AMA with Bill Hudak of Dollar Shave Club

We chatted about returning to the fundamentals of customer centricity in an increasingly complicated marketplace.

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Here are five big take‑aways:

1. Timeless fundamentals still rule.

After 27 years in digital, Bill insists “there is nothing new in the fundamental concepts of advertising” — it’s still about putting the right message in front of an audience and sparking interest. Whenever tech or tactics feel overwhelming, zoom out: start with who the audience is, what problem you solve, and why they should choose you. Build every test, metric and creative brief on that foundation.

2. Metrics need context, not manipulation.

A sky-high CTR is meaningless if the ad promises “free beer.” Numbers can be moved; the real question is whether they signal solved customer problems. Before celebrating a KPI, ask “Does this improvement reflect real customer value?” Pair every metric with a qualitative check (e.g., landing-page intent, early retention) to keep teams honest.

3. Orchestrate the journey from impression #1.

Bill anchors planning on the first touchpoint: “My customer journey starts with my first impression… someone needs ~7 touches before caring about your movie”. Map campaigns around sequential storytelling: brand‐led awareness, value clarification, then offer. Make sure message, tone and offer stay consistent across every channel so those seven touches feel like one conversation.

4. Win (or lose) subscriptions in the first 30 days.

Subscription churn follows a predictable curve: if you cut first-box drop-off, the later months shrink proportionally. Focus retention resources on onboarding: Fast value confirmation (setup tips, product education); “Surprise-and-delight” extras in box #1; Pro-active comms before renewal. Every point saved in month 1 ripples through the cohort.

5. Commit—don’t dabble—when testing new channels.

Risk aversion is “the biggest limiting factor to growth.” A toe-in MVP usually teaches nothing; Bill budgets a “big war chest” and at least six months to understand a channel like TikTok Shop. Set clear guardrails (budget, learning goals, sunset criteria) and go all-in long enough to collect reliable data. Accept that you’ll act with <100 % information; speed of learning beats illusion of certainty.