Shelf Life 107: Is It Worth Trading Design Work For Equity?
Culture Index
Score Breakdown
Relevance
15/25
Freshness
25/25
Authority
18/20
Brand Signal
8/15
Depth
6/15
5-Axis Cultural Radar
Design agencies are quietly trading fees for equity stakes in the brands they build, and the payoffs could be massive. As CPG acquisitions reach billion-dollar valuations (Poppi sold for $1.95B, Rao's for $2.7B), a growing number of creative studios are betting on long-term ownership over short-term income. We spoke with agency founders navigating this shift to find out what it really takes to mak
