Article · Field notes
The Duck Needs a Product
29 Aug 2026 3 min read
Estelle is doing her internship with Sunset Duckies. I did not want to give her a vague assignment to “help with the brand,” so we made the brand exercise her project. We call it Project Molt.
On 7 September she hands over four product concepts. We have a fairly detailed idea for healthy granola and a rough idea for a first surfboard. Everyday wear and surf wear are still empty categories. Interviewing people now would be pointless. Granola would win because it is the only one they can picture.
After that we interview the families and kids, at least five people outside the club, and one possible maker for each product. We ask everyone about the same four ideas at the same prices. By 25 September we choose one and drop or park the other three.
Sunset Duckies has a good logo and a lot of goodwill around the club. Parents could buy something to be nice and give us completely useless evidence. I want the product to sell to people who do not know us. It has to be useful, well made, and worth the price without the club story.
I am also not sure the club and product business should be the same thing. The club gives the product a good origin story, but that may get us a first sale rather than a viable business. We need to test the product without asking people to fund a good cause. For now I would keep the money separate. Granola revenue pays for making and selling granola. It does not buy surfboards. A later contribution to the club should be a decision we can afford and report.
We then make a small batch or sample and launch it with a surf competition in Tamarin at the end of October. Promotion starts before the event, with registration, the product, and the price made public as soon as they are ready. At the launch we record what sold, what did not, and why.
From November to February we run the product again, using the actual costs and feedback from October. The people doing the work in Tamarin need to be able to run the next cycle without waiting for me. We will also review the plan with surfers in at least two communities outside Mauritius before deciding where to try it next.
Project Molt
The brief, deadlines, product sheets, and interview questions are public.
Cover photo by Joan McEwan on Unsplash.