your recipe development or sustainable sourcing. Next, hand-deliver your first 50 orders, making sure to learn each customer's name and favorite local spot, then give them a personalized Instagram shoutout with a Polaroid. Finally, when you're ready for retail, track local demand for your product plus a target store like Whole Foods. Use this data, alongside a bold commitment to personally staff a two-week in-store demo and outsell a top competitor, to get on the shelves.