#357 - Product First, Creator Second: How 1Up Candy Hit $10M in 10 Months feat. VOID CEO Chris Koch

Episode notes

Chris Koch is the founder and CEO of VO/D, a venture studio that partners with massive talent celebrities to build enduring CPG brands across DTC, e-commerce, and retail. With a background in sports, investment banking, and talent management, Chris brings deep experience in identifying consumer needs, pairing them with the right creators, and executing product-first brand launches. In this episode of DTC Pod, Chris walks through Void’s venture model, emphasizing the importance of strong products over mere celebrity endorsement. He shares the inside story of 1Up Candy’s rapid national retail rollout and outlines key frameworks for structuring talent partnerships, screening for true product-market fit, and ensuring long-term profitability in the saturated creator-led brand space. Interact with other DTC experts and access our monthly fireside chats with industry leaders on DTC Pod Slack . On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover: 1. VO/D’s Venture Studio Model 2. Partnering with Celebrities and Creators 3. Product-First Versus Talent-First Approach 4. Identifying Consumer Problems 5. Selecting The Right Talent 6. Talent as a Marketing Utility 7.

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