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Fan Bi is the founder of The Hedgehog Company, where he acquires distressed DTC brands and helps get them profitable fast. He’s also the creator of In the Money, a must-follow podcast and content brand unpacking the capital side of consumer.

For DTC founders navigating exits, plateaus, or profitability hell…

• What most founders still get wrong about valuations
• How the buyer landscape has shifted post-Unilever & Walmart
• Signs your bridge round is a bridge to nowhere
• The trenches of sub-$20M exits, explained with examples
• Why switching costs matter more than ever

Who this is for: Founders, operators, and investors trying to understand today’s DTC M&A landscape

What to steal:

• 20%+ post-marketing contribution as a key health metric
• The 3-week test to know if your exit has traction
• Realistic comps on $3M, $10M, $30M brand valuations

Timestamps

00:00 Real math behind DTC exits in today’s market

02:15 Why 3–5x revenue exits no longer exist

05:00 The real state of DTC profitability and acquisition costs

07:00 What makes a distressed DTC brand worth buying

09:00 Turning around Baboon to the Moon and fixing fundamentals

11:00 DTC exit trenches from $1M to $100M+ brands

15:00 What kills DTC acquisition deals fastest

17:00 Why bridge rounds often fail

19:00 DTC vs software and AI from an investor lens

22:00 Product market fit vs product channel fit

24:00 Categories that still work for DTC exits

26:00 What it takes to build a winning DTC brand today

Hashtags

#DTC #DirectToConsumer #DTCExits #Ecommerce #EcommercePodcast #StartupExits #MergersAndAcquisitions #BrandAcquisition #DTCBrands #EcommerceGrowth #FounderAdvice #ConsumerBrands #PrivateEquity #ShopifyBrands #BusinessPodcast

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