Underdog Ecom Podcast

In this episode, we unpack our biggest takeaways from the Beanstalk e-commerce conference, exploring why massive DTC brands are doubling down on high-touch, in-person customer experiences to stand out in an increasingly automated world. We discuss how smaller operations can leverage these same community-building "superpowers" to generate deep brand loyalty without needing a massive budget. Finally, we review Meta's new AI personal agent, Muse, and share strategies for avoiding the trap of "false productivity" when integrating AI tools into your daily e-commerce workflow.

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Thanks for listening! Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and share it with fellow ecom founders! Your support helps us keep it real.

💬 Join the Conversation:

• Jack on X: @jackinprogress

• David on X: @austriker27

📩 Got feedback or topic ideas?

Leave a comment or email us at [email protected]

🌎 Join the Underdog Ecom Community:

Apply here → underdogecom.com

🎧 More from Underdog Ecom:

Website: https://underdogecom.com

Podcast: https://podcast.underdogecom.com

In this episode, we break down Judge.me’s brand-new, ultra-cheap email marketing platform and discuss whether its bare-bones features are actually worth ditching Klaviyo. 

We also share our recent experiences running in-person pop-up shops, from collaborating with micro-creators in New York to testing high-AOV "buy more, save more" offers at the booth. Finally, we explore the untapped potential of taking e-commerce brands on the road and systemizing physical sales channels.   

📢 Enjoyed the episode?
Thanks for listening! Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and share it with fellow ecom founders! Your support helps us keep it real.

💬 Join the Conversation:
• Jack on X: @jackinprogress
• David on X: @austriker27

📩 Got feedback or topic ideas?
Leave a comment or email us at [email protected]

🌎 Join the Underdog Ecom Community:
Apply here → underdogecom.com

🎧 More from Underdog Ecom:
Website: https://underdogecom.com
Podcast: https://podcast.underdogecom.com

In this episode, we dive into the frustrating realities of product development and debate the tricky balance of focusing on product design versus pushing the gas pedal on customer acquisition through organic content. We also brainstorm promotional ideas for upcoming local pop-up events and tackle the ultimate ecom founder question: would we ever sell our brands for a massive payout, and what would we do next? Finally, we wrap up by marveling at a hilariously simple viral website that managed to generate over $94,000 in just 48 hours - oh the wonderful world of selling online!

📢 Enjoyed the episode?

Thanks for listening! Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and share it with fellow ecom founders! Your support helps us keep it real.

💬 Join the Conversation:

• Jack on X: @jackinprogress

• David on X: @austriker27

📩 Got feedback or topic ideas?

Leave a comment or email us at [email protected]

🌎 Join the Underdog Ecom Community:

Apply here → underdogecom.com

🎧 More from Underdog Ecom:

Website: https://underdogecom.com

Podcast: https://podcast.underdogecom.com

In this episode, we break down the grind of staying consistent with social media content and how leaning into a single compelling story led to a viral hit with over 700,000 views on Threads. We also dive into the messy but rewarding world of TikTok Shop, sharing our real, scrappy insights on running discounts, tagging products in videos, and ditching perfectionism to drive sales for our brands. If you are tired of the constant content hamster wheel or trying to figure out a new sales channel, we are sharing exactly what is working for us right now.

📢 Enjoyed the episode?

Thanks for listening! Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and share it with fellow ecom founders! Your support helps us keep it real.

💬 Join the Conversation:

• Jack on X: @jackinprogress

• David on X: @austriker27

📩 Got feedback or topic ideas?

Leave a comment or email us at [email protected]

🌎 Join the Underdog Ecom Community:

Apply here → underdogecom.com

🎧 More from Underdog Ecom:

Website: https://underdogecom.com

Podcast: https://podcast.underdogecom.com

This week, we're unpacking the real impact of our summer drops and how pushing new products is helping us bounce back from recent cash flow struggles. We also dive deep into email deliverability mistakes, the challenge of warming up new domains, and a few scrappy engagement strategies to boost your sender reputation. Finally, we weigh the pros and cons of wholesale consignment and tease our upcoming in-person pop-ups.  

📢 Enjoyed the episode?
Thanks for listening! Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and share it with fellow ecom founders! Your support helps us keep it real.

💬 Join the Conversation:
• Jack on X: @jackinprogress
• David on X: @austriker27

📩 Got feedback or topic ideas?
Leave a comment or email us at [email protected]

🌎 Join the Underdog Ecom Community:
Apply here → underdogecom.com

🎧 More from Underdog Ecom:Website: https://underdogecom.comPodcast: https://podcast.underdogecom.com

In this episode, we dive into the vulnerability of sharing raw quarterly KPIs (like net profit and ad spend) directly with our small teams. We also discuss the ongoing struggle of over-relying on Meta ads and why diversifying our revenue channels through TikTok Shop, Amazon, and even custom iOS apps is becoming essential for survival. 

Tune in as we share real-time strategies for building community, pushing through the Q2 cash flow trenches, and keeping our brands afloat.  

📢 Enjoyed the episode?
Thanks for listening! Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and share it with fellow ecom founders! Your support helps us keep it real.

💬 Join the Conversation:
• Jack on X: @jackinprogress
• David on X: @austriker27

📩 Got feedback or topic ideas?
Leave a comment or email us at [email protected]

🌎 Join the Underdog Ecom Community:
Apply here → underdogecom.com

🎧 More from Underdog Ecom:
Website: https://underdogecom.com
Podcast: https://podcast.underdogecom.com

In episode 41, we're back after a short break to celebrate a massive five-figure wholesale win—our largest order yet—while keeping it real about the messy operational hurdles behind the scenes. We unpack an automated outbound strategy using Claude, plus a deep dive into building superfans through unscalable "surprise and delight" moments, from sending personal voice notes to hand-drawing mountains on mailers. We round things out with a candid update on navigating Google Ads and exploring YouTube as we look for incremental growth outside of Meta.

📢 Enjoyed the episode?

Thanks for listening! Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and share it with fellow ecom founders! Your support helps us keep it real.

💬 Join the Conversation:

• Jack on X: @jackinprogress

• David on X: @austriker27

📩 Got feedback or topic ideas?

Leave a comment or email us at [email protected]

🌎 Join the Underdog Ecom Community:

Apply here → underdogecom.com

🎧 More from Underdog Ecom:

Website: https://underdogecom.com

Podcast: https://podcast.underdogecom.com

In Episode 40, we dive into new customer data tools like Outer Signal and debate the real value of headless commerce and AI storefronts for smaller brands. We also open up about the current struggles with declining Meta ad performance and explain why focusing on survival and net profit is much more crucial right now than chasing vanity scaling metrics.  

📢 Enjoyed the episode?
Thanks for listening! Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and share it with fellow ecom founders! Your support helps us keep it real.

💬 Join the Conversation:
• Jack on X: @jackinprogress
• David on X: @austriker27

📩 Got feedback or topic ideas?
Leave a comment or email us at [email protected]

🌎 Join the Underdog Ecom Community:Apply here → underdogecom.com

🎧 More from Underdog Ecom:
Website: https://underdogecom.com
Podcast: https://podcast.underdogecom.com

In this episode, We dive into the "Hudson Method" of paying micro-creators for high-volume ad creative and debate whether the strategy is a content unlock or a cash-flow landmine for smaller brands. 

We also unpack the hard truths about enforcing wholesale minimums and why siloing your audience into dead Facebook groups is a community-building trap. 

Tune in to find out why rolling up your sleeves to do unscalable, in-real-life things might be the ultimate key to staying alive in today’s e-com landscape.

📢 Enjoyed the episode?
Thanks for listening! Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and share it with fellow ecom founders! Your support helps us keep it real.

💬 Join the Conversation:
• Jack on X: @jackinprogress
• David on X: @austriker27

📩 Got feedback or topic ideas?
Leave a comment or email us at [email protected]

🌎 Join the Underdog Ecom Community:
Apply here → underdogecom.com

🎧 More from Underdog Ecom:
Website: https://underdogecom.com
Podcast: https://podcast.underdogecom.com

In Episode 38, we pull back the curtain on setting up a seamless creator portal using Groundwork and the Big Grow X Big app. We share our exact, no-fluff blueprint for managing influencers, detailing how we structure initial forty-dollar flat payouts alongside a ten percent commission on sales. Tune in to hear how creators submit their post URLs for review and how we keep track of outstanding thirty-day payouts without the usual headaches.  

📢 Enjoyed the episode?
Thanks for listening! Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform and share it with fellow ecom founders! Your support helps us keep it real.

💬 Join the Conversation:
• Jack on X: @jackinprogress
• David on X: @austriker27

📩 Got feedback or topic ideas?
Leave a comment or email us at [email protected]

🌎 Join the Underdog Ecom Community:
Apply here → underdogecom.com 

🎧 More from Underdog Ecom:
Website: https://underdogecom.comPodcast: https://podcast.underdogecom.com