The Ultimate Side Hustle Playbook for Your Consumer Goods Product Launch

The opinions expressed by entrepreneurs contributors are their own.

We spent an afternoon with David Greenfeld, who started Dream Pops in his family's kitchen while having a tough financial job. David saved his vacation days and launched the business in two weeks, and the rest is a sweet, sweet ice cream victory. Its plant-based, naturally sweet treats are now available at Whole Foods, Erewhon, Bristol Farms and other retailers. His advice just might be the icing on the cake for your dream business!

Dream Pops

David Greenfield is an expert in the launch of FMCG products. Book a one-on-one counseling call with David today!

Related: How to Start a Cafe

Step 1: Find the big idea

David's advice: "Ask what's missing?"

As you look around the way you live and the things you love and care about, ask yourself what kind of product would greatly improve your quality of life. What would you like to exist? Bonus points if you belong to a large group of people who feel the same way.

For David, what was missing was a way to satisfy his sweet tooth. "Working long hours in finance, you crave a little treat in the afternoon." And like many kids of the 80s and 90s, David craved nostalgic confections like Dibs, Dunkaroos and Gushers. But as a vegan and lactose intolerant dude, that was not an option.

So he set out to make a product that had the fancy, snackable look of these candies, but without all the artificial sweeteners and dairy. And so, his dream snack, Dream Pops, was born!

Step 2. Create your prototype

"In the beginning, I was literally in my mother's kitchen making these products."

So many entrepreneurs worry about every detail of their prototype, but here are two important things your prototype doesn't need:

Perfect execution from the start. You can and should get used to iterating with comments. Instant scalability up to 1 million units.

However, the most important thing your product needs is to stand out in appearance and function. David had a vision to build something "as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside". Dream Pops aren't just delicious, they're architectural, colorful and unique.

If you're prototyping a food product, follow his advice:

"Deliver on taste" with simple ingredients. "Make it look cool" with a geometric design and unique packaging that stands out Step 3. Put your product there

Unlike other businesses, Consumer Goods really is a great side business.

David has spent a year and a half organizing events and running pop-ups with brands. Well-known brands like Patron, Soul Cycle, and H&M would pay between $5,000 and $10,000 for a popsicle event. David listened to feedback in real time and updated his formula.

Have you seen the Beats by Dre DreamPops at Coachella?

Step 4. Scale thoughtfully

Don't get lost in the sauce.

Entering Target doesn't make sense from the start. Don't look for revenue, but consider profitability, product quality and overall risk.

Some retailers require you to pay for slotting where you spend $50,000 to $100,000 to stay on the shelf for eight months. And, as David shares, "if you don't play, you're out." The risk is huge and can put you out of business before you have a chance to prosper.

Instead, look for independent grocery stores and regional grocers with between 3 and 10 locations. Find partnerships that like to support local brands. For Dream Pops, Erewhon and Bristol Farms were the perfect partners. In the same way,