Gatorade for Dogs

In today’s bonus podcast, we track the entrepreneurial journey of Dylan Jones, the solopreneur founder of Lyx, which aims to own the market for dog hydration.

Good Morning!

Here are today’s highlights:

• Lou Mosca takes two inspirations from “The Bear:” Every second counts. And you need to articulate your non-negotiables.

• Jimmy Kalb says, “the owner’s job is not to grow sales; it’s to grow salespeople.”

• The Wall Street Journal editorial board says the president’s auto tariffs will be most damaging to American manufacturers.

• Experience the post-apocalyptic vibe inside a ghost mall: “The doors are open. The lights are on. Why does it feel like I’m trespassing?”

THE 21 HATS PODCAST

Launching Lyx: ‘Gatorade for Dogs:’ In this bonus episode, Dylan Jones shares his entrepreneurial journey, which includes serving in the Air Force, a Master’s degree in business analytics, a failed software business, and a brand new consumer packaged goods business that draws on his knowledge of military working dogs—most importantly that it can be a challenge to keep military dogs (and pets) hydrated. Jones came up with a solution and started selling it at farmers markets where he would simply announce, “Hey, I have Gatorade for dogs.”

• That drove interest and sales, but not enough to make money. And when his wife delivered their second child, Jones started thinking about maybe selling out his inventory and looking for a job. But then, at one of the last farmers markets he planned to attend, he ran into an investor.

• That led to a conversation, an investment, a reformulation, a rebrand as Lyx, and a product that is now rolling out with big aspirations, especially for a solopreneur. As Jones puts it, “We want to be the Kleenex or the Google or the Apple of dog hydration.”

• You can subscribe to the 21 Hats Podcast wherever you get podcasts.