Prepare for Your Soft Launch

Selling Smart Before You Scale

You don’t need a distributor, a website, or fancy packaging to start selling your food product—but you do need a plan. A soft launch is your chance to test the waters, meet customers, gather feedback, and refine your product before investing in a full-scale push.

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about getting real data and making smarter decisions from day one.

What Is a Soft Launch? (And Why It Works)

A soft launch is the low-cost, high-learning phase of your business. You're legally selling a real product to real customers—but you're still in test mode. The goal is to validate your product, understand your buyers, and get direct feedback while the stakes are low.

You’ll sell small batches, take notes, and adjust your formula, price, or packaging as needed. It’s what separates smart brands from ones that scale too fast and flame out.

Where to Start Selling First

You don’t need national distribution to get in front of people. Start where the conversation is close and feedback is honest:

  • Farmers markets

  • Local pop-ups

  • Brewery events

  • Office groups or workplace orders

  • Neighborhood associations or vendor fairs

Avoid launching online too early. Without real-world insight, it’s easy to incorrectly price your product or miss friction points that would’ve been obvious in person. You want to see how people respond when they have to hand over real money—not just tell you they “like it.”

The Minimum Setup You Need

You don’t need to spend thousands to be taken seriously—but you do need to show up like a real business. At a minimum:

  • A folding table and a simple, clean setup

  • Tamper-evident packaging that travels well

  • A legible, legal label

  • Payment system (Square reader or QR code for Venmo/Cash App)

  • A cooler or thermal bag if your product is refrigerated or frozen

But just as important—you need to start building a customer funnel.
Even in your first sale, treat every interaction as a potential relationship. Collect emails, use QR codes that link to a feedback form or reorder page, and thank every customer personally. You’re not just trying to “get rid of inventory.” You’re trying to find your earliest fans, and then keep them close.

You’re not just in the food business—you’re in the customer retention business. From day one.

What You’re Really Testing

Most new founders only test for taste. But what you really need to observe is behavior.

  • Do people hesitate at the price?

  • Do they ask what’s in it or if it’s “healthy”?

  • Is your packaging easy to open and reseal?

  • Do they buy one—or ask for more next time?

The answers to these questions are gold. They shape your messaging, your SKU count, and your entire go-to-market strategy.

How to Collect Feedback That Matters

Your soft launch isn’t just about selling—it’s about learning. The feedback you collect in these early stages will shape everything from your packaging and pricing to your future product line. But here’s the catch: if you ask the wrong questions, you’ll get the wrong answers.

Don’t ask: Did you like it?
That question leads nowhere. People are polite, and most of your early buyers won’t want to hurt your feelings.

Instead, ask:

  • Would you buy this again?

  • What would make it better?

  • Was anything confusing or unclear?

  • How did you use it? (Straight out of the jar? With chips? On tacos?)

  • If you saw this at a store, what price would feel right to you?

The goal isn’t flattery. It’s truth you can build on.

Start collecting this feedback in ways that are frictionless. Add a QR code to your label that leads to a short form—just 2 or 3 questions. Mention the link when you hand over the product. If you're taking payments digitally, send a short follow-up email or text 48 hours later: “Thanks for trying our product—can we ask one quick question?”

Even better? Offer a small incentive. A coupon for a second purchase or free add-on with their next order is a small price to pay for a repeat customer and real feedback.

And remember—anyone who’s willing to give you feedback is someone you can invite back. These are the people who will tell their friends, follow your progress, and become your best unpaid marketing team. They’re not just your first buyers. They’re your earliest community.

Common Soft Launch Mistakes

Soft launches are powerful—but only if you treat them as a learning tool, not just a way to “try selling for a weekend.” These are the five most common mistakes we see, and each one can derail your momentum if you’re not careful:

Launching with Too Many SKUs

When you roll out three flavors, two sizes, and maybe a limited edition "just for fun" variant, you’ve already lost the plot. You’re spreading yourself thin on ingredients, packaging, production time, and inventory tracking—without knowing yet if any of them will sell.

More options don’t mean more sales. They mean more complexity and more waste. Start with one solid product. Learn from it. Nail the messaging, pricing, and production. Then grow.

Relying on Friends and Family for Feedback

Your friends aren’t your customers. And your family? They’ll tell you your product is amazing, even if it’s mediocre—because they love you. While their support matters, their feedback doesn’t represent actual buying behavior.

What you need is unbiased feedback from people who didn’t show up out of loyalty. If someone pays for your product, eats it, and comes back next week without being asked? That’s your signal.

Not Asking Follow-Up Questions

Selling a few units and calling it a success is easy. But what did you learn? If someone bought your product, what made them try it? If they didn’t, what made them walk away?

Follow-up questions help you refine your message, packaging, and pricing. Without them, you’re flying blind. Never assume that a quiet customer is a satisfied one—they’re often just confused or unconvinced.

Ignoring How Packaging Performs After 2–3 Uses

Looks great on Day One, but what happens after it’s been opened twice? Does it leak in a lunch bag? Does the lid not reseal? Does the label smudge from condensation?

Real-world packaging issues don’t show up in your kitchen—they show up in your customer’s fridge or backpack. If it doesn’t hold up, it won’t get bought again. Your product’s durability is part of your brand.

Making the First Sales Without a Way to Collect Emails or Build a List

If you’re not capturing emails or contact info, you’re leaving future revenue on the table. A soft launch isn’t just about first-time buyers—it’s about finding people who might become repeat customers, referral sources, or even wholesale advocates.

Have a signup sheet. Add a QR code to your label. Use a simple email tool or SMS follow-up link. You don’t need a CRM on Day One—but you do need a list of people who cared enough to buy from you. That list is your future marketing engine.

Next Steps

After a soft launch, you’ll know what works—and what doesn’t. With that data in hand, you can price smarter, brand more clearly, and decide when (and how) to go bigger.