The Hidden Risk in Growing Too Fast

Grace & Stella's exit story, event for Amazon sellers to lower costs, and a supply chain pressure test.

Author

Aaron Alpeter
February 25, 2026

The Hidden Risk in Growing Too Fast

Most founders think growth solves problems. Sometimes it creates them.

In this episode, Adi Gullia shares how he built Grace & Stella into a globally distributed brand, exited successfully, and learned firsthand how scaling too aggressively and personally guaranteeing debt can put everything at risk.

You’ll learn:

  • Why margins are your real defense in a downturn

  • How to evaluate if you are in the right “boat”

  • When to kill a product vs keep experimenting

  • What buyers actually look for in an acquisition

  • Why showing the floor matters more than pitching the ceiling

If you want to build a business worth buying, not just a business that grows, this one is worth your time.

Amazon is Getting More Expensive

With Amazon fees continuing to rise and competition getting tougher, a lot of sellers are feeling squeezed right now. Because of that, we wanted to share an upcoming free virtual event being hosted by Andrew Maff (Founder & CEO of BlueTuskr) that we genuinely think many Amazon sellers will benefit from.

The session focuses on how sellers are:

  • Using their Amazon data to drive growth outside of Amazon

  • Leveraging Google, paid media, and creative testing to support Amazon performance

  • Reducing reliance on rising Amazon ad costs without abandoning the marketplace

We’re not affiliated with the event beyond helping spread the word - we just think it’s timely and highly relevant for Amazon sellers navigating rising fees and CPCs.

Is your supply chain feeling tighter than it should?

Factories slow, inbound slips, cash gets tied up, and your team is left managing uncertainty.

Chinese New Year isn’t the surprise. The strain is the signal.

Quick pressure test:

  • Forecasts tied to real supplier capacity?

  • Clear SKU prioritization if production tightens?

  • Intentional safety stock or reactive builds?

  • Finance aligned on working capital impact?

  • Sales aligned to confirmed inbound timing?

If this season feels chaotic, it’s not a calendar issue. It’s a systems issue.

At Izba, we help brands stabilize demand planning, align ops and finance, and build supplier governance that holds up under stress.

If this season exposed gaps, let’s fix them before next year.