logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2023
46m 34s

20VC: Turning Canned Water into a $700M ...

Harry Stebbings
About this episode

Mike Cessario is the Founder and CEO @ Liquid Death, the man hacking the healthy beverage market with the first hilarious water brand. It is working, Liquid Death's latest valuation was over a staggering $700M and Mike has raised over $200M since founding the company from the likes of Science Inc. Away's Jen Rubio, Dollar Shave Club's Michael Dubin, Swedish House Mafia and Tony Hawk to name a few. Prior to founding Liquid Death, Mike was in the advertising industry at a number of dirrect firms including VaynerMedia.

In Today's Episode with Mike Cessario We Discuss:

1.) From Canned Water to $700M Business:

  • How did rockstars' hydration problems lead to the founding of Liquid Death?
  • How did growing up with guns and heroine needles around him at school, impact how Mike sees the world today? What is he running from? What is he running towards?
  • Everyone said, "canned water, that is a stupid idea". What does Mike tell to all entrepreneurs who are told their idea is stupid? How does Mike advise on picking your idea?

2.) How to Build a Truly Great Brand:

  • What does the term "brand" mean to Mike?
  • What does he mean when he says, "truly great brand transcends functional value"?
  • What are the single biggest mistakes Mike sees founders make today on branding?
  • Why does Mike believe people will always hate your brand, if it is good?
  • What are the biggest brand mistakes Mike has made with Liquid Death?
  • What brand does Mike most respect and admire? Why that brand?

3.) Marketing: The Secret to Reaching Millions of People with Little Budget:

  • How does the Liquid Death team come up with the ideas they have for content? Why does Mike believe the label "storytelling" is kinda BS?
  • Why does Mike believe people will always hate your marketing? What was Mike's biggest lesson from their Superbowl commercial with kids drinking Liquid Death, looking like beer?
  • How does Mike decide which channel to prioritise? How has the rise of TikTok and short form video changed their approach to content?
  • How does Mike approach resource allocation for new pieces of content? Do they spend big on few bits of content or spend little on many and see what works?

 

Up next
Jul 7
20VC: Scott Galloway on Are Billionaires Happy & The Impact of Money on Psychology and Self-Worth | Becoming a Better Father & Husband | Why We Should Drink More and Not Work From Home | The Tinder Effect & How it Makes Young Men Radical
Scott Galloway is a Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern, where he’s taught for over two decades. He’s the founder of several successful companies, including L2 (acquired by Gartner for over $150M), Red Envelope, and Prophet. He’s a New York Times bestselling author of four books ... Show More
1h 10m
Jul 3
20VC: Figma's IPO: The Full Breakdown | Index Returns $3.5BN on Two Deals | Why Melio's $2.5BN Acquisition is "Discouraging" | Asana's New CEO and the Great Founder Exodus | Oracle's $30BN AI Deal and What it Means for Incumbents
AGENDA: 00:00 – $400B in AI CapEx: Rational Investment or Madness? 05:00 – Figma's IPO: Rule of 80, $1.5B in cash, 40% margins. Unreal. 08:00 – Adobe Screwed the Deal—Should They Have Just Bought Canva? 16:00 – Pay-to-Play Deals: Heroic Hail Mary or Guaranteed Write-Off? 21:30 – ... Show More
1h 11m
Jun 30
20VC: Inside KKR's Monster $8BN European Fund | The $500M Turkey Gamble That Went Wrong | Do Andreessen & General Catalyst Scare KKR? | Will AI Kill the PE Model? | Can The PE Model Survive without IPOs and Where is the Liquidity with Philip Freise
Philipp Freise is Co-Head of European Private Equity at KKR, where he manages the largest private fund in Europe with $8BN in the latest fund. Philip has led KKR's investments in FGS Global, Superstruct, Axel Springer SE, BMG Rights Management, Fotolia, GetYourGuide, GfK SE, Leon ... Show More
1h 1m
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
Liquid Death: Mike Cessario
Mike Cessario came up with the idea for a viral water brand by asking himself “What is the dumbest possible idea we could have?” His answer was Liquid Death: an aluminum can of water that looks like a cross between beer and poison. While it seemed self-destructive, the idea turne ... Show More
1h 19m
May 2021
Crafting a Successful Business and Brand that Can Be Sold Anytime | Mike Koenigs
In this episode of the Millionaire Mindcast, we have a spectacular guest, Mike Koenigs who shares insights and knowledge on how to build a business that can be sold anytime, the dos and don'ts of branding, and how to build an effective one! Mike Koenigs is a serial entrepreneur, ... Show More
58m 52s
Jun 2021
#191 with Mike Maples - 4 Big Trends and $0 to $1 Billion Startup Idea Frameworks
Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@TheSamParr) talk with seed VC Mike Maples (@m2jr). Mike is a co-founding Partner at Floodgate. He has been on the Forbes Midas List eight times in the last decade due to notable investments like Twitter, Twitch, Lyft, and Okta. In this episode he talks ... Show More
1h 5m
Nov 2022
Mike Meldman: "If the product is bad, no matter who is behind it, it won’t work.”
After a brief stint as a Blackjack dealer, Mike Meldman thought he’d try his hand as a real estate developer. Cut to the present: Mike and his team at Discovery Land Company have created over thirty luxury communities worldwide. But Mike is not just providing four walls and a roo ... Show More
31m 2s
Sep 2018
SaaStr 192: Why Multi-Year Deals Are Not All Good, What Whatever Funding You Think You Will Need Double It & The Challenges of Building A Company and A Category Simultaneously with Michael Katz @ mPar
Michael Katz is the Founder & CEO @ mParticle, the customer data platform that integrates all of your data and orchestrates it across channels, partners and systems. To date, Michael has raised over $75m in funding with mParticle from the likes of Social Capital, Greylock Partner ... Show More
29m 51s
Oct 2020
#398: How to Build a Brand with Tim Newton
How do you create a brand people rave about? Turns out, there’s more to it than just fancy fonts and packaging. Tim Newton, senior creative officer at Ramsey Solutions, argues that truly amazing brands dig deeper. They use what they value to influence every touchpoint they have w ... Show More
1h 13m
May 2024
How Simple Modern Built a $200M+ Brand on Generosity & Culture
How can a business blend substantial growth with a robust culture of generosity? Today on the show, I’m joined by Mike Beckham, CEO and co-founder of Simple Modern, a nine-figure drinkware company nearly a decade old. Mike is also a well-known podcaster, hosting the Operators pod ... Show More
1 h
Jul 2017
How Pepsi and SheaMoisture Lost the Heart of Their Brand
Amanda Spann is a serial entrepreneur, and after seeing major judgment errors like Pepsi's tone-deaf Kendall Jenner ad, she launched the site youneedablackperson.com. She meant it as a joke, but it’s rooted in a much larger issue. On today’s episode, Amanda explains how rapid gro ... Show More
21m 51s
Sep 2023
Revolutionizing Multifamily Construction: How Norhart Achieved 20-30% Cost Reductions And Transformed The Industry With Mike Kaeding
The real cost-cutter may not be what you think. In this episode, our special guest is Mike Kaeding, the CEO of Norhart, who is revolutionizing the multifamily market with their groundbreaking approach to construction projects. Mike's unwavering commitment to placing the right peo ... Show More
45m 38s
Jul 2023
How The Capitalism Fund Will Create $100M In Brand Value
In this update with Sam Prentice from The Capitalism Fund, we hear how the brand investments have been going and what kind of entrepreneurs Ryan is investing in.   There have already been some amazing results, but to hit the goal of creating $100M in value the fund will have to k ... Show More
52m 52s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami