1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Paul&amp;nbsp;Hletko&amp;nbsp;— Founder, FEW Spirits (est. 2011, Evanston, IL). Grain-to-glass craft whiskey brand known for Chicago-style bourbon, distinctive flavor, and creative collabs. FEW became part of Samson &amp;amp; Surrey, now under Heaven Hill. &amp;nbsp; Key Takeaways (quick hits) Position before production: FEW chose Chicago bourbon—distinct taste by design, not “safe.” Price = signal: Set as an affordable luxury (~$45–$50) to telegraph quality without scaring off trial. Give fans a story to repeat: Place: Evanston—birthplace of Prohibition—baked into the brand. Personal: Family roots in Czech brewing, disrupted by the Nazis—heritage and grit with purpose. Find your customer where they already gather: Niche blogs/communities beat broad ads early on. Innovation portfolio: Run levels 1–4 (from small tweaks to patent-backed “new-to-world”) and balance the mix so safe work doesn’t crowd out bold bets. Hard lesson: Cash flow is the boss—brand strength shortens the payback clock. &amp;nbsp; 8 Practical CEO Questions We Covered Who exactly is your customer—and what story do they already tell their friends? What deliberate product difference will they notice on first sip/use? Where do they already hang out (blogs, forums, on-premise, niche media)? How do you set good/better/best pricing without cannibalizing the hero SKU? What’s your 90-day proof a new SKU earns shelf (rate of sale, repeat, gross-to-net)? How do you split innovation L1–L4 this year—and who owns the mix? What’s your cash clock (spend → sell-through), and how does brand reduce it? What’s your one-line retailer pitch that makes them choose you over the next similar bottle? The 8-Figure Product CEO https://www.apexceo.co/ <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/38586815/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/38586815