Retention isn’t just an email strategy—it starts with product design and habit formation.
In this episode, we sit down with Matt Bertulli, CEO of Lomi and Pela Case, to break down how two vastly different DTC brands—one selling composting machines with a built-in subscription model and the other selling phone cases with trend-driven drops—approach LTV, retention, and scaling profitably.
🎙️ Key Takeaways:
Why retention is a product problem first, not a marketing fix
How Lomi built a hardware-based subscription business that thrives on habitual use
Why hyper-segmentation in email is often a waste of time
How Pela Case uses on-demand manufacturing to ride trends and drive repeat purchases
Why DTC growth isn’t a funnel—it’s a loop
00:00 – Intro: Retention Starts with Product
03:50 – Why retention is a product problem first
07:30 – How Lomi built a hardware subscription model
13:00 – Creating habit-forming products for better LTV
20:00 – The tradeoff between easy acquisition and high retention
26:30 – Using design drops to drive repeat purchases
30:00 – Why segmentation in email marketing is overrated
36:00 – Funnels vs. Loops: How DTC growth really works
#DTC #Ecommerce #RetentionMarketing #CustomerLTV #SubscriptionBusiness #EmailMarketing #BrandGrowth #SaaS #ConsumerGoods #DigitalMarketing #MarketingStrategy #Entrepreneurship #DTCBrands #ScalingBusiness #ProductMarketing
Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast
Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/
Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.png)
.svg){kind=icon}
.svg)
.svg)
