What Most DTC Brands Get Wrong In 2025 With Patrick Johnson

This week on After Hours x Above The Fold, I caught up with Patrick Johnson—engineer, agency guy, creative technologist, and fellow member of The Complainers, our unofficial ecomm therapy group chat. He’s helped build a ton of brands through Progress Labs, and now he’s launching his own basketball brand that’s already cooler than half your Shopify stack: Dear Summer.

We got into what brands are still getting wrong in 2025, the difference between customer-first and founder-first decisions, and why DTC sites are still giving “a group project that no one finished.”

Here’s what you missed (and why you should care):

Most Brands Are Still Doing The Most… Or Nothing At All

Patrick laid out two extremes we see all the time: one, brands that rely too hard on paid and never update their dusty, broken site, and two, brands that try to do everything at once. Gorgeous packaging, overbuilt tech stacks, retention flows, custom fonts… but somehow none of it is actually helpful.

This results in confused customers, wasted time, and a site that either looks good but doesn’t convert, or converts but feels like a spreadsheet. Neither is the move.

Stop Forcing Subscriptions And Bundles If No One Asked

We talked about the obsession with subscribe-and-save, bundle builders, and free shipping confetti bars. You know the ones.

Most of these features are great in theory, but end up being slapped on without any real strategy. First-time customers don’t want a 10-step bundle flow. And most people subscribe for a discount, forget they subscribed, then churn after the second charge. So maybe stop leading with it?

There are better ways to educate and convert your best customers, like starter kits, smarter post-purchase flows, or just literally waiting until someone buys twice before pushing a sub.

Everyone’s Still Copying Each Other And Wondering Why It’s Not Working

It’s wild how many brands chase tactics without context. A quiz worked for one skincare brand? Now every beverage company wants one too. Someone built a water quality quiz? Cool. Doesn’t mean your cookie company needs it.

If you don’t understand why a tactic worked or how it fits your customer journey, you’re just building a lookalike site with no real depth. It’s not giving strategy—it’s giving cosplay.

AI Is Not Going To Save Your Brand

We both use AI. It’s helpful. But if your whole site, copy, and creative direction is generated in 30 seconds with a prompt, just know you’re probably building something mid.

Yes, AI can speed things up. But faster doesn’t mean better. The internet is already full of beige, forgettable brands. AI is just accelerating that trend.

Founder Stories Only Work When The Founder Actually Cares

Not every brand needs to be founder-led. If it’s authentic and you genuinely like showing up, great. But if you’re doing it just because someone said “storytelling,” you’re probably setting yourself up for burnout.

You’re allowed to build a brand that isn’t about you. You’re also allowed to be the face if you want to. Just don’t make it a requirement. A strong brand should stand without a main character.

Community Is Not A Checklist Item

Patrick’s take on community is refreshing: just show up. Don’t overthink it. He’s been hosting pickup basketball runs. That’s it. No pressure to sell, no merch handouts, no awkward Discord chats. Just running the court and building real relationships.

It’s easy to say “community” and slap it on a deck. But the real work comes from showing up where people already are, supporting what already exists, and doing it consistently.

The Real Flex Is Doing Less—On Purpose

At the end of the day, most brands are doing too much because they’re scared to miss out. But stacking apps, testing every feature, and rebuilding your homepage every three weeks isn’t a strategy. It’s just busy work.

If your brand is solid, your product delivers, and your customer experience is actually thoughtful, you don’t need a progress bar or four upsell modals to get the sale.

If you missed the live, catch the full episode of After Hours on Above the Fold. We talk AI, web design, subscription logic, and why most A/B tests are just vibes.

And if you’re thinking about uninstalling a few apps after reading this… you’re probably on the right track.