Growth plan for Soylent, 7 Oct 2026
Scale spend. Hold CAC.
Soylent has 9,907 Reviews on one rating and subscription savings of up to 29%. My plan turns that into creator videos and 12 new ads a week, with one number to protect: a target CAC of $60.48.
- Target CAC
- $60.48
- New ads a week at peak
- 20
- Creators live by week six
- 10
- Test spend, six weeks
- $24,000
Contents
10 chapters, then the gates and every number’s source.
01 The number
One number to protect: $60.48 CAC, not clicks on a $48.00 pack
The one number to protect is a target CAC of $60.48. It is 0.6 of the $100.80 ceiling, so a bad week still leaves room. Soylent sells a $48.00 original pack and $133.00 bundles; every winning ad has to clear the line on both.
Protect
Target CAC: $60.48 on a first purchase
Ceiling = average order × margin × (1 + repeat orders): $126 × 40% × (1 + 1) = $100.80. Guard line = 0.6 × $100.80 = $60.48. Across the ranges: $1.05 to $870.75.
Three moves
- Kill losing ads early, before any single test spends past $250.
- Put creator videos ahead of the 12 weekly ads so the hook library grows with each test.
- Report daily CAC against the $60.48 guard line and pause anything that sits above it.
- Reviews shown on one Soylent rating
- 9,907
- Published
- Top subscription saving shown (up to)
- 29%
- Published
- Free shipping threshold on orders over
- $50
- Published
02 Variety
Variety: each Soylent flavor and plan is its own ad concept
Each ad concept has to carry one reason to buy and one proof Soylent already owns: a flavor, a review count, a subscribe saving or the free shipping line. Same product, different person watching. One variable per test, so a loser tells us which part failed.
| Reason to buy | Proof you already have | Ads (proposed) |
|---|---|---|
| Complete nutrition | 28 vitamins & minerals | 9 |
| Five star reviews | over 14,000 five star reviews! | 2 |
| Coffee as breakfast | coffee that acts like a healthy breakfast. | 2 |
| Subscribe and save | Subscribe and save up to 29% on every order | 2 |
| Just add water | complete meal - just add water? yep. it's that easy. | 1 |
| Smart energy | smart energy. fuel for the brain and the body. | 1 |
| First order discount | SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AND GET 25% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER! | 1 |
| Total | The ad concepts tab | 18 |
Each row is a reason to buy that the brand already has proof for. The count is how many of the ads carry it: a reason with a single ad is a bet, not a pattern, and the next batch of concepts moves toward the reasons that win.
03 Disturbances
Risks: free shipping over $50 and prepaid plans can break CAC
| Disturbance | Likelihood | Impact | Owner | Gate (proposed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A single $48.00 pack sits under the free shipping line, so first-order CAC runs hot | Med | High | Both | If first-order CAC stays above $60.48 for a full week, tests move to bundles |
| Subscribe savings read 10%, 14%, 25% and 29%, so an ad can promise the wrong one | Med | Med | Your team | Every ad claim matches the claims sheet before launch; a mismatch pauses the ad the same day |
| A creator video claims what a Soylent meal does for the body | Med | High | Me | Each video is checked against the claims sheet before posting; a breach pauses that creator |
| Subscribe and one-time orders are not tracked apart, so CAC is blurred | High | High | Your team | Events split by order type are live in Week 1; no spend scaling before that |
| A winning ad tires as spend climbs toward $100,000 | Med | Med | Me | If a winner's CAC tops $60.48 for three days, the next concept replaces it |
| Repeat orders come in below the guess behind the $100.80 ceiling | Med | High | Both | Week one data replaces the guess; weaker repeats mean the ceiling is rebuilt before spend grows |
| Creators do not join at two a week | Med | Med | Me | If fewer than 6 creators are live by week four, new ads hold at 12 a week |
Scores are my read from outside the company, re-scored in week one with your data. Each risk has one owner and one gate that can be checked with a number, so nobody has to argue about whether it happened.
