Every ad platform banned him. Stripe cut him off. USPS won't ship it. He grew every year anyway.
Conrad Kurth founded Cyclone Pods in 2018 to sell vapes with zero nicotine. That means no addiction driving retention, and it also means every ad network, payment processor, and carrier treats him like a tobacco company. Eight years in, the brand has a 60% repeat rate and has never stopped growing. Here's how.
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In this episode:
1. Why he took the nicotine out, and why retention still works without it
2. The real customer acquisition channels: SEO, editorial review sites, sobriety communities, trade shows
3. What happened when Shopify Payments shut off at 7 AM on a Sunday
4. Shipping under the PACT Act: how UPS and FedEx said yes and USPS said no
5. The Focus Pouch pivot: caffeine and nootropics in a Zyn-style pouch
6. What he'd tell his 2018 self
7. Advice for anyone selling a restricted product
Timestamps:
0:00 Cold open
0:25 Intro
1:27 Why play the game on hard mode?
2:31 Not a cessation aid (FDA rules)
3:18 The Juul origin story
5:01 Retention without nicotine: the 60% repeat rate
6:35 Paid ads are off the table
8:32 Where customers actually come from
12:06 The Shopify Payments shutoff
15:01 PACT Act shipping
16:13 Focus Pouches
17:48 What he'd tell his 2018 self
19:32 Advice for restricted-goods merchants
21:18 Where to find Conrad
GUEST LINKS
Cyclone Pods: https://cyclonepods.com
Lab results: https://cyclonepods.com/pages/lab-testing-transparency
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The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.
