Intro

Michael Brandt is giving you The Ketone-IQ Playbook → https://openresidency.com/michael-brandt-playbook?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=michael_brandt_playbook

In this episode, we sit down with Michael Brandt, co-founder and CEO of Ketone-IQ, to talk about how he's building the category around what he calls the fourth macronutrient: ketones. Michael ran a 2:35 marathon, studied engineering at Stanford, and spent years in the early biohacking scene before betting everything on a molecule most people had never heard of.

We talk about how Michael structures seven-figure influencer deals, why he leads with vibes over contracts, why whitelisting from a partner's handle beats brand accounts every time, and how a single shoot day gets cut into 16 pieces of mid- and late-funnel creative. This episode is packed with good stuff, so enjoy!

Visit https://ketone.com/openresidency for 30% OFF your subscription order PLUS receive a free gift with your second shipment—fun surprises like a free 6-pack, Ketone-IQ merch, and more.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Trailer
00:00:54 Why 50%+ of Budget Goes to Partnerships — Not Meta
00:01:36 What Is a Ketone? The Fifth-Grade Version
00:05:05 How Do You Pick A Partner? The Vibes-First Framework
00:16:55 Whitelisting - What Percent of Your Meta Ads Are Partner Ads?
00:29:02 The Secret Sauce Of The QR code
00:37:43 What Does A Successful Retail Pitch Actually Look Like?
00:44:21 What's The Biggest Thing You Learned In Retail?
00:48:31 When's The Right Time To Go From D2C To Retail?
00:55:06 What Does Product Development Look Like For Ketone IQ?
01:02:46 What Are The Biggest Mistakes Founders Make In Product Development?
01:06:41 How Do You Use Data And Metrics To Inform Your Products?
01:08:55 The Ketone-IQ Principles And How It Defines Their Company Culture
01:24:17 You've Raised $13 Million, What Was The Most Important Lesson?
01:40:11 What's The Biggest Learning Lesson About Leadership At Scale?
01:50:22 You Run A Sub-6 Min Pace For A Marathon. How Has That Bled Into Your Business?
01:56:28 Quickstrike Questions

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