Don't VLOOKUP

Don't VLOOKUP

By Bar BruhisNewsTech News
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Don't VLOOKUP episodes

  • #29 – Jerel Blades, Head of Growth @ TUSHY

    Meet Jerel - Head of Growth at TUSHY. We dive into scaling a high-AOV, education-heavy category, measuring brand like performance, and navigating Amazon + AI search in 2026.

    Takeaways

    • Education is the primary growth constraint. Most consumers don’t understand bidets, so TUSHY invests heavily in reducing friction (installation, features, bowl types) before pushing conversion.
    • Brand activations are measured, not hoped for. Their OOH “Asshole Trucks” use geo-fencing, exposed vs. control testing, and retargeting to quantify lift and downstream impact.
    • Channel interplay matters. Top-of-funnel drives halo to Amazon, and budget flexes toward high-intent capture when margins tighten.
    • LLM visibility is the new SEO battleground. TUSHY actively monitors rankings in ChatGPT and Gemini and builds content to defend or win query share.
    • Contribution margin is the true operating KPI. With a durable product and low repeat rate, LTV ≈ first order — so daily contribution margin and incrementality guide spend decisions.
    43 min
  • #28 - Morry Mitrani, VP of Growth @ BelliWelli

    Meet Morry Mitrani - ex-Bumble, BPN and now @ BelliWelli. We dive into the interplay between different sales channels, the impact of TikTok Shop, and the role of affiliates in testing creative.

    Takeaways

    • Consumer subscription is a key focus for Morry, and he emphasizes the importance of optimizing for subscription at first purchase.
    • The interplay between different sales channels, such as DTC, Amazon, and TikTok Shop, is a crucial consideration for growth marketing strategies. Brand influence is crucial for effective marketing strategies.
    • Finance alignment is essential for effective budget allocation and performance evaluation.
    • Human storytelling remains a strong growth lever in marketing strategies.
    • Subscription is a significant Northstar KPI for retention and habit formation.

    35 min
  • #27 - Wyatt Lowe, VP of Growth @MaryRuth Organics

    Wyatt Lowe, VP of Growth at MaryRuth Organics, unpacks how to build a high-output, omni-channel growth engine. From revamping media mix models to measuring the halo effect of TikTok and Meta on retail, Wyatt shares the data-first tactics fueling their nine-figure brand.


    42 min
  • #26 - Kristin Swarek, CFO/COO @ Caden Lane

    Kristin Swarek, CFO and COO of Caden Lane, shares how she bridges finance, operations, and marketing to build a profitable and scalable DTC brand. From leveraging contribution margin to inform marketing decisions to ensuring operational efficiency at scale, Kristin offers a unique perspective on running a nine-figure eCommerce business.

    37 min
  • #25 - Steph Liu , CEO @ Levitate Foundry

    Steph Liu, founder and CEO of Levitate Foundry, shares how she built the largest female-founded Shopify Plus agency in North America. She breaks down performance marketing trends, TikTok Shop strategies, and why profitability is the most critical North Star for brands today.

    29 min
  • #24 - Ankur Goyal, VP Growth @ Coterie

    Ankur Goyal, VP of Growth at Coterie, discusses scaling a high-retention subscription business, optimizing customer acquisition through data-driven insights, and refining messaging to drive brand awareness and long-term customer value.

    36 min
  • #22 - Ovadia Labaton, Co-Founder @The Perfect Jean

    Ovadia tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth on how to run a profitable DTC business from the get go. From a clever working capital setup with their suppliers to free up operating cash to setting ROAS targets through well calculated unit economics down to contribution margin, Ovadia and team have been able to scale TPJ to a much larger opportunity than they even expected. All the while keeping the brand lighthearted and staying away from mass opinions in the DTC twitter fray.

    44 min

About Don't VLOOKUP

From the publisher's feed

Data is abundant, yet operators still choose to rely on intuition to make critical business decisions. To be fair to this general characterization, many operators would like to leverage data but often will be misguided by false signals, tools, or loud marketing voices that may not be as informed or factually motivated.