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Setting a Launch Date
The first time I worked on what would become Dos was March 8th, 2023. Myles Snider and I purchased tortillas, potatoes, tallow and salt to test and develop products in my kitchen.
We were adamant that we solve a problem, and our problem was that we loved to snack, but didn’t find our options healthy, satiating, and aligned with our food sourcing principles – which are incredibly simple: know the people that grow and harvest the foods we eat.
Some less than optimistic folk will say: at scale, it’s impossible for a snack brand to adhere to these principles.
Fortunately, we don’t listen to those folk.
If you keep up with the YouTube releases, which are fictionalized accounts of real occurrences in the journey to create and release Dos, then you’ll have somewhat of an idea about the current status and the complications that led us here.
In summary:
In June 2023, we created 50 three ounce bags of an early version of Dos chips and sold out in 1 day at the SFC farmers market in downtown Austin – a proof of concept!
In August 2023, we decided we had enough ducks in a row to go for it and create the brand, website, and finalize a product worth packaging.
September 2023 – we engaged a chip bag printer to produce chip bag prototypes, one that we no longer work with, and for that they will remain nameless.
October 2023 – prototype 1 arrives, too small for 5.5 oz of chips.
November 2023 – prototype 2 arrives, seemingly a more appropriate size and fits 5.5 oz of Dos chips.
November 2023 – brand and visual identity complete, website launched – all by our team.
December 2023 – We bought a food truck!
December 2023 – prototype 2 deemed fit for print, photographed here at the Dos FC match in Dallas, Texas on 12/24/24
Total Cost for Prototypes = $900
January 2024 – PO made for 10k bags of Texas Salt.
February 2024 – 10k bags arrive from the printer, arbitrarily reduced by the printer to the first prototype size, too small for 5.5 oz of Dos chips.
February 2024 – We sold the food truck.
March 2024 – troubleshoot with printer complete, PO #2 for 10k bags of Texas Salt initiated with the same printer.
March 2024 – same month, larger bags arrive from the printer, printed in satin rather than matte, causing the Dos bags to lose their saturation and color.
March 2024 – larger bags will not consistently fill automatically on our machine from China – bags too heavy to sit atop the machine
April 2024 – we travel to Dallas, Texas to convince manufacturers to fill our chips in our bags after we’ve produced them in our facility. Dallas manufacturers don’t have the appropriate cone size for our bag print and thus create a new dieline for Dos to print new, larger versions of Texas Salt.
April 2024 – the dieline was promised the week we traveled to Dallas. It finally arrived this morning, April 15th, and only after the sales individual with Dallas Manufacturer threatened to provide the phone number of the production manager to me, as I had called the sales individual relentlessly each day since visiting
Total Cost for Bag Prints to date = $12,000
As of the sending of this newsletter, we’ve engaged bag printers 2 and 3, and have provided our artwork and dieline (sizing) to both. In return, we’re expecting quotes, timelines, and samples from both, then deciding which to work with for this run.
Once we’ve approved samples and made a decision on who to work with, we will sync up timelines for
- Bags finished printing, delivered to Dallas manufacturer
- Chip production in Buda, Texas
It's far from ideal for the chips to be produced 200 miles away from the place in which they will be packed. For now, it’s our only suitable option.
The product will be fried and packed in air sealed containers for a drive to Dallas. Upon arrival, chips will be removed from the air sealed containers and run through a machine, similar to the one we bought from China.
Cost of machine from china = $1600
Cost of machine at Dallas Manufactuer = $160,000
I hold myself accountable for the delay in launching an earlier version of Dos. There were plenty of options I was aware of, including packing the chips in standup pouches, which can be filled by hand.
This would have led to more time on the market, more feedback from real customers, and opportunities to iterate and improve.
Instead, we are here: a complete brand identity, a launchable website, our first 60-90 day campaign ready to distribute, and an exceptional product – all of which were built during the prolonged packaging problem.
I tend to choose optimism as often as possible. Nonetheless, in this situation, I struggle to believe I’ve made the decisions that make the most sense for the business.
Although there is evidence to suggest that the business should have launched months ago, there are substantial improvements we’ve made in this problem solving period to justify a launch in May, the most recognizable being the improvement of Texas Salt.
If we had launched any earlier, the potato chips would have been brown. This isn’t a bag of Gardettos, so why would the chips be brown?
The chips of Texas Salt are now a perfect pale color.
For the reader, I think it's necessary to share some wisdom that one can apply when starting and launching their own business:
Products and businesses exist to solve problems. And in order for them to exist, you must solve all of the problems leading up to their release.
Dos launches June 3rd, 2024.
Thank you for letting me sit with you.
– mills
YouTube
MINERAL
Dos
mycro
Ceremony