04 The ceiling
The ceiling is $100.80, built on a $126 average order
| Line | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Average order | $126 (range $2.00–$645.00) | Assumption Range from the site product prices (Published); the midpoint is a guess |
| Gross margin | 40% (range 35–45%) | Assumption Replace in week one |
| Repeat orders after the first | 1 (range 0.5–2) | Assumption Replace with cohort data in week one |
| Margin per customer, all orders | $100.80 | Calculated Average order × margin × (1 + repeat orders) |
| Guard line for CAC | $60.48 | Calculated 0.6 × the margin per customer |
The math, with the assumed lines
Ceiling = average order × margin × (1 + repeat orders): $126 × 40% × (1 + 1) = $100.80. Guard line = 0.6 × $100.80 = $60.48. Across the ranges: $1.05 to $870.75.
Range across the assumptions: $1 to $871.
The $100.80 ceiling uses a $126 average order, a 40% margin and one repeat order. Only the $126.00 prepaid 3 month price exists as a fact; the rest are guesses. Week one replaces them.
The ceiling is a range, not one number: the most a new customer can cost before shipping and packaging, which I do not have. Replace the guessed lines with yours and every figure below recalculates.
05 Test ramp
Six weeks of tests cost $24,000 before any budget scales
| Week | New ads × budget / ad (proposed) | Weekly test spend | Cumulative | Creators posting | CAC target (proposed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 × $250 | $3,000 | $3,000 | 0 | $60 |
| 2 | 12 × $250 | $3,000 | $6,000 | 2 | $60 |
| 3 | 12–20 × $250 | $4,000 | $10,000 | 4 | $60 |
| 4 | 12–20 × $250 | $4,000 | $14,000 | 6 | $60 |
| 5 | 20 × $250 | $5,000 | $19,000 | 8 | $60 |
| 6 | 20 × $250 | $5,000 | $24,000 | 10 | $60 |
Week 1 and week 2 run 12 ads at $250 each, $3,000 a week. Weeks 3 and 4 run 12–20 ads, $4,000 a week. Weeks 5 and 6 run 20 ads, $5,000 a week. Total $24,000 of tests, with losers killed early, before the $100,000 moves.
The math. Week 1: 12 × $250 = $3,000; Week 2: 12 × $250 = $3,000; Week 3: 16 × $250 = $4,000; Week 4: 16 × $250 = $4,000; Week 5: 20 × $250 = $5,000; Week 6: 20 × $250 = $5,000. Total $24,000 (96 ads × $250). A range such as 12–20 counts as its midpoint.
Weeks one and two test what the brand already has, rewritten per reason to buy. From week three, creator videos enter paid only after they beat their own account median. A range of new ads counts as its midpoint in the spend column.
06 Volume
More Soylent concepts, more winners: 80 add $72,000 monthly
Soylent sells flavors, variety packs and powders, so one concept never fits all. At 20 concepts the guess is 2 winners and $18,000 of added monthly spend; at 80 concepts, 8 winners and $72,000. Hit rate and spend per winner are guesses.
| Concepts tested / month | Hit rate (assumed) | New winners / month | Spend each winner holds (assumed) | Added spend at target CAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 10% | 2 | $300 / day | $18,000 / month |
| 40 | 10% | 4 | $300 / day | $36,000 / month |
| 60 | 10% | 6 | $300 / day | $54,000 / month |
| 80 | 10% | 8 | $300 / day | $72,000 / month |
The math. 20 concepts × 10% = 2 winners × $300 × 30 days = $18,000 a month; 40 concepts × 10% = 4 winners × $300 × 30 days = $36,000 a month; 60 concepts × 10% = 6 winners × $300 × 30 days = $54,000 a month; 80 concepts × 10% = 8 winners × $300 × 30 days = $72,000 a month.
The hit rate and the spend each winner holds are placeholders. The first thirty days of tests replace them with real numbers, and the table is recalculated the same day.
07 Allocation
The $100,000 follows the winners, not the flavor list
- Six weeks of tests, the $24,000 ramp
- $24,000
- 24%
- Scaling winners that hold the $60.48 line
- $46,000
- 46%
- Creator pay and product for videos
- $20,000
- 20%
- Landing pages and tracking fixes
- $10,000
- 10%
Of the $100,000, this split is my call; if winners keep holding the line, scaling takes spend from tests, not the other way round.
