100% Growth for 8 Years: IQBAR’s Will Nitze & Jess Greenwood
OPERATORS · with Will Nitze & Jess Greenwood · July 2, 2026 · 96 min
Summary
IQBAR transformed from a $90k Kickstarter to a nine-figure CPG giant by aggressively pursuing growth across retail, DTC, and Amazon channels, all while maintaining a lean team and high founder ownership. This episode unveils their product launch and CPG marketing playbook, offering critical lessons on sustained revenue doubling and navigating competitive markets without heavy reliance on external funding.
Key takeaways
Implement a multi-channel sales strategy across retail, DTC, and Amazon from early on to maximize market penetration and resilience.
Prioritize lean operations and efficient team management to sustain rapid growth (100% YoY for 8 years) without diluting founder equity.
Strategically approach fundraising rounds to secure capital for growth while retaining over 50% founder ownership.
Develop a robust CPG marketing and product launch playbook that can differentiate your brand in a saturated market.
Be prepared for legal challenges as a sign of aggressive growth and market disruption, rather than a deterrent.
Operators Titans is brought to you by AppLovin. Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits here: https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth Or, skip the waitlist and launch your AppLovin ads today with our Operators-exclusive link: https://9ops.co/applovin-referral“You are not trying if you’re not getting sued.” How did IQBAR go from a $90k Kickstarter to a nine-figure retail, DTC, and Amazon giant? Will Nitze (Founder & CEO) and Jessica Greenwood (CMO) join Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern). This is the product launch strategy and CPG marketing playbook they wish existed when they started. Will and Jessica detail their early tactics and walk through every funding round: from $625K at a $4M valuation to $5.5M at $50M. They doubled revenue every year for eight years, kept the team at 15 people, and never dropped below 50% ownership. Mike and Matt close on what killed dozens of competing bar brands in 2022 and why IQ BAR survived.
