I got the same information back in 2013 that people are getting right now.

Name the brand. Create the logo. Create a tech pack. Go find a manufacturer.

After years of making mistakes, losing a lot of money, and having to figure things out on my own, I realized that’s not the right order of things.

Let’s unpack this for a minute.

Let’s say you name your brand and create a logo. Then you start putting that name on bags, neck tags, and shirts. You might even put it on your office door or a company vehicle.

There’s only one problem with that.

YOU DON’T OWN THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

Now, that should make you pause.

But most people overlook it like it’s nothing. You could spend years building a clothing brand, creating a name for yourself, and building a following, only to have someone come along and take that name from you because you never protected it.

Now, let’s talk about going straight to a manufacturer.

You haven’t proven the concept yet. You have no idea whether anybody actually wants what you’re selling.

So you go back and forth with manufacturers, work on samples, and spend time and money getting everything ready. Then you finally put the product on the market, and it misses.

You try again, and it misses again.

There’s nothing wrong with missing. But what if you could test your idea without carrying inventory?

That gives you time to get your message right, collect reviews, and make 48 sales to people who don’t know you.

THAT’S PROOF OF CONCEPT.

And proof of concept isn’t something you do just once. It’s something you use over and over again as you grow.

You build an audience, learn what matters to them, and use what you learn to decide what to manufacture. Your product should transform their lives, and their response helps you make better decisions about what comes next.

NEVER ATTEMPT TO BUILD A BRAND WITHOUT PROOF OF CONCEPT.