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Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands | TechnologyAuthor: Mike Gelb
Consumer VC takes a look into early-stage consumer investing and venture capital. If you are interested in learning about consumer trends, have a b2c business and interested in learning about the fundraising process at the early stage, you have come to the right place.Mike interviews some of the top venture capitalists in the world that focus on B2C and consumer type companies or have a deep track record investing in these categories such as marketplaces, SaaS, social, CPG and non-tech subscription.Mike also interviews founders that are building some of the most disruptive consumer facing companies in the world. The conversation usually includes the insight the founder discovered, fundraising strategy, and the pitch.This podcast also includes bonus episodes. Each bonus episode dives into a particular subject that might not have to due with the fundraise or venture capital, but still would be helpful to founders. For example, a bonus episode on brand strategy or how to construct a board of directors. All bonus episodes will be clearly labeled.For all episodes, please visit www.theconsumervc.com. For updates, you can follow @mikegelb on Twitter. Language: en-us Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Why Killing Her First Product Saved This CPG Brand with Michelle Razavi
Wednesday, 6 May, 2026
This episode is brought to you by The Hidden Gems.Hiring agencies is risky. Most overpromise and underdeliver. The Hidden Gems connects founders with highly vetted, brand-loved boutique agencies across media, creative, dev/design, events, and more — at preferred rates.Free for Consumer VC listeners → https://thehiddengems.com/Most founders won’t do this.They’ll hold onto their first product… even when it’s clearly not working.In this episode, Mike sits down with Michelle Razavi, Founder & CEO of Elavi, the fast-growing better-for-you snack brand known for its protein brownies and desserts.Michelle shares how she went from working 16-hour days at Sephora and Equinox to building a breakout CPG brand, why her first product line failed, and how a bold pivot into a completely different category unlocked massive growth.From protein bars → dessert spreads → protein brownies, this is a story of constant iteration, brutal decision-making, and understanding what consumers actually want.The conversation also dives deep into retail strategy, why Costco can completely change a business overnight, and how to build a profitable CPG company in a market where “growth at all costs” no longer works.You’ll learn:✅ Why your first product is probably wrong✅ When to kill a product (and why most founders don’t)✅ How one retail partnership can change everything✅ The real economics behind retail, margins, and cash flow✅ Why profitability matters more than hype growth today✅ How to use in-store demos to understand your customer✅ Why simple packaging outperforms “good branding”✅ The biggest mistakes founders make when fundraising✅ How AI is becoming a real operator inside CPG companies✅ Why building in public is now a competitive advantage👉 If you’re building a consumer brand, this episode is a raw, honest look at what actually works.Timestamps00:00 Intro01:00 Working 16-hour days before starting03:00 The problem with protein snacks05:00 Building products at home07:00 Launching right before COVID10:00 Losing in-person sampling overnight14:00 Why the first product didn’t scale18:00 Finding product-market fit with a new category22:00 Killing the original product line27:00 The “permissible indulgence” thesis31:00 Launching protein brownies35:00 Getting into Costco39:00 How Costco changed the business43:00 Retail strategy: profitability first47:00 The dangers of bad retail deals51:00 Channel strategy & cash flow realities55:00 Cold outreach that actually worked59:00 Why demos matter more than you think01:03:00 Packaging that converts instantly01:07:00 Fundraising mistakes founders make01:11:00 Why chasing investors doesn’t work01:15:00 Building a profitable vs hype-driven business01:19:00 Founder-led brands and social media01:23:00 Using AI as an operator01:27:00 Burnout and founder resilience01:32:00 Final lessons📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & scaling insights:👉 https://www.theconsumervc.com/Follow Mike Gelb:Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc
