The problem with launch advice
The Australian FMCG advisory market is well served at the point of distribution. Brokers, category consultants and range review specialists can take a brand that is already commercially sound and get it in front of a grocery buyer. Far less of that market addresses the stage before it, when a founder is still settling what the product is, who should manufacture it, and whether the costings hold once trade terms are applied.
That earlier stage carries the largest and least recoverable losses. A supplier brief written without technical specificity returns quotes that cannot be set against each other. A cost price accepted without landed cost and trade spend modelling leaves a margin that collapses the first time the product goes on promotion. A carton configuration chosen for convenience carries freight and merchandising costs that never appeared in the plan.
Three ways to work together
Founder Product Review
A structured assessment of a single product concept against the five dimensions of the Launch Readiness Model, delivered as a scored readout with prioritised actions.
Supplier & Launch Readiness Pack
A complete, quotable supplier brief, a costing and margin model, a packaging hierarchy specification and a documented readiness position you can take to manufacturers.
Product-to-Market Advisory
Ongoing advisory across the full launch, from concept through supplier selection, costing, packaging and channel strategy to the point of first commercial order.
The Launch Readiness Model
Every engagement runs through the same framework of five dimensions, scored on a traffic light basis so that the weakest part of a launch is visible rather than assumed.
- Product strategyTests whether the proposition is distinct enough to earn a place in the category, and how the format, size and claim structure hold up against what is already ranged.
- Supplier briefExamines whether the specification is complete enough for a manufacturer to quote accurately, and consistent enough for competing quotes to be assessed side by side.
- Pricing & marginEstablishes whether cost price, landed cost, trade terms and promotional allowance leave a defensible margin at the intended shelf price.
- Packaging hierarchyChecks that primary, secondary and tertiary packaging work together through storage, freight, merchandising and the shelf itself.
- Path to marketAsks whether the intended channel matches the volume, cash cycle and service capability the business can actually sustain.
The test that matters: if a manufacturer, a distributor and a buyer each read your brief, would they arrive at the same understanding of what the product is and what it costs? Where the answer is no, the gap gets priced in later, usually in inventory you cannot sell.
Common questions
What does an FMCG launch advisor actually do for an early stage founder?
An FMCG launch advisor tests the commercial assumptions behind a product before money is committed to tooling, artwork or a first production run. At Founder Launchpad the examination covers five areas: the strength of the product proposition against the category, the specificity of the supplier brief, the margin the cost price supports at the intended shelf price, the workability of the packaging hierarchy through the supply chain, and the fit between the chosen path to market and the volume and cash the business can carry.
Do you get products into Coles and Woolworths?
No. Founder Launchpad is deliberately not a broker and holds no retailer relationships to trade on. The work happens earlier: establishing whether a product is commercially ready to be put in front of a buyer, distributor or investor at all. Founders who complete that work are then in a position to approach a broker, distributor or retailer portal on their own terms.
When is the right time to engage an advisor?
Before capital is committed. The most expensive errors in FMCG launches get locked in early, in an under specified supplier brief or a cost price accepted without landed cost modelling. Once tooling is paid for and stock is produced, most of those decisions can only be reversed by writing off inventory.
What does it cost?
Fees are quoted in writing after a short fit call rather than published as a standard rate, because the work varies considerably with the category, the complexity of the product and how much documentation already exists. The fit call establishes which engagement is appropriate and what it would involve, and there is no cost or obligation attached to it. All fees are quoted in Australian dollars and exclude GST, and scope is confirmed in a written statement of work before any engagement begins.
Do you work with founders outside Sydney?
Yes. The business is based in Sydney and works with founders across Australia. Discovery, workshops and readouts are run remotely as standard, with sessions in person available in Sydney where they add value.