Inside 14.ai this week: Your lost package, Marie needs a new hat, and why you shouldn't sell to customers.
Welcome to Dispatch #35 - We’re glad to see you again.
What $M D2C founders say every day
We asked founders running eight-figure brands what motto
gets them through life.
What’s yours?
(Another) TikTok Shop reality check
3.1 million creators on TikTok Shop.
Only 50,000 are making over $1,000 in GMV.
That’s 1.6%. Every brand is fighting for the same tiny pool of people who can actually move product, and they know it.
This is what Cam Martinez calls “the 50,000 problem” and it’s why throwing money at TikTok Shop doesn’t work.
The brands winning are selling to creators first, building an army. Give them real incentives ($). Make them excited to post.
A few things Cam sees when brands say “TikTok Shop isn’t working”:
They put their entire catalog on the platform instead of testing 3-5 hero products to see what actually converts.
They don’t account for how fast costs add up: platform fees, samples, creator commissions, flat fees. Thin margins get eaten alive.
They treat it like another sales channel instead of its own ecosystem with its own rules.
And they’re missing the halo effect. TikTok built tracking into Seller Center so you can see how TikTok Shop drives uplift on Amazon, Shopify, even retail. It’s not just about what sells on the platform.
Thanks Cam for breaking this down on Thanks for Holding 🙏
Why everyone hates USPS (and what we actually do about it)
In Transit, Arriving Late. We’ve all had this nightmare scenario constantly refreshing for that one package we REALLY WANT.
If your package shipped with USPS, trying to find it is like... I actually don’t know. There is nothing like it. We genuinely considered applying to work there to figure out wtf is going on.
It’s our job to make sure your customers never have to deal with it.
We handle thousands of “where’s my package” tickets every week. Last week our client (Male Health Supplements), vanished somewhere between the truck and the facility.
Here’s what we did:
Filed the Missing Mail Search through our USPS business account
Asked the end customer: refund or replacement? You decide.
Added their address to the search so if it shows up, it goes straight to them
Kept the brand in the loop without making them chase USPS
Customer’s total effort: one message
Hack: File as the shipper through a USPS business account. You get actual visibility and faster responses.
We onboard every client into ours.
Help Marie pick a hat!!!!
Seriously. Go vote. Either on Marie’s Linkedin or on the 14.ai chatbot croissant.
Next LinkedIn Live: DUDE Wipes Joey on how to actually dominate a category
Joey Thomas is the VP at DUDE Wipes. The butt (and body) wipes brand that became a household name and now sits on shelves at Target next to Charmin.
Joey’s joining us to break down how CPG brands actually build category-dominating positions across Amazon, retail, and TikTok Shop.
He works with consumer brands trying to figure out how to make Amazon, retail, and social commerce work together instead of cannibalizing each other.
His playbook is about aligning brand, performance, and distribution so each channel makes the others stronger.
If you’re a CPG founder, brand leader, growth marketer, or running commerce ops, this one’s for you.
Sign up here: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7425244092520882176
Thought leaders on LinkedIn when they forget their password
Screw pig Latin, we’re only speaking thought leaderese around HQ now.
Normal person: “I forgot my password.”
Person on LinkedIn:
“Brutal truth: forgetting isn’t weakness, it’s data.
Your old system no longer serves you. Old keys don’t open new doors.
Reset. Reinforce. Re-enter stronger.
Here’s the mindset shift: Vulnerability today = velocity tomorrow.
When was your last intentional reset? 🚀”
Does your chatbot talk like a cringe thought leader? 😬
Use ours. Seriously.
Book a call: https://calendly.com/14ai/15minchat
Until next time, we’ll be here fighting USPS on your behalf. 📬