Thinking
What We've Learned
The same four worries come up in almost every first conversation. Here they are, with what happened at Not Yet Named Wine Co., and what we now do about each one.
The concern
Asking customers to pay now for something that will not exist for months seems a lot to ask. Brands worry that nobody will do it, or that asking will put off the people they most want to keep.
At Not Yet Named
Not Yet Named started this way in 2022. Members paid for six bottles of a wine two students had not yet made, and waited the better part of two years for it. They stayed, and more arrived: the club now has 284 members, and the current Greek release is on pre-order while its ballots are still open.
How we design for it
The commitment and the say go together. Paying up front is what gives a member their place in the decisions, so the waiting has something in it: a ballot to argue over, a result to wait for. We help brands work out the size of a founding run, the price of joining, and a first decision that opens straight away.