Dentist Menace Follow-ups

A strategy of persistent, long-term follow-up to acquire businesses through consistent monthly contact, as demonstrated in the AeroPress acquisition.

The Dentist Menace Approach

• Consistent monthly follow-up for 4 years straight
• Used email reminders in Superhuman to maintain consistency
• Focused on a category-defining brand (AeroPress)
• Eventually succeeded in negotiating a deal after 4 years

Why The Target Was Attractive

• Zero marketing spend but widespread distribution
  • Present in most gourmet coffee shops globally
  • From Blue Bottle to independent shops
• Category ownership characteristics
  • Similar to Kleenex or Band-Aid in brand recognition
  • Product name written on coffee grinders as a setting
  • No one searches "pneumatic tube coffee maker" - just "AeroPress"

Acquisition Strategy

• Identified clear growth opportunities
  • Main focus on developing D2C (direct-to-consumer) strategy
  • Plan to maintain existing business operations
  • Scale through new channels while preserving core business

Target Characteristics

• Strong cult following
  • World AeroPress championships exist
  • Baristas get AeroPress tattoos
• Inventor-led business
  • Original inventor still involved
  • Had a president running day-to-day operations
  • Strong product development focus

The key lesson is that persistence and patience in pursuing acquisition targets can pay off, especially when you identify a strong brand with clear growth potential.