Bullish

Brent Vartan and Michael Duda know how to build brands. And they've been doing that consistently at Bullish Inc since 2015, creating impressive results for brands like Warby Parker, Harry's Inc., Casper, Peloton Interactive, Hu, Care/of, Nom Nom, and many more. So how exactly do they do it? That's what Brent and I talk about in this latest episode of Any Insights Yet? https://lnkd.in/gEF4dWqY Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include: -Exploring immutable human desires like family, honor, and idealism as key starting points for brand-building -The role of vengeance as a rallying cry for brands and consumers -How chasing after the lowest cost per acquisition is NOT always the best way to grow a brand -The evolution of ecommerce to consultative commerce -Brent’s secrets for getting consumers to let down their guard during research *** On a more personal note, here's a little back story... Back in 2007, Brent was my planning director at BBDO New York. I had just graduated from The University of Texas at Austin and I had ZERO agency experience. There was a lot I needed to learn, but from the very first week, Brent took me under his wing, teaching me how to ask better questions, how to navigate the politics of client-agency relationships, and the importance of proofing every slide. Simply put, Brent taught me how to be a great planner and an even better human. I honestly don't think I would be doing what I'm doing today if it weren't for Brent. Mentorship really does make a difference. *** If you like this episode of Any Insights Yet, go ahead and "tap that" follow/subscribe button for notifications about new episodes. As always, special thanks to producer-extraordinaire Michael Osborne for helping me bring this podcast to life. And if you have time, please let me know...what question do you really want me to ask on a future episode? #insights #strategy #leadership #mentorship

Issue #34 of The Brief includes: - Why we're bullish on Daisy, our latest investment - Challenges and opportunities for the Class of 2024 - News from Bandit, Winx Health - Updates from Bullish HQ Read and subscribe: https://lnkd.in/eBQHPY-w

Please join us in welcoming Anna McClelland to the team!

Issue #34 of The Brief, Bullish's monthly newsletter, is hitting inboxes this week. This issue will go deep on our latest investment, investigate a cultural tension, share consumer insights, highlight portfolio news, and more. Don't miss it. Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eviHjGgA

As the 2024 Paris Olympics approach, you may notice track and field athletes running their events in logo-free, black gear. It's all part of Bandit Running's "Unsponsored Project," where the brand is supporting 35 athletes in an effort to challenge the standard sponsorship model for professional athletes and boost up-and-coming competitors. Read more about the buzzy initiative in CNBC. https://lnkd.in/eBGCPUnY

On Wednesday, CI conquered New York City for our second annual intern trip, meeting with a few of our portfolio companies and other leading VCs in the area. 🏙️ The day kicked off with a meeting at the Yale Club with Haider Akmal from Vaal Investment Partners, where we learned about his background and experience discovering that the venture capital ecosystem was where he wanted to be. Then, we met with Aaron Marbley at 2045 Studio, a diverse private membership club that strives to combine digital networking with in-person experiences. Next up, the team walked (and biked) over to Bullish to meet with Michael Duda and hear about the impressive startups Bullish works with every day. 💡 At AlleyCorp, we met with Brannon Jones and learned about the company’s focus on progressive technology investments (shoutout for the fun reading material), followed by a meeting at Contour Ventures, where Owen Davis filled us in on how far AI can go, its limitations and its capabilities. 💻 The group made its way even further downtown, meeting with the co-founder of ACME General Corp., David Bonfili. Here, we got the company’s insight on the future of the national security space. Last, but certainly not least, we soaked in the sunset with a rooftop meeting and networking event at Wheelhouse 360, a venture fund in CI’s portfolio. 🌇 Shoutout to Michael Anderson for wrapping the day and telling us the story behind Wheelhouse’s excentric space on Duane Street. Stay tuned for a fun recap reel coming your way… see you next summer, NYC! 👋🏼

Daisy is on a mission to become the go-to service provider for smart home and office space installation and maintenance. Here's why we believe Daisy will become a national brand. Read our thinking here. https://lnkd.in/dx4maQ3N

We're bullish on Daisy, a smart home technology installation and maintenance company, and our latest investment. 🔌 We're proud to back Hagan Kappler as she builds a national brand that creates harmony between people and their devices through technology-integrated smart home and office spaces. Why will Daisy be big? We are living in a more connected world as 60% of homes use Wifi for homework, people join virtual doctors appointments, and the demands on our Internet service and connected devices post-pandemic have reached new heights. One in three people feel overwhelmed by managing their own devices and almost 40% of connected devices are returned after people attempt to install the products themselves. There is a yearning and desire to simplify and streamline our relationship with home technology, but people do not want to do it or do not know how. Now, they can call Daisy. Read more about why we invested and listen to Michael Duda's full conversation with Hagan here: https://lnkd.in/dx4maQ3N

What should consumer brands know about the new VC landscape? “Venture investors are sending very mixed signals about what we want,” Michael Duda told Modern Retail. “We want to see strong growth, something in the realm of profitability and not a lot of burn.” Outside of the venture landscape, there are other sources of funding to be found. For example, "Family offices are picking up,” Mike shared. And, in this new funding environment, more companies are “raising less money and in different tranches.” Read the full article by Anna Hensel here. https://lnkd.in/eUzS4b3e

This morning Nate Rosen, author of Express Checkout, and I hosted a meetup for ~20 CPG founders and investors at Bullish HQ and it was so fun! What a blast collaborating with Marly Levine of Escalon Services, Inc. who kindly sponsored breakfast (Popup Bagels ❤️ ). There's nothing like geeking out about consumer brands with friends and meeting new folks building in the space. More Nate and Natalie specials to come.