MìLà soup dumpling in a spoon above a plate of MìLà soup dumplings with chili crisp mixed in.
After mastering the quality of their frozen soup dumpling, MìLà started expanding their product offerings to sauces, noodles, and even ice cream. MìLà
To ensure customers received their frozen dumplings in good condition, Jen and Caleb conducted their own randomized research early on. “We would look at all the tracking numbers on an order by order basis, if it was more than three days in transit, we would proactively reach out to ask if it arrived frozen or not,” Jen says. This allowed the team to test and adjust how much dry ice they would need to pack the orders so they could maintain their high standards.
As a DTC business, your customers armenia mobile database can’t see firsthand what size your production and operations are. “There’s a lot more understanding for something that is brick-and-mortar, like a restaurant, where food is served live, and you see it made to order, so you understand variation,” Jen says.
MìLà’s first attempt at packaging was a brown paper bag, labeled with a sharpie pen, that Jen and Caleb would go door-to-door delivering. This was only a temporary solution as they tested out new options.
“If there’s a way to do a beta test or a pilot or a V1 (first version) of whatever you’re thinking about, go do that, and gather data points that can inform how you plan for the rest of [your business],” Jen says. It’s important to collect data from early customers, and notice which set of packaging speaks to them.