May 18, 2026

663: (Solo) More SKUs, More Problems — The Case for Going Deeper, Not Wider

13 minutes

When I started getting serious about e-commerce, I genuinely believed the more products you had, the more successful you'd be. More SKUs meant scaling. I was completely wrong.

Here's the problem: most founders launch a hero product, get early traction, and then the anxiety kicks in. What if it runs out of steam? What if a competitor copies me? So they launch a second product, then a third — and suddenly they're mediocre at five things instead of exceptional at one.

In this episode, I share how I built and sold a seven-figure brand off a single water bottle, and break down how IM8 — co-founded by David Beckham — hit $120 million in annualised revenue in under a year on essentially one product, and what both stories mean for how you should be thinking about your brand right now.

Here's what you'll take away:

Why the urge to launch a second product is almost always driven by fear — and how to reframe it

The three questions to ask yourself before you add a single new SKU

How AG1, Liquid IV, and IM8 all built empires off one hero product — and what that blueprint looks like for a smaller brand

Why going deeper on your hero product is a stronger competitive defence than launching more products

The rule of thumb for knowing when you're actually ready to expand — and the mistake I made with Healthish that I'd do differently

How simplicity in your product lineup directly improves your margins, your ops, and your mental bandwidth

If you're thinking about launching a second product line before your first one is fully optimised, this episode will show you exactly what to focus on instead — and what's possible when you commit to doing one thing at the highest level possible.

If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at [email protected] — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it.

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