We Crashed Coachella With Zero Budget and Sold Out in 24 Hours
Executive Summary
A Shopify Masters conversation with Tessa Cohen and Sarah Sebastian, co-founders of Benji, a bandage brand that launched at Coachella and sold out in its first week. They talk about how a wedding-day blister led to the idea, why launch took far longer than planned, the product formula, personalised influencer boxes and co-founder chemistry. Sponsor: Shopify, which presents the show. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this note covers the intro, the origin story, launch timing, and the personalised influencer box section, and does not cover every part of the roughly 35 minute conversation, including most of the Coachella and co-founder sections. Claims about the product, sales and ingredients are the founders' own and not independently checked. This is a business summary, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
The wedding-day bandage problem
Tessa says that at her wedding her shoes hurt and her bandage options were either sterile or childish, which started the idea.
Questioning an overlooked category
They say they asked why the market had not been touched and felt the industry had gotten out of control, so they wanted to set the standard.
Making personal care feel personal
The founders say they love fashion and accessories and want bandages to feel fun and exciting rather than purely functional.
Launch took far longer than planned
Tessa says she expected six months but the idea came two and a half years ago, and advises adding extra months to any launch date.
No product development background
They say their experience was in e-commerce performance marketing and creative direction, so they were throwing spaghetti at the wall on product.
The formula was the hardest part
They say getting the bandage formula right was hardest because testing kept producing results that did not come out right.
Personalised influencer boxes
They say a box with an inside joke or a name pushes influencers to share it organically, and one box helped a product sell out. They admit it is time consuming and not scalable, and that it is plastic-free.
The Conversation Breakdown
The wedding-day bandage problem
⏱ Untimed topicTessa says that at her wedding her shoes hurt and her bandage options were either sterile or childish, which started the idea.
Questioning an overlooked category
⏱ Untimed topicThey say they asked why the market had not been touched and felt the industry had gotten out of control, so they wanted to set the standard.
Making personal care feel personal
⏱ Untimed topicThe founders say they love fashion and accessories and want bandages to feel fun and exciting rather than purely functional.
Launch took far longer than planned
⏱ Untimed topicTessa says she expected six months but the idea came two and a half years ago, and advises adding extra months to any launch date.
No product development background
⏱ Untimed topicThey say their experience was in e-commerce performance marketing and creative direction, so they were throwing spaghetti at the wall on product.
The formula was the hardest part
⏱ Untimed topicThey say getting the bandage formula right was hardest because testing kept producing results that did not come out right.
Personalised influencer boxes
⏱ Untimed topicThey say a box with an inside joke or a name pushes influencers to share it organically, and one box helped a product sell out. They admit it is time consuming and not scalable, and that it is plastic-free.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Add months to your launch date - the founders' advice
Assume product launches take longer than planned and build in extra time.
Personalise for the audience - their influencer approach
Make a unique item for each influencer so sharing feels organic.
Fix a gap in a boring category - their origin approach
Look for categories where options feel sterile or childish and redesign them.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Add a buffer of a few months to your next planned launch date.
- ✓Pick one customer or creator and design something specific to them.
- ✓Name one category you use daily that feels badly designed and note why.
- ✓Check any ingredient or product claim with a qualified source before relying on it.
Notable Quotes
“my options were so bleak”
“whatever your launch date is, add few months to it”
“Let's make it feel fun, exciting, and better for everyone.”
The One Thing to Remember
The founders say a personal pain point, patient product work and personalised influencer boxes took Benji from idea to a sold-out launch.