Alex Tomic argues that a category can remain open to a product that changes how customers experience it, even when many alternatives already exist. He uses Hismile's flavoured toothpaste as the example, claiming the company combined a broad oral-care base with taste and novelty; the episode provides no independent dental evidence for those product claims.

High competitor count does not by itself eliminate opportunity
The proposed differentiation centred on enjoyment and excitement
The founders wanted the product to appeal across age groups
Claims about covering oral-care needs remain attributed to the founder

“just because there's a lot 12 00 of competitors it doesn't have to necessarily stop you”
Alex Tomic · 11:30

#toothpaste#category design#product differentiation

Hot Take29:00

Why They Abandoned Plans to Launch Other Brands

Early success made the founders think they had a repeatable recipe for launching additional companies. They later rejected that path, arguing that a small improvement in Hismile was more valuable to them than spectacular growth in an unrelated venture because oral care offered a much larger focused challenge.

The founders briefly considered creating other brands
They recognised the idea as a distracting 'wandering eye'
They chose depth in oral care over a portfolio of unrelated launches
The decision reflected passion and competitive ambition, not only near-term revenue

“1% of growth in high mile is better than 3,000% of growth in something else”
Alex Tomic · 29:30

#focus#brand portfolio#oral care#strategy

Explainer· 1

Explainer31:00

Hismile Says Celebrity Partnerships Do More Than Drive Sales

The founders explain that work with Kim Kardashian is judged across sales, attention, positioning, retail support, and access to a desired customer. They say influencer activity has declined from a dominant early tactic to less than roughly five percent of the company's overall effort or spending, though the exact basis of that estimate is not detailed.

Celebrity work is evaluated through multiple brand effects
Retailer support is part of the expected value
The founders see Kardashian as aligned with Hismile's market position
Influencers now represent a much smaller share of the business than in its early years

“does it get sales it gets sales does it get attention it gets attention”
Nik · 32:00

#influencer marketing#celebrity#brand positioning#retail

Story· 4

Story02:00

The Reported Whitening Pain Point That Started Hismile

The founders say they noticed that teenagers around them used professional and over-the-counter whitening products but commonly complained about pain and sensitivity. They contacted chemists, pharmacists, and universities, then commercialised a formulation they believed addressed that problem; the transcript does not independently verify its clinical performance.

The idea began with a repeatedly reported customer complaint
The founders spent about 12 months researching and testing before launch
They sought technical input from scientists and universities
Product efficacy is presented as the founders' claim, not established in the episode

“every single person had that same pain point with the pain and sensitivity”
Nik · 02:00

#origin story#customer pain#oral care#product research

Story06:30

Five First Sales Arrived, but the Payment Gateway Was Broken

Hismile recorded several early orders and treated them as proof that customers wanted the product. The founders then discovered they had connected the payment gateway incorrectly, so most of the expected revenue was never collected.

The first days appeared to produce roughly five sales
A payment configuration error prevented collection
Only one customer reportedly returned and bought again
The failure became a memorable operating lesson

“we didn't connect the payment Gateway correctly so we didn't collect any of the sales”
Nik · 06:30

#launch failure#payments#early sales

Story07:00

Influencer Traffic Repeatedly Crashed Hismile's Early Store

Before moving to Shopify, the founders used a basic shared hosting setup that they say could fail with a small burst of visitors. A major influencer post could therefore turn a prized marketing moment into a site outage.

The founders initially relied on a small local web setup
They say bursts of around 50 visitors could crash the site
Infrastructure weakness undermined successful promotion
They later moved to Shopify

“we'll be launching we got this big person to post and then it crashes”
Nik · 07:00

#ecommerce#infrastructure#shopify#failure

Story24:00

Why the Founders Deleted Their Labour-Intensive Vlog

The founders tested a personal-brand vlog, learned from it, and then concluded that filming was consuming attention needed for Hismile's core category ambition. They also disliked the pressure to perform for the camera and the opportunities pulling them toward television and fame.

The vlog was a deliberate experiment rather than a permanent commitment
Production consumed substantial time and mental energy
Camera awareness affected how authentically the founders felt they behaved
They preferred to build the business and discuss the work selectively

“we can't have any distractions from doing this”
Alex Tomic · 25:30

“we don't want to become actors”
Nik · 28:30

#personal brand#focus#vlogging#founders

Takeaway· 2

Takeaway40:30

The Founders Prefer to Change Before a Crisis Forces Them

Nik says the founders have tried to act on aligned intuition before a fire, platform shock, or competitor forces a response. He frames dissatisfaction and forward scanning as responsibilities that became more important once the company employed more than 100 people.

The founders discuss major directional instincts together
They act when both independently sense the same need
They try to identify future red flags before they become crises
Responsibility to employees raises the cost of complacency

“we've never waited for a catalyst we've always being that Catalyst for change”
Nik · 40:30

#intuition#change#risk#founders

Takeaway44:00

Family, Not Business, Is Their Ultimate North Star

Asked about burnout, Alex Tomic says he has not experienced it and describes family as the founders' ultimate priority. He argues that being present at home also requires effort and attention, while time with his child helps ground him after intense work.

Tomic reports that he has not experienced burnout
He treats emotional presence at home as active work
Family is described as more important than the company
This is personal experience, not general medical advice about preventing burnout

“family nothing really matters more”
Alex Tomic · 44:30

#family#burnout#work life#founders

Frameworks in this episode

Full-Pie Business Moat

Sleeves-Up Leader Test

Small-Batch Proof Loop

Stage-Matched Capital Gate

Insights & moments

◆Hot Take· 2

A Crowded Toothpaste Market Did Not Rule Out a New Product