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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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From World-Class Poker Player to DTC Powerhouse ft. Brian Tate
Wednesday, 21 January, 2026
Most food brands don’t win because of branding.They win because of systems.In this episode, Mike chats with Brian Tate, Founder and CEO of Oats Overnight, the protein-packed, drinkable oatmeal brand that went from a poker side project to a scaled, vertically integrated food business selling DTC and in major retailers like Walmart and Wegmans.Brian shares how his background as a professional poker player shaped the way he thinks about risk, iteration, and decision-making. He breaks down why Oats Overnight chose to vertically integrate manufacturing from day one, how owning production unlocked faster product innovation, and why DTC data became the engine behind retail expansion. The conversation also dives into growth marketing, subscription economics, manufacturing scale, and the hard tradeoffs of building an asset-heavy consumer business.You’ll learn:✅ How a pro poker mindset translates to building a consumer brand✅ Why Brian chose vertical integration instead of co-manufacturers✅ How Oats Overnight scaled DTC with subscriptions and creative testing✅ Why iteration is a core operating principle, not a buzzword✅ How DTC data informs product development and retail strategy✅ The real economics of owning manufacturing facilities✅ When raising venture capital makes sense for asset-heavy CPG✅ Why retail and DTC work better together than most founders think✅ How Brian thinks about risk, process, and long-term profitability👉 If you’re building a food or beverage brand—or curious how data, manufacturing, and systems actually drive scale—this episode is a deep, honest look behind the scenes of a modern CPG business. Timestamps00:00 Intro01:00 From Magic: The Gathering to Pro Poker03:00 When Poker Became a Real Career05:00 Walking Away After Reaching the Top07:00 The Idea Behind Oats Overnight09:00 Early Scrappy Days & Vertical Integration12:00 Learning Manufacturing the Hard Way15:00 Why Iteration Became a Core Value18:00 Scaling DTC with Subscriptions21:00 What Makes Oats Overnight Work Online24:00 Using Data to Test and Improve SKUs27:00 Moving From DTC to Retail30:00 The Walmart Buyer Story33:00 Designing a Retail-Friendly Product Format36:00 Managing Channel Conflict39:00 Expanding Manufacturing Facilities42:00 Why Asset-Heavy CPG Is Back45:00 Venture Capital, Profitability & Payback Periods48:00 High-Risk Experiments That Failed (and Why They Still Mattered)51:00 Growth Marketing Without Brand Guidelines54:00 The Long-Term Vision for Oats Overnight56:00 Book Recommendations & Closing Thoughts📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & scaling insights:👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter – https://www.theconsumervc.com/Follow Mike Gelb:Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc
