Ryan Beltran moved to China to learn how products get made, immersing himself in the manufacturing world long before he had a clear business idea.
That experience became the foundation for Original Grain, the watch brand he co-founded that went on to become one of Kickstarter’s largest fashion campaigns at the time.
In this episode of What to Do Next, host David Segal talks with Ryan Beltran about his decision to move to China and learn manufacturing from the ground up, the moment he discovered the idea that became Original Grain, and the lessons he’s learned building the business. They discuss early pricing and marketing decisions, what Ryan would do differently if he were starting today, how he approaches supplier and licensing relationships, and how he is thinking about testing new categories and influencer partnerships.
—
Brought to you by:
Highbeam—Grow your brand with Highbeam’s cash management platform: https://www.highbeam.com/
—
Where to find Ryan Beltran:
• X: https://x.com/ryanbeltran
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-beltran
• Website: https://www.originalgrain.com
Where to find David Segal:
• Website: https://www.highbeam.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079
—
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(00:52) An overview of Original Grain
(01:55) Why Ryan moved to China to learn manufacturing
(05:47) Meeting “China Mike” and building connections in China
(08:18) Ryan’s early ideation process
(10:58) Discovering the sample that sparked Original Grain
(13:12) Selling at the Canton Fair and launching on Kickstarter
(16:55) Why Original Grain initially sold product bundles
(18:38) Early pricing and marketing strategies
(20:36) What Ryan would do differently today, and what held him back early on
(24:46) Building relationships with suppliers
(26:20) Original Grain’s brand partnerships and how licensing works
(32:02) How Original Grain got into reclaimed materials
(35:20) The challenges of licensing the Golden State Warriors
(37:50) How licensing deals work
(38:53) An early mistake with leather watch bands
(40:11) Balancing expansion into new categories with doubling down on the core business
(42:00) The typical sales cycle of a generational watch brand
(43:42) Ryan’s new approach to influencer partnerships using Trybe
(46:25) Lightning round
—
Referenced:
• Original Grain: https://www.originalgrain.com
• The Portland Trail Blazers: https://www.nba.com/blazers
• The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich: https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Escape-Live-Anywhere/dp/0307465357
• Alibaba: https://www.alibaba.com
• Canton Fair: https://www.cantonfair.org.cn
• CES: https://www.ces.tech
• Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com
• Andrew Beltran on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-beltran-15344597
• Original Grain Kickstarter Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA-qOuU40dc
• Fossil: https://www.fossil.com
• Seiko: https://www.seikowatches.com
• Casio: https://www.casio.com
• Timex: https://timex.com
• Swatch: https://www.swatch.com
• Shopify: https://www.shopify.com
• Jelly Roll’s website: https://jellyroll615.com
• Jelly Roll joins OG: https://www.tiktok.com/@original_grain/video/7484373355844652334
• Bob Marley Exodus watch: https://www.originalgrain.com/products/bob-marley-exodus
• Rolex on Acquired: https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/rolex
• Trybe: https://jointrybe.com
• Lukas Pakter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukas-pakter-402117204
• Ridge Wallet: https://ridge.com
• Real Tree: https://realtree.com
• Seth Godin’s website: https://www.sethgodin.com