I've been an entrepreneur for 15 years. Next week, I'm taking the biggest swing of my career.

It’s complementary to drinkware but such a significantly different product type that we’ve created a subsidiary complete with a new brand, manufacturing, website, Amazon, and ad accounts …

We even appointed a new CEO to run it.

As we move into launch mode next month, I want to share six steps we’ve followed to set ourselves up for success.

I also want to invite you to be one of the first to experience our new product.

So here's my checklist for taking a BIG swing:

1. Pick an asymmetric opportunity
As a business model, consumer products have many downsides, but one major upside is that successful products are incredibly asymmetric.

They can easily be 100x or 1000x returns over time.

Look for opportunities that provide this explosive upside and prioritize them when possible.

2. Nail the product & production
It does not matter how well you do anything else with a launch … if the product is a dud.

We’ve found that the most successful way to develop a great product is to work with a manufacturer that supplies successful players in the vertical you wish to enter.

In this case, we found a partner with two companies that have run rates over $50M in the space we’re entering.

3. Gather customer feedback
The internet makes it easier than ever before to understand what customers want. We have used surveys and focus groups to understand more about the product category.

The worst mistakes we’ve made have always been when we decided to move decisively in a new direction without making sure it was what our customers wanted.

Business is a pretty simple game.

You serve customers; they pay you for it. Don’t get ahead of yourself when launching a new product.

Talk to customers and potential customers to ensure you are funneling your efforts into an area that excites them.

4. Appoint a single-threaded leader
Organizations will always prioritize the cash cow.

This focus can prevent new and disruptive growth paths from growing into their potential.

We set this new venture up as a subsidiary of Simple Modern, but we created a new CEO position for this business unit.

It isn’t always necessary to go to this extreme, but at a certain scale, you need at least one person who is completely focused on the new venture's success.

5. Plot the path to potential victory
It is essential that you have a plan for success that involves more than hope and “good marketing.”

You should be able to point to …

Strategic and structural advantages that will allow you to carve out a piece of the market.

We feel confident that our distribution relationships, existing brand equity, and the number of units sold yearly give us a clear advantage over competitors in this new market.

In addition, you should understand your sales channel plan and have a clear vision of how you will get your first 1,000 customers in your primary channel.

6. Live with the results
Nothing is guaranteed.

You can do all the above steps and still have a product that fails to achieve traction.

But the list above helps you to position yourself for success, and that’s all you can ask for when trying something new.

Now, the invitation …

In next week’s newsletter, I’ll share our entire playbook to our biggest swing yet.

And I’ll offer Trevi at a massive discount to the Operators community.

If you are already a subscriber, all you have to do is sort through the flood of other Cyber Monday emails, open the newsletter, and follow its instructions. If you aren't a subscriber, go to 9operators and sign up.

I can’t wait.