Your Bag is Empty
Things have been busy over here at Après HQ. It's now been over 1 year since Après was founded and we're getting close to having product ready to sell. Today we're taking you behind the scenes to introduce you to one of the cofounders of Après.
Here's Darby's Q&A with Sonny McCracken:
Q: Sonny, Après was an idea that you had well over a year ago. When and where were you when you had your "aha" moment?
The initial spark occurred during a conversation with my girlfriend Courtney. We were discussing how she re-fuels after pilates when she mentioned how frustrated she was with her current options. I learned that she had high standards for ingredients, a low tolerance for sugar, a limited interest in snack bars, and an aversion to protein products that were marketed to men or people looking to bulk up.
We spent the next hour searching the internet for options that could work, and couldn't find a single one. To be honest, it shocked me. I didn't think Courtney was super picky, and felt like the things she was looking for were pretty normal. Long story short, my first "aha" moment was that there was a need for a product that checked all these boxes, and it didn't exist yet.
Q: So, you're working full time at BCG but you've got this idea for a beverage and know that you have to pursue it. What's going through your brain and how did you actually make the jump from BCG to full-on entrepreneur?
It's funny, I was actually really insecure about it at first. Like, a beverage? Really?! Who pays a bunch of money to go to business school, lands a great job, and then opts to start something as un-sexy as a company that sells nutrition drinks in the technology-crazed city of San Francisco?
At first I was convinced that this was a bad idea, and that there was a reason that this product didn't already exist. So I spent about four months or so pressure-testing the idea with would-be consumers that also happened to be friends. I also spoke with a former mentor of mine from BCG. His advice was powerful. Paraphrasing here, he said, "If you think it's a good idea, it probably is. Don't let the fact that it doesn't exist stop you from being the one to make it so." He then relayed how he invested in another beverage company that totally flopped, so there's that . . .
I also did the research that I was trained to do in consulting. I sized the market. I analyzed competitors. I decided on a sales strategy, etc. Ultimately, though, it came down to confidence. Confidence in the idea itself, and confidence that I could be the one to make it happen.
Before Après, I always imagined that every entrepreneur has one of those cartoon-like moments where a lightbulb just turns on and it's like, "Duh -- this is the answer." For me, it wasn't quite like that. It was more like a series of mini-lightbulbs. There was lots of thinking, lots of questions and talking to people. Then suddenly, I arrived at a place where I was like "Welp, you seem to have a pretty good idea, are you going to make the leap over the ledge?"
I'll never forget signing the "I quit" papers at BCG. Everyone was very supportive when I mentioned what I was doing. Though I did have some calls with our exit counselors and an internal career coach, I never even updated my resume. I knew deep down that I had to do it.
Q: How is a day in the life of Sonny different now than it was 1 year ago, or pre-Après?
Life is crazy different. I think the best way to describe it is that pre-Après, my personal and professional lives were very distinct. I was traveling and living in a hotel 3-4 days a week, and I spent very little time talking about what I did with the people I love (mostly because we signed NDAs with our clients).
Now, I go to sleep in my own bed, and I talk about my work all the time. Generally my family and friends are way more interested in the work I do now anyways, and can be great sources of inspiration and ideas. That said, the most significant change is that I'm now engaged to marry my Après muse, Courtney!
Even though I've experienced much change over the past year, the really exciting thing is how much different life will be another year from now. I know this is just the beginning for Après. Our lives are going to change dramatically once our product is in-market, we build out a team, we kick-off new product development, et cetera.
Q: And then what's been the most exciting day you've had so far?
Total cop-out here, but the most exciting day for me will be the day I see someone drinking Après "in the wild."
Another exciting day though was the day you and I met at Phillz in Berkeley to talk about the concept. It was so clear how excited you were about the idea, which was validating for me, and how quickly you said, "Let's do it!." Starting your own thing is fun, but it can be isolating and lonely at times. Having a kick-ass partner makes such a difference!
Lastly, completing our first fundraise was certainly exciting. It's both exhilarating and motivating to receive validation from family, friends, and other investors that want to be a part of the Après story.
Q: Okay, last question - Outside of building Après, what do you like to do for fun? How do you spend any downtime that you have?
Most of my non-Après time is spent trying to wear-out our dog, Blue. He's a mini-Australian Shepherd puppy, and needs lots of exercise. It's good for me too though, because if I don't get enough exercise I go a bit crazy as well. Somewhere out there Courtney is nodding.
While I spent most of my life in organized sports (football and basketball in high school, football in college), my true passion is surfing. As it turns out, San Francisco is actually an amazing place to surf if you can find a spot that's protected from the often windy conditions, wear a thick enough wetsuit for the cold water, and somehow manage to tune-out the ever present thought of curious sharks. Being able to jet out to the beach to catch a few waves when the conditions are good is certainly a perk of working on your own schedule. Let's just see how long it lasts!