What the Fastest-Growing DTC Brands Have in Common (and What Slows the Rest Down)

What the Fastest-Growing DTC Brands Have in Common (and What Slows the Rest Down)

Most DTC brands are trying to squeeze 10% growth out of bloated acquisition costs. A few are casually racing to $50 million.

In a June 19 breakdown, Eli Weiss dissected the new class of rocketship brands—DTC startups hitting $30–$50M in revenue within one or two years (Eli Weiss). Think AG1, OLIPOP, Create, Mixtiles. No gimmicks. No massive funding rounds. Just smart execution on boring fundamentals.

We revisited that playbook in light of July’s market headwinds—and the pattern still holds. Here's what the fastest-growing Shopify brands are doing right (and where others are burning cash for slower results).

1. They Don’t Invent New Categories—They Make Existing Ones Obvious

Breakout brands rarely start from scratch. They pick a known product—and make it undeniably better.

BrandCategoryWhat They Improved
MixtilesPhoto printingFrictionless UX, modernized format
Fresh SendsFlower deliveryGen Z-friendly aesthetic and packaging
CreateSupplementsClean branding, approachable voice
GrünsVitaminsFormat, flavor, and lifestyle appeal

Solving a problem that customers already understand = less friction, faster adoption, and lower CAC. As Weiss put it: “Solving a known problem in a better way often beats inventing something new.”

You don’t need to be first. You need to be better—and obvious about it.

2. One Killer Product > 15 Half-Decent Ones

Most of these brands went big by going narrow.

BrandEarly SKU FocusRevenue Outcome
AG1 (Athletic Greens)1 hero product~$500M business (Eli Weiss)
OLIPOP<15 SKUs~$500M run rate (Eli Weiss)
Create1 core product$50M+ momentum within 18 months (Eli Weiss)

Now compare that to:

BrandSKU Expansion StrategyOutcome
AllbirdsShoes → apparel + retailStock down ~99% from IPO (Drew F, LinkedIn)
CasperBeds → multiple productsTaken private at a steep loss

More SKUs usually means more ops complexity, slower execution, and muddier positioning. Less really is more—especially when your one product has real staying power.

3. The Product Actually Works (And Customers Talk About It)

“You can have the best welcome flow in the world,” Weiss wrote. “None of it will get you a second order if customers hate what they bought.”

Every rocketship brand delivers on its promise. They’re not pushing white-labeled dropship junk. They control production, obsess over quality, and create a product worth reordering.

The common thread?

TraitWhy It Matters
Product surprise & delightFuels retention and organic growth
Clear customer benefitReinforces word-of-mouth sharing
Operational controlEnables consistency and trust

If customers open the box and think, “This is better than I expected,” you're winning. If they don’t, they won’t be back—no matter how clever your lifecycle emails are.

4. They Build a Brand—Not Just a ROAS Machine

“Performance marketing fills the funnel,” Weiss said. “Brand is what makes people want to stay in it.”

Rocketship brands layer brand-building into everything. They're not just running paid ads—they're crafting a vibe, building community, and embedding their product into culture.

Tactics we’re seeing in play:

Brand InvestmentResulting Advantage
Content + storytellingStickier customer relationships
Loyalty programs & UGCHigher retention, lower CPA over time
Community (FB, Discord, etc.)Customer feedback + repeat engagement

In 2025, with Meta CPAs up 13% YoY, brand-driven loyalty isn’t optional. It’s what keeps you alive when ad costs spike.

5. They Scale With Smart Ops, Not Headcount

The best brands aren’t hiring 100 people—they’re hiring 10 smart ones and giving them leverage.

BrandOps StrategyResult
True Classic30% offshore teamScaled to $100M in 2 years (Nik Sharma)
Multiple rocketships50–80% offshore staffCut payroll, reinvested in growth
Legacy DTCsHQ-heavy, bloated opsHigher burn, less flexibility

Operators like Nik Sharma are blunt: “Offshore + AI = lean execution + faster iteration. And you save up to 80% on payroll.”

Scrappy ops = more cash for product, marketing, and margin. No investors required.

The Rocketship Playbook (2025 Edition)

This isn’t about hacks. It’s about being excellent at the basics:

  • Improve something that already exists
  • Focus on one SKU and make it sing
  • Nail product quality and retention
  • Build a brand, not just a funnel
  • Stay lean, stay fast

That’s how the fastest-growing Shopify brands are hitting $50M+ in revenue in 18–24 months. And why the brands chasing virality or SKU bloat? They’re running in place.

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