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By Bryan Porter · September 11, 2025 · Curated by George's Blog
If mistakes are tuition, we’ve earned a masters.
These mistakes have cost us millions.
But, learning these lessons propelled Simple Modern to a national brand:
1. Unclear Branding:
Many competitors cover bottles with big ugly logos. With Simple Modern as our name, minimalistic branding makes sense.
Our short form "s|m" is on the bottle and lid, that’s it. Customers like the aesthetic.
The issue? Brand awareness lagged the 50 million bottles sold. Also, 15% of Amazon searches for us were misspelled (Slim, Sim, Simply Modern).
The font on our first logo was too thin and the "|" in the middle was confusing.
Solution: A Re-Brand in 2024
- Bolded the short logo and removed the "|".
- More use of long logo subtly on product and packaging.
- A droplet in the M symbolizing the ripple effect from giving.
Our branding is still minimalistic but more noticeable, consistent and interesting.
2. Big Bets Based on Assumptions:
In 2019, we aggressively launched adult backpacks. A huge Amazon category. Applied the playbook that lead to success in drinkware.
High quality, many style choices at a sharp price.
The problem? Adults didn't want 30 choices of backpack colors. Really just black and a few other colors. We made a huge bet based on a false assumption.
Learning: The amount of capital used should consider the risk. For speculative product launches, shoot bullets before cannon balls. Bullets are a cheaper way to see if you are on target. If heavy research and product development show you're on target, there is more confidence in firing a cannon ball.
3. Products Missing Kids Age & Gender:
Product market fit for kids is more nuanced. What toddlers, early/late elementary, middle/high school wants is very different. In size and style.
14oz was our best selling kids bottle size, we didn't observe toddler patterns were the reason. We put older designs (like Star Wars) on 14oz bottles, which is too small for 4+ year old kids.
Another fail. We launched bento boxes with toddler designs. Turns out toddlers don’t take lunch to school. Elementary age kids do but they wouldn’t be caught dead with construction vehicles.
One more miss? Boyish character cups in feminine patterns. Not even Darth Vader would want a Death Star bottle that is purple.
2, 4, 7, 10 and 15 year olds want different things. Each age takes understanding and focus to find product market fit.
4. Developing Around IP:
We identified reusable snack bags as a category we could compete in.
In the product development process, we had to make changes to avoid IP infringement.
We ended up with a snack bag that just wasn't good. If you could get the sandwich in, good luck getting it out.
If we have to compromise quality to work around IP, we shouldn't make it. This is the value of IP.
Conclusion:
We've made millions of dollars of mistakes in 10 years. Strangely, we don't regret it. We learn by doing and these lessons have been a key driver for our success.