You’d think being a product manager would prepare you for just about anything.
Roadmaps? Check.
User personas? Done.
Timelines, optimization, user feedback loops? I ate those for breakfast.
So naturally, when I decided to launch a physical product-based business — “Namkeen Queens” — I thought I had it all covered.
Yeah well – I did not have it covered. Not even close.
Because launching software and launching something you can literally taste are two wildly different worlds. One involves agile iterations and beta testing. The other involves taste testing ladoos and chaklis and wondering if USPS will ever not lose a box.
So here’s my honest download — the 5 big lessons I wish I had fully understood before starting a product-based business. Especially as someone who thought they knew how “product” works.
1. Why Physical product businesses break your timelines
In tech, if something’s delayed, you send an update, push a release date, maybe throw in a patch and move on.
In food? If you miss the Diwali shipment window — that’s it. You don’t get another try until next year.
Also, suppliers ghost. Labels arrive misprinted or too glossy. Shipments are sometimes delayed. These aren’t “bugs” you fix in Jira — they’re delays that mess with customer trust.
💡 PM Takeaway:
Build in buffer time like your life depends on it (because your sanity might). Communicate with customers ahead of time. Underpromise and overdeliver is the real value driver here.
2. Customer Experience starts with Packaging, not Launch
As a PM, I obsessed over onboarding flows and feature stickiness. As a founder? My customer’s first impression was the box they held in their hands.
And let’s just say, my first compostable refill bags did not survive the transport!
People judge fast. They will post your product before they even taste it. That first visual impression — the feel of the tin, the label quality, the colors, the packaging and even your thank-you card — that’s what sets the tone.
💡 PM Takeaway:
Your packaging IS your UX. Treat it like your app’s landing page. Invest in how your brand feels physically, not just digitally.
3. How to build an MVP that actually adds value
I had my PM hat on when I launched: “Let’s test quickly, keep costs low, iterate later.” Classic MVP mindset, right?
Wrong.
When you’re selling food — especially traditional Indian sweets and snacks — quality is non-negotiable. Your MVP has to be delicious, well-packed, and gift-worthy on day one. No “early access” pass for bad chakli.
💡 PM Takeaway:
Your MVP must feel complete. In the physical world, there’s no tolerance for half-baked (pun intended). Focus on delivering value, not just minimum.
4. Physical product feedback hits different (Here’s Why)
Tech gives you analytics…Bounce rates…Click-throughs…Funnels.
With food? You get your auntie’s unfiltered reaction at Diwali dinner.
You get DMs like “The Chivda was great, but why so spicy?” from someone in Ohio.
You get silence — which can be even louder.
The data is human, emotional, sometimes confusing. And it stings more when it’s tied to something you’ve put your heart and soul into.
💡 PM Takeaway:
Be ready to listen without spiraling. All feedback isn’t equal. Use it, but filter it through your brand values and your ideal customer profile.
5. Why Hustling isn’t enough to scale your Product Biz
In product management, we live in spreadsheets and docs. There’s structure. There’s order.
In the food world? There’s hot oil, 300 orders to pack, and a label printer that just ran out again.
I learned this the hard way — trying to manage everything from ingredients to inventory to DMs. Burnout was never far away.
That’s when I started applying real systems: Appropriate tools, templates, batch content, delegation. I stopped thinking I had to do it all, and started asking: How do I do this smarter?
💡 PM Takeaway:
Just because you can do it all, doesn’t mean you should. Build processes, automate what you can, and know when to ask for help (or just…nap).
What PMs need to Unlearn when starting a Product Brand
Being a PM helped me in so many ways — I think in frameworks, I love optimizing, and I’m obsessed with solving problems. But I had to unlearn some digital habits to build a physical brand that connects with real people.
And honestly? I’m still learning. Still iterating. But this time with crumbs on my hands and a pup curled up beside me.
If you’re thinking of launching a product-based business — learn from my messes. They make the best stories anyway.
