Price-First Reality

What Six Months of Trade Shows Taught Me About What Buyers Are Looking For

After countless buyer meetings, product sourcing sessions, and networking conversations across trade shows, one truth emerged above all others: pricing isn't just important—it's everything. While founders obsess over pitch decks and buyer relationships, the real battle is won or lost in the unit economics spreadsheet.

The Buyer's Unspoken Rule

Buyers don't lead with price objections because they assume you've already done the math. When they pass on a product, they rarely say "too expensive"—they'll mention shelf space, category fit, or timing. But behind closed doors, price is the silent eliminator. A product that's even 15-20% above the sweet spot for its category simply won't survive the velocity requirements of modern retail.

Quality Sourcing as Competitive Advantage

The most successful vegan brands aren't just finding good ingredients—they're finding good ingredients at prices that allow for aggressive market positioning. This means spending months, not weeks, on supplier negotiations. It means building relationships with co-manufacturers who understand your volume projections and can lock in pricing that scales. The founders who succeed are the ones who treat ingredient sourcing like a procurement discipline, not a product development afterthought.

The Opportunity

Price obsession represents a massive opportunity. Buyers need tools that instantly show how a new product's pricing stacks up across the category—factoring in promotional calendars, velocity expectations, and margin requirements. Getting savvy about pricing intelligence—and helping brands optimize before they ever walk into a buyer meeting—is becoming indispensable.

The lesson is clear: fall in love with your spreadsheets before you fall in love with your brand story. Price it right, and everything else becomes possible.