I started a paddle brand and failed So like all of us I…
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I started a paddle brand and failed
So like all of us I got totally obsessed with pickleball right after starting it (I still am LOL).
For me that was July 2024.
As an entrepreneur I immediately started to look at opportunities to produce a good product in the space.
I got obsessed with paddle materials and construction and manufacturers.
It took about a year nearly but after many, many prototypes I finally designed and had produced my first run of gen4 full foam paddles. They were/are thermoformed, fully carbon, super nice top of the line stuff.
I sold several locally and a few online and they got great feedback but ultimately the momentum died and sales stopped.
I also got a job as a PB director during this time and that took up a lot of my time which hurt my momentum.
Also USAP paddle certification costs went way up in the middle of my production which made that harder. Last I checked it was going to be about $6k for certification.
Ultimately though the lesson I learned is that to make it in the paddle game you must produce a large enough batch to be sending out many dozens of them to reviewers and influencers and hope that they generate some buzz for you within the community. And pay them well for promoting through their discount code. Without that you are pretty much going to be a nobody among paddle choices. Most people just won't choose a brand they have never heard of over a brand they have, no matter the specs.
It's brand recognition/influencer recommendation first and specs are a distant second for most average buyers. Price is probably third, at most.
Also super bonus if you can partner with a well known player. James Ignatowich is a great example of using his fame to launch his brand. Super smart move.
So anyway that's my story of how I attempted to start a paddle brand. It was a good experience and I still play on my paddles and love them and will put them up against any top brand out there! Also it's really really cool to show up to a court and occasionally see my brand of paddles being played with, makes me smile🙂
If anyone has any questions I'll do my best to answer!
#sport
source
So like all of us I got totally obsessed with pickleball right after starting it (I still am LOL).
For me that was July 2024.
As an entrepreneur I immediately started to look at opportunities to produce a good product in the space.
I got obsessed with paddle materials and construction and manufacturers.
It took about a year nearly but after many, many prototypes I finally designed and had produced my first run of gen4 full foam paddles. They were/are thermoformed, fully carbon, super nice top of the line stuff.
I sold several locally and a few online and they got great feedback but ultimately the momentum died and sales stopped.
I also got a job as a PB director during this time and that took up a lot of my time which hurt my momentum.
Also USAP paddle certification costs went way up in the middle of my production which made that harder. Last I checked it was going to be about $6k for certification.
Ultimately though the lesson I learned is that to make it in the paddle game you must produce a large enough batch to be sending out many dozens of them to reviewers and influencers and hope that they generate some buzz for you within the community. And pay them well for promoting through their discount code. Without that you are pretty much going to be a nobody among paddle choices. Most people just won't choose a brand they have never heard of over a brand they have, no matter the specs.
It's brand recognition/influencer recommendation first and specs are a distant second for most average buyers. Price is probably third, at most.
Also super bonus if you can partner with a well known player. James Ignatowich is a great example of using his fame to launch his brand. Super smart move.
So anyway that's my story of how I attempted to start a paddle brand. It was a good experience and I still play on my paddles and love them and will put them up against any top brand out there! Also it's really really cool to show up to a court and occasionally see my brand of paddles being played with, makes me smile🙂
If anyone has any questions I'll do my best to answer!
#sport
source
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