FOR FOUNDERS WHO WANT TO BREAK IN TO THE US MARKET

A step-by-step guide for international founders.

How to Sell Your Consumer Product in the United States, grounded in real founder stories, buyer insights, and proven launch experiences, not just theory.

Start with Phase 0 Read founder stories

Founders interviewed

Plus

Whole Foods buyer & FDA consultant

Phases

Phase 0~Phase 3

HOW TO USE THIS PLAYBOOK

A guide built from real people and real experience.

We interviewed nine founders who launched in the U.S., plus Whole Foods buyers and an FDA registration consultant, and captured what they learned.

What this is

This isn't a textbook. It's a field guide. Some of these founders thrived. Others made expensive mistakes. Every one of them learned something you'll want to know before you launch.

What you'll learn

A step-by-step playbook in four phases: Phase 0 (Before Launch), Phase 1 (Finding Your First U.S. Customers), Phase 2 (Doubling Down on What Works), and Phase 3 (Scaling After Your First Wins). Each phase comes with its own checklist.

How to read it

Short on time? Go straight to the Four Phases and the checklists. Want real stories? Read the Founder Stories. Need practical tips? Tips & Tricks covers pricing, relationships, and money.

The four phases

From before launch to your first wins.

Each phase has a checklist so you can track what you have done.

Phase 0

Before Launch

Most launches fail because founders skip this step or rush through it. Do not start selling until everything here is done. Give yourself enough time for this phase.

Phase 1

Finding Your First U.S. Customers

Your only goal right now: find people who love your product and learn everything you can from them. Do not try to grow fast. Do not spend big money on ads. Talk to real people. Sell to them directly. Listen carefully.

Phase 2

Focus on What Works

By the end of Phase 1, you should have real information: which messages worked, which places sold the most, what customers are saying. Now use that information to get better. Stop doing things that are not working. Spend more time and money on things that are.

Phase 3

Growing After Your First Wins

By the end of Phase 2, you should have one sales channel that works, a message that makes people buy, and real customers who love your product. Now you start building a bigger business. You are not growing fast yet — you are building the base that allows you to grow.

If you read nothing else

Eight things you must know before you start.

The most important lessons from founders who entered the U.S. before you.

01
America is not one market. It is many markets.
New York, Los Angeles, and Austin are very different from each other. Do not try to sell everywhere at the same time. Pick one city. Prove your product works there. Then grow to other cities.
02
American prices are different from Asian prices.
Americans will pay more for your product — but they also expect more. Your packaging, your story, and your claims all need to match a higher price. A cheap price made American buyers think something was wrong with the product.
03
Getting your product to customers is harder than getting attention.
Many founders spend too much money on marketing before they figure out how to get the product into stores or to customers. Fix your delivery and shipping first. Marketing comes second.
04
You need someone in America.
Running your U.S. business from Asia by email and video calls almost always fails. Store buyers want to meet a real person. You need a partner, employee, or helper who lives in the U.S. and understands American culture.
05
You must follow American product rules.
The FDA has rules about what you can put on your labels. If your label does not follow the rules, your products can be stopped at the border or removed from store shelves. One founder lost $80,000 because of a label problem. Do this step first.
06
Start with people who already know your culture.
Korean-Americans, Japanese-Americans, and other people from your country who live in the U.S. are the easiest first customers. They already know and trust products like yours. Start with them. Then grow to American customers.
07
The first phase is for learning, not for growing big.
Your goal is not to become a famous brand in three months. Your goal is to find out: Who wants my product? Where should I sell it? What message makes people buy? Once you know the answers, then you grow.
08
Tell Americans what your product does, not where it is from.
American shoppers care about what your product does for them. "Gluten-free" sells better than "Authentic Japanese." Put the biggest benefit on the front of your package.