The math. 24% × $100,000 = $24,000; 46% × $100,000 = $46,000; 20% × $100,000 = $20,000; 10% × $100,000 = $10,000. Sum 100% = $100,000.
This split is a proposal. It moves toward scaling as winners prove out, and toward testing when fatigue shows.
08 Channels
Meta first, then the channels where Soylent's reviews can travel
| Channel | Open when (proposed) | Why wait |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | Week 1, with 12 new ads | Fast tests on flavors, reviews and the subscribe saving; 9,907 Reviews give each ad proof. |
| TikTok | When creator videos clear the CAC guard line on Meta | Desk-lunch and gym-shaker videos suit a feed built for short clips. |
| YouTube Shorts | After the first creator videos show a winning hook | The same vertical videos get reused; no new shoot needed for extra reach. |
| When Meta brings enough first-time buyers to follow up | The newsletter already offers 25% off the first order, a route to repeat orders. | |
| Google Search | After Meta shows which Soylent claims convert | Brand and flavor searches carry intent; worth it once the winning claims are known. |
A channel opens when its condition is true, not when the calendar says so. Until then the budget stays where the CAC is earned.
09 Payback
Payback: a $60 CAC works after repeat orders, $110 never does
Payback is the real constraint. With a $100.80 ceiling, a $30 CAC leaves $70.80 on the first order. A $60 CAC pays back only after repeat orders, leaving $40.80. At $110 it is never, −$9.20 left: stop. Prepaid 3 month and 6 month plans pull repeat money forward.
Cumulative margin per customer, order by order, before CAC: $50.40, $100.80.
| CAC (scenario) | First-order margin | Year-one margin | Left after CAC | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30 | $50.40 | $100.80 | $70.80 | First order |
| $60 | $50.40 | $100.80 | $40.80 | After repeat orders |
| $110 | $50.40 | $100.80 | −$9.20 | Never: stop |
| $140 | $50.40 | $100.80 | −$39.20 | Never: stop |
The math. CAC $30: $100.80 − $30 = $70.80 left; pays back: First order; CAC $60: $100.80 − $60 = $40.80 left; pays back: After repeat orders; CAC $110: $100.80 − $110 = −$9.20 left; pays back: Never: stop; CAC $140: $100.80 − $140 = −$39.20 left; pays back: Never: stop.
Read each row left to right: the margin of the first purchase, the margin over the whole horizon, what is left after CAC, and the purchase on which the CAC is earned back. A scenario that never pays back is a stop, not a test.
10 Scope
Scope: I run ads and creators; Soylent keeps its product claims
Covers
- Meta ad testing on Soylent's meal, protein and coffee lines
- The creator program: recruiting, briefs, pay and the hook library
- Landing pages for each winning concept, built with your team
- Daily CAC, weekly learnings, monthly cohort payback
Doesn’t
- Event tracking and site code; I spec it, your team builds it
- Product, pricing and the claims behind Soylent's formulas
- Fulfilment, shipping and subscription operations
- Retail, wholesale and anything outside paid social and creators
What this plan covers is what I can change inside the ad account and the creator program. Everything outside it is named on the right so nobody assumes it is handled.
Gates, written before spend, so stopping isn’t a negotiation.
| Day | Keep going if (proposed) | Stop or change if |
|---|---|---|
| Day 14 | Tracking splits subscribe from one-time orders and 2 creators are live with videos posted | Tracking is still blended after day 14, so spend pauses until it is fixed |
| Day 30 | At least one ad clears the $60.48 guard line and 6 creators are live | No ad has cleared $60.48 after $14,000 of tests; rework the hooks first |
| Day 60 | Blended CAC holds at or under $60.48 on rising spend, with 10 creators live | CAC above $100.80 on any scaled winner for a full week; cut it |
| Day 90 | Cohort payback shows repeat orders land inside the $100.80 ceiling at current CAC | Cohorts show a CAC like $110 that never pays back; stop and rebuild |
Each gate is checked on its day with the numbers in the daily and weekly reports. If the stop condition is true, the spend stops and nothing renews until we talk.
