The Baagua brand and venture was developed over 20 years ago in response to a growing list of enthusiastic subscription customers and suggestion by a Whole Foods store with a growing number of staff on the subscription list. As a subscription product, the working identity was Apothecary Formula Tea. The logo was inspired by the shape of a persimmon calyx, originally hand drawn onto labels of subscription customer jars, which were quart masons and 1 liter italian canning jars with climbing rope handles and a bottle exchange program. After a long product development learning curve and market tests of these and other awesome flavors (Green Dandelion Leaf + Sun Roasted Oolong), this product ended up in a licensing agreememt with a major US Food & Beverage company before ever being distributed. That lasted for a term without much action before changes began at the big company. It never got out, and since then this bold, rad tea has been on ice.

The project was valuable experience that brought opportunities to helping other early developers define their differentiation, iterate prototypes, and avoid the common, costly pitfalls that slow their path to market and weaken their trade story.