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| Skepticism vs Optimism
Read time 2.0 minutes. | The best founders I know have a peculiar habit; they often talk about their business as if it were terrible. | They’ll tell you how brutal customer acquisition is, how scattered the market feels, and how risky every decision looks. From the outside, it almost sounds pessimistic. | But here’s the twist: that skepticism is their superpower. | | Blu Dot surpasses 2,000% ROAS with self-serve CTV ads | | Home furniture brand Blu Dot blew up on CTV with help from Roku Ads Manager. Here’s how: | After a test campaign reached 211,000 households and achieved 1,010% ROAS, the brand went all in to promote its annual sales event. It removed age and income constraints to expand reach and shifted budget to custom audiences and retargeting, where intent was strongest. | The results speak for themselves. As Blu Dot increased their investment by 10x, ROAS jumped to 2,308% and more page-view conversions surpassed 50,000. | “For CTV campaigns, Roku has been a top performer,” said Claire Folkestad, Paid Media Strategist, Blu Dot. “Comping to our other platforms, we have seen really strong ROAS… and highly efficient CPMs, lower than any other CTV partner we've worked with.” | Using Roku Ads Manager, the campaign moved from a pilot to a permanent performance engine for the brand. | Learn More | |
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| Because when you understand just how hard it is to win even one market segment, you don’t waste time chasing five. You get disciplined. You cut options. You make choices that stick. | Now compare that to the founders who think they’ve already hit the jackpot. They see their startup like a winning lottery ticket waiting to be cashed. That optimism is intoxicating — but dangerous. | It’s why they over-hire before finding fit.
It’s why they over-build before finding demand.
It’s why they think “we’ll just turn on marketing” is a strategy. | The result? Paralysis. They don’t actually decide anything. They just say yes to everything. | And here’s the thing about positioning: “yes to everything” is really “yes to nothing.” | Great founders survive because they know how bad the odds are. Average founders flame out because they believe the odds don’t apply to them. | Optimism makes you start. Skepticism keeps you alive. | | Are you raising the right amount? | | | How Jennifer Aniston’s LolaVie brand grew sales 40% with CTV ads | | The DTC beauty category is crowded. To break through, Jennifer Aniston’s brand LolaVie, worked with Roku Ads Manager to easily set up, test, and optimize CTV ad creatives. The campaign helped drive a big lift in sales and customer growth, helping LolaVie break through in the crowded beauty category. | Learn more |
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| | Onwards and Upwards, | | Liam Gill |
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