What exists, what’s missing, and the order that’s forced.
| Piece | Exists today | Missing | Forced order |
|---|---|---|---|
| claims sheet | Site offers: 25% off first order, subscribe up to 29% | One sheet of approved claims and wording | 1st |
| reporting | Subscribe and one-time purchase options on the site | Daily CAC split by subscribe and one-time | 1st |
| creative | Strawberry, banana, mint chocolate and vanilla flavors | Hook library and 12 new ads a week | Week 1 |
| creators | A coffee, protein, energy and meal line to show on camera | Ten creators briefed and paid, two at a time | 2nd |
| landing pages | Product pages from $2.00 scoops to $645.00 prepaid bundles | One page per winning concept, built with your team | 2nd |
The order is forced on purpose: creative and creators come first because they are what moves CAC, and everything else waits for that data.
The experiments, in the order they run.
| Week | Experiment | Hypothesis | What it moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Review count versus subscribe saving as the opening line | A review count opens colder buyers better than a discount. | Keep the winner, kill the loser, test a new saving line. |
| Week 2 | Desk-lunch creator format versus gym-shaker format | The desk-lunch format fits the meal drinks better than the gym format. | Brief more creators in the format that wins. |
| Week 3 | Soylent complete coffee - mocha versus Soylent complete meal - original as the lead product | A coffee drink gets a cheaper first order than a meal drink. | Move spend to the lead product that holds the guard line. |
| Week 4 | Single $48.00 pack versus 36 bottle bundle at $133.00 as the landing offer | The bundle clears the free shipping line and lowers first-order CAC. | Send winning ads to the offer with the lower CAC. |
| Week 5 | 25% off first order versus free shipping over $50 as the hook | One clear offer beats two offers in the same ad. | Drop the weaker offer from every live ad. |
| Week 6 | Prepaid 3 month plan versus one-time pack on the landing page | Prepaid plans raise first-order revenue enough to shorten payback. | Feed the result into the cohort payback report. |
Every number, and where it came from.
| Figure | Where it came from | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 9,907 Reviews shown on one Soylent rating | https://soylent.com/pages/about-soylent | Fact |
| 29% Top subscription saving shown (up to) | https://soylent.com/pages/soylent-new-customer-offer | Fact |
| $50 Free shipping threshold on orders over | https://soylent.com/ | Fact |
| Product prices $2.00–$645.00 | product prices in the site product data (77 products), read 2026-10-06 | Fact |
| $126 average order · 40% margin · 1 repeat order | Placeholders, replaced in week one | Assumed |
| $60.48 target CAC | 0.6 of the $100.80 margin per customer | Calculated |
| $100.80 margin per customer | Price × (margin − discount), summed over the orders | Calculated |
| $24,000 of tests (96 ads × $250) | Danilo’s plan, matches Month one | Calculated |
| 0→10 creators in 6 weeks · 7 videos per creator a week | Danilo’s plan, matches Month one and the Creator engine | Proposed |
| $100,000 first budget split 24% / 46% / 20% / 10% | Danilo’s plan, re-set with the team in week one | Calculated |
| 10% hit rate · $300 a day per winner | Placeholders, replaced by the first 30 days of tests | Assumed |
| 303 creator videos a month at 10 creators | 10 creators × 7 videos a week × 52 ÷ 12 | Calculated |
| $5.74 per 1,000 views against a $1 target | Creator cost over the views the assumptions give | Calculated |
| $1,000 base pay · $50 bonus past 100,000 views | Danilo’s plan | Proposed |
| 1,500 median views · 4% breakout (10×) · 0.5% viral (750,000) | Placeholders, replaced by the first month of posts | Assumed |
| Pay bands $300–$600, $500–$1,000, $800–$1,500 | Danilo’s plan | Proposed |
Every figure on this page is listed here with where it came from. Fact means read on the site. Assumed and Proposed are Danilo’s own numbers, to be replaced in week one. Calculated is plain arithmetic on those, with the formula shown next to it.
Month one is where it starts.
In week one I build the claims sheet from the Soylent pages, put 1 landing page live, brief the first 2 creators and launch 12 ads at $250 each, one variable per test. Event tracking is the first thing we spec together.
