Clare O’Connor had the opportunity to conduct the first ever interview with Manoj Bhargava, the creator of 5-hour energy, a product that went from nothing to $1 billion in sales in just eight years. Some of the highlights from the profile include:

• Bhargava maintains a graveyard of his competitor’s products. Every time he manages to sue or bully off of the market a similar product, he places a bottle of it in a bookcase and a placard underneath it with a skull and crossbones drawn in.
• The parent company is thought to command a 90% share of the energy-shot market.
• Bhargava chose names such as “Living Essentials LLC” and “Innovation Ventures” for the companies he runs because of how bland they sound.
• The secret to the success of the drink is that unlike other energy drinks at the time such as Red Bull or Coke, 5-hour energy came in a small, single serving bottle. You don’t have to be thirsty to drink it.
• It’s also a product that either lives or dies. Costing just $3, consumers can try it, test it, see if they like it, and immediately reject it. The first experience must be perfect if it is to be popular.
• Bhargava, who spent his 20s at an Ashram in India in search for inner peace, believes that he’s probably the richest Indian in the United States.

To read more about Bhargava’s history, his questionable claims about charity, how he made his first million, and what he’s working on now, read the entire profile here.

Source: Forbes

Via: Newmark’s Door