Pre-launch marketing · For eCommerce & crowdfunding
Pre-launch agency for eCommerce & crowdfunding founders.
Most physical-product launches die because the audience is built after the inventory ships, not before. We run the 90-day MVA Framework — validate demand, build 1,000+ buyers, fund production with pre-orders. 46 campaigns, $1.2M+ raised across Kickstarter, Gamefound and DTC.
The cold-launch trap
Why most physical-product launches stall in week two.
The default eCommerce playbook: order inventory, set up Shopify, turn on Meta ads, hope ROAS hits 2× before working capital runs out. The bug is structural — a cold conversion ad shown to a stranger who has never heard of your brand converts at 0.3–0.7%, and you're paying for the discovery and the conversion in the same click.
Crowdfunding has the same problem in a sharper form: launch day on Kickstarter or Gamefound is binary. If the first 72 hours don't hit funding velocity, the platform algorithm stops promoting you and the campaign rolls toward a quiet failure for the next 28 days.
The fix isn't a better hook or a higher ad budget — it's an audience that already knows you, wants the product, and is ready to buy on day one. That audience is a Minimum Viable Audience: 1,000+ self-identified buyers built over 90 days. Used right, an MVA does 8–14× the day-one conversion of a cold launch and pre-funds your production run with deposits.
Why MVA for eCommerce
Four reasons DTC and crowdfunding founders use MVA before they ship inventory.
Validate the SKU before you commit to a production run
Most DTC and crowdfunding founders order 1,000 units, then look for buyers. We do it backwards: build a landing page, run paid traffic to a waitlist with a deposit option, and only commit production once unit-economics check out. Wrong SKU caught on $400 in ad spend, not $40,000 in inventory.
An MVA outconverts a cold Shopify launch by 8–14×
Followers don't ship cash. An MVA is a ranked list of 1,000+ people who told you, in advance, that they want exactly this product at roughly this price. Day-one paid conversion on an MVA sits at 8–14% — what most cold Shopify launches do across their first 90 days combined.
First 72 hours decide if Kickstarter, Gamefound or Meta scale you
Crowdfunding algorithms (KS, Gamefound) and ad platforms (Meta, TikTok) reward early velocity. With an MVA primed in 4 activation waves, you hit funding goals or 4× ROAS in the first 3 days — and the platform amplifies you to a much larger cold audience for free.
Customers pay for the production run instead of your cash flow
Done right, an MVA-driven launch collects 30–80% of cost-of-goods in pre-orders or deposits before the factory invoice lands. This is how DTC brands launch a $200k SKU with $20k of working capital instead of a Shopify Capital loan.
90-day MVA Framework
How we take a physical product from idea to a launch with day-one buyers.
Discover — niche, SKU and price test
We pressure-test the product: which exact buyer, which use case, which price point. Competitive teardown of adjacent eCommerce/Kickstarter campaigns, audience research on TikTok and Reddit, lead magnet design (sample, discount, deposit, or guide). Output: positioning, 3 message angles, lead magnet that pulls signups at $1.50–$3.50 CPL.
Build — landing, ad funnel, email engine
One conversion-optimized landing page with deposit or waitlist mechanic. Meta + TikTok + Pinterest ad funnels (Google Search if intent is there). MailerLite or Klaviyo sequences for nurture and warm-up. Pixel + GA4 + UTM event layer so day-one ROAS data is real, not directional.
Launch — 4-wave activation + retargeting
T-7 days: warm-up email + behind-the-scenes content. Launch day: 4 staggered email waves to MVA, retargeting to engaged non-buyers, organic drops in relevant communities. Week one: founder-led video updates, scarcity tiers, retargeting layered on lookalikes from day-one buyers. We optimize until ROAS stabilizes.
What you get
Concrete deliverables. Every artifact owned by you.
MVA vs cold launch
Same product, two launch strategies, very different week-ones.
Case Studies
Real Founders.
Real Results.
Woolet
Full crowdfunding campaign: strategy, A/B testing, and website creation.
Total Funds Raised
Chernobylite
Survival horror game with open-world exploration and non-linear storyline.
Total Funds Raised
Swimmo
End-to-end campaign: social media, paid ads, email marketing & growth hacking.
Total Funds Raised
Gamedec
Cyberpunk RPG set in the 22nd century. Funded in just 36 hours on Kickstarter.
Total Funds Raised
Sher.ly
Full market launch: branding, website, crowdfunding campaign & sales optimization.
Total Funds Raised
Citywood
Minimal laser-cut 3D wooden maps of cities you love. Perfect for home & office.
Total Funds Raised
PureShape
Mousepad for Apple Magic Mouse — less friction, more precision and freedom.
Total Funds Raised
NapoSpy
Smart leather gloves with tracking, remote buzzer, and touchscreen functionality.
Total Funds Raised
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Ready to launch with buyers, not strangers?
30 minutes. Free. You walk out with a concrete MVA plan for your product — whether or not you keep working with us.
Book a strategy call