Founder’s Field Guide
Episode 33 Manufacturer to Customer
Founder’s Field Guide

Episode 33: Manufacturer to Customer

Manufacturer to Customer

Jeremy Cai is the founder and CEO of Italic, a subscription marketplace for consumer goods that works directly with manufacturers. We cover Italic's business model, the evolving role of manufacturers in supply chains, and the concept of building the next “everything store.”

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[00:02:45] - [First question] - Overview of Italic’s business model

[00:04:51] - Why comparing Italic to Costco isn’t completely accurate

[00:10:06] - His initial experience with manufacturers and how that world works

[00:15:21] - Direct to consumer commerce and the power of a brand’s story

[00:20:06] - Where manufacturers find the cash to effectively manage their inventory

[00:25:26] - How design and R&D are handled by manufacturers in the current era

[00:29:36] - Educated consumers and emotional versus rational buying decisions 

[00:31:12] - Analyzing Italic’s five-step master plan and what needed to be built first

[00:35:42] - Becoming more than just an aggregator and a platform

[00:38:01] - Lessons learned from building Italic so far

[00:39:02] - Other modern business models he finds interesting

[00:43:26] - What Not Pot is and lessons learned from building it

[00:44:51] - Observations about consumer behavior in his managed marketplace

[00:48:07] - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him

Manufacturer to Customer

Introduction

Patrick
My guest today is Jeremy Cai, founder and CEO of Italic, a subscription marketplace for consumer goods that works directly with manufacturers. I was introduced to Jeremy by my friend Blake Robbins and was dying to better understand the Italic business model. In our conversation, we discuss the business model, the evolving role of manufacturers in supply chains, and the concept of building the next generation's everything store. As you all know, I love learning about and discovering new business models, and this was fun to dig into. Please enjoy my conversation with Jeremy Cai.

Italic's Business Model

So, Jeremy, I've been so looking forward to this one. I came across your business through our mutual friend, Blake Robbins, and was sort of instantly obsessed with the business model. And maybe we could just start there on Italic. We're going to talk about a lot more than just Italic today, I think, but it's a great place to start. It's such an interesting business. Could you lay out the business model first and then we'll talk a little bit about the product itself that consumers enjoy?

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