Crisis to product: The Flatheads Edition

Hello folks. Looks like last week’s Substack delivery went off without a hitch (er, sorry that some email IDs got missed out). Onwards then!

One cool thing a brand did

I don’t watch Shark Tank India (though I respect its role in making startups a household conversation topic), but even I could not escape the Flatheads saga. For those who missed it, the shoe company failed to get funding, but the founder’s passion, honesty and emotion won many over. As he dried his moist eyes, one of the Sharks offered him a job, cinematically screaming into the camera that you, my friend, are down but not out. (It’s moments like these that the SET marketing team must be dreaming of)

The next couple of weeks was filled with LinkedIn hot takes, which I’ll spare you. But you should certainly see the founder’s post, and the shark (Aman Gupta)’s note of support. Before long, Down But Not Out became a hashtag, and then a product line. That, I thought, was genius.

There are shoes, and a ‘survivor’ t-shirt.