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This week, Zechariah Corcimiglia, CEO of Puffsy, joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss the lack of innovation in the cannabis industry and how he created an entirely new product category for brands.
Corcimiglia was in a heated Catan matchup during a game night with friends when he was struck with an "aha" moment. It was customary for a bit of cannabis to circulate the gameboard, and Corcimiglia thought he could devise a better way to consume flower.
As he watched his friends smoke out of pipes and bongs, Corcimiglia thought consumers could use a more plug-and-play option with less mess during prep and less cleanup and glass maintenance afterward.
Corcimiglia is a packaging expert and came up with an idea for a single-serve pod system for flower. The concept bloomed, and Puffsy was born.
The Puffsy system sells half-gram all-glass pods placed into bong and pipe attachments.
Corcimiglia says he is selling convenience, and to help him on his journey, he brought in Keurig co-founder Peter Dragone to shore up the company's go-to-market strategy.
In this episode, Corcimiglia discusses:
- The research, design and development that went into Puffsy's design. (7:15)
- Puffsy's pricing strategy. (9:55)
- Why Puffsy changed course to follow the Keurig business model. (10:55)
- How the company used influencer kits for product feedback. (11:53)
- The types of brands Puffsy won't work with. (13:21)
- Addressing concerns over sustainability and single-use products. (14:38)
- How the company's new machine will make up to 180 pods per minute. (17:41)
- Current fundraising efforts. (21:00)
- Why investors are drawn to Puffsy's new model. (26:52)
Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].