The 5 Biggest Mistakes First Time POD Founders Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Print On Demand

Feb 1

Learn the most common print on demand mistakes first time founders make and how to avoid them so you can launch a profitable POD brand with confidence.

People don’t fail at print on demand because the model is flawed. They fail because they start the process with the wrong assumptions, the wrong priorities, and the wrong expectations about what actually builds a profitable POD brand. And honestly, most of these mistakes aren’t even dramatic, they’re subtle. They’re the small decisions that seem harmless but ultimately slow down momentum, eat into margins, and make the entire model feel harder than it actually is.

I’ve worked with founders across every stage: brand new beginners, established entrepreneurs transitioning from traditional production, and even seasoned apparel executives trying POD for the first time. No matter who I talk to, the same patterns appear over and over again. The same blind spots. The same pain points. The same frustrations.

The good news?
Every single one of these mistakes is avoidable.
And when you avoid them, POD becomes one of the simplest, lowest risk, highest leverage ways to start a clothing brand.

Where POD Beginners Go Wrong (and Why It’s Not Their Fault)

Most people who enter POD do it because they’re trying to avoid the financial risk of traditional manufacturing and that’s exactly what they should be doing. But when you’re new, you don’t know what you don’t know. You don’t know how suppliers differ. You don’t know how print methods impact the final look. You don’t know which product categories convert more easily. You don’t know how to approach branding strategically.

So you do what everyone does: you guess.
And guessing leads to overwhelm, overthinking, and decisions that feel right in the moment but cost you time and money.

Mistake #1: Designing for Your Taste, Not Your Audience

This is probably the most heartbreaking mistake because the founder often loves their concept but the market doesn’t. New founders fall in love with a design that means something personally, or they choose artwork based on what’s trending, or they build an aesthetic they think people “should” want. And when the product goes live and sales are slow, they assume POD doesn’t work.

The problem wasn’t POD. The problem was starting with self expression instead of audience clarity.

When you understand who you’re talking to, everything becomes easier, colors, graphics, lettering styles, product categories, tone. You stop throwing ideas at the wall and start building with intention.

This is why I spend so much time in my course helping people understand the psychology of their buyer. It’s not just about design, it’s also about your community and giving them something that they want to wear.

Mistake #2: Choosing the Wrong Print Method or Blank

New founders underestimate how much the quality of the blank and the type of print impact the final product. They pick the cheapest option. Or the first supplier they find. Or the blank that “everyone” is using. Or they choose DTG when their design actually needs DTF. Or they skip embroidery when it’s the method that would instantly elevate their whole brand.

The result?
A product that looks POD instead of premium.

The actual POD cost is not the issue. The issue is that beginners aren’t taught how to evaluate blanks, how to choose print methods based on design density, or how fabric content impacts print quality.

Understanding those nuances is the difference between a brand that looks like Etsy and a brand that looks like an emerging label.

Mistake #3: Launching Too Many Products Too Soon

This one slows down 90% of beginners. They create 10–20 designs before ever publishing one product. They overwhelm themselves with options. They dilute their brand before it even exists. They spend months preparing a “full collection” because they believe it will make them look more professional.

But POD is a test-first model.
Its power is speed.
Its leverage is iteration.

When you launch too many products at once, you block yourself from learning what actually resonates. And because POD has no inventory requirements, you gain nothing from going big early. You only gain clarity by launching intentionally and learning from real data.

Every single successful POD founder I’ve worked with started small often with one hero product.

Mistake #4: Skipping the Sample Stage

Listen.
I know samples feel like an extra step.
I know you want to move quickly.
I know everyone online says, “Just trust the mockups.”

But mockups lie.

The way a print sits on fabric, the true color of the ink, the hand feel of the garment, the sizing, the weight you can only understand these things by physically holding the product. Sampling is not optional in POD. Sampling is your insurance policy.

The founders who skip sampling end up:

offering products that shrink
choosing blanks that feel cheap
discovering print placement issues only after customers complain
creating designs that don’t translate well

You protect your brand and your margins by sampling.
And you build confidence for yourself and for your customers.

Mistake #5: Treating POD Like a Low-Effort “Side Hustle”

Instead of a Real Brand

This is the mindset mistake that destroys POD businesses faster than anything else.

People assume POD is:

easy
automated
passive
low effort
low skill

And then they blame the model when their sales don’t magically appear.

POD is a real brand model. It is not a “shortcut.”

If you approach POD with intention thoughtful design, strong positioning, good storytelling, quality blanks, reliable suppliers the model becomes incredibly powerful. If you treat it like a quick cash-grab, it will fall apart.

The founders who win in POD are the ones who treat it like a long-term brand from day one, even when their products are fulfilled by a supplier.

Why Avoiding These Mistakes Creates Faster Growth

When you avoid these pitfalls, POD becomes what it’s meant to be:

fast
low risk
flexible
margin friendly
scalable

You stop wasting money.
You stop second-guessing your choices.
You stop getting stuck in analysis paralysis.
You stop overbuilding and under-launching.

You start creating with intention.
You start learning faster.
You start building a real audience.
You start seeing sales earlier.

POD is not a guessing game.
It is a clarity game.

Once you see the difference, everything clicks.

How I Help Founders Avoid These Mistakes Inside My Course

My course is built around eliminating these five issues before they ever start because the fastest way to build a profitable POD brand is to avoid the mistakes that most founders make out of pure inexperience.

Inside, I walk you through: