Post #2: Sample, Sample, Sample

I’d go as far as saying, early on, you should be spending the majority of your time sampling for three main reasons:

1. The questions people ask will be eye-opening — your product is intuitive to you but it’s NOT to others since they are looking at it for the first time. You’ll eventually know the “frequently asked questions” and be ready for them.
2. It’s the best way to get feedback — grocery shoppers are not your friends and they will tell the truth. It’s too expensive, it’s too salty, it’s too spicy, the list goes on. When you get the same feedback over and over again, you’ll know what needs to be fixed.
3. The grocery store can be a black hole of information — your products sell there, but you have no idea who’s buying them. Sampling allows you to get face-to-face with people who are picking up your products. Over time, you’ll be able to build out a profile of who your core customer actually is (vs. who you think it should be) and that’s key.