Making Commoditized Products Custom: The Data Collection Strategy скачать в хорошем качестве

Making Commoditized Products Custom: The Data Collection Strategy

Susana Saeliu cut pillow return rates from 13% to under 6% using 5 billion data points and a machine learning-powered customization engine. In this episode, she breaks down how Pluto grew 100%+ year-over-year with a team of just 12 people, why 20% of customers come from organic referrals, and the operational playbook behind manufacturing custom products at scale. You'll learn: How to launch an imperfect MVP in 11 months and refine with customer data Why their questionnaire doubles as a machine learning training system The strategy for turning passionate customers into your distribution channel How to build custom manufacturing operations with a lean team Their approach to strategic product expansion based on customer requests Why they use AI tactically for efficiency, not strategically for marketing Pluto proves that data-driven customization can transform commoditized products into defensible businesses - even in categories where one-size-fits-all has dominated for decades. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction 00:59 - Susana's entrepreneurial background and first business 02:11 - The neck pain problem that sparked Pluto 03:03 - First business: bootstrapping a bamboo toilet paper company on Amazon 04:44 - From track racing to discovering the pillow market gap 05:50 - The buying experience: 7 pillows bought and returned 06:54 - Timeline from problem discovery to first customer 08:27 - How pillow customization actually works 09:02 - The questionnaire: body stats, positions, preferences 09:48 - Refining the algorithm and reducing return rates 11:06 - Target customer demographics and psychographics 13:02 - Marketing strategy: customer passion drives growth 14:11 - Why word-of-mouth accounts for 20% of sales 15:01 - Marketing channels and customer acquisition approach 16:07 - Team structure: 12 people running the entire operation 17:10 - LA facility and custom manufacturing process 17:30 - Remote team distribution 17:56 - Expansion plans: Canada now, international in 2026 18:41 - Product line expansion beyond the custom pillow 19:43 - Pluto Pod: the astronaut travel pillow in MoMA Design Store 20:35 - Pluto Puff body pillow and future product launches 22:17 - How Pluto uses AI in customer experience 23:09 - Machine learning vs. AI in their customization engine 24:43 - 2026 priorities: new product launches 25:59 - Philosophy on product development and customer feedback 27:22 - Where to find Pluto: website and social channels 28:25 - Closing 🔗 Connect with Susana Saeliu:   / susanasaeliu   🎙️ Consumer Builders is produced by Global Talent (www.globaltalent.co) - helping fast-growing teams hire exceptional remote talent. Subscribe for more episodes with consumer marketing leaders sharing actionable insights and proven strategies. Produced by Global Talent Co: www.globaltalent.co For podcast listener discount on hiring: Visit GlobalTalent.co, click "Start hiring" and mention the podcast listener discount. #consumermarketing #DTC #ecommerce #productcustomization #machinelearning #startupgrowth #customeracquisition #LeanOperations #productdevelopment