PAX Era High Performance
Redefining Premium Portable Cannabis
Platform Foundation
When PAX launched the original Era in 2016, it established a new standard for cannabis oil vaping. At the time, the competition—basic 510-thread cartridges—were frankly terrible. Simple voltage controls meant inconsistent temperatures, constant clogging, and messy leaks. Era's patented temperature control (measuring multiple times per second), Bluetooth connectivity, and pod-based system solved these fundamental problems.
The Era Pro, launched in 2019, doubled down on precision with features like strain-specific temperature recommendations and detailed consumption data. Cannabis connoisseurs loved dialing in every detail of their experience, but most consumers never even opened the app. Over time, competitors caught up by cranking up voltage for intense hits—hot, harsh, but undeniably powerful.
Challenge
By 2022, the 510 market had evolved rapidly with improved manufacturing quality and significantly higher performance through increased voltage. While our original Era platform maintained premium build quality and innovative features, we were losing ground on the primary metric consumers cared about:
hit strength.
Beyond external market pressures, we faced internal portfolio challenges:
Feature complexity - Advanced temperature control and app connectivity that 80%+ of users ignored
Performance gap - Competitors delivering 3-5x more vapor output through brute-force voltage increases
Manufacturing complexity - Multiple pod variants creating operational inefficiencies
Cost structure - Premium positioning limited market expansion opportunities
The cannabis oil market had become a race to the bottom—everyone competing on lowest cost and highest potency, creating hot, harsh experiences that sacrificed quality for brute force. Meanwhile, PAX's premium platform was increasingly complex, with advanced features that 80% of users ignored. We faced a critical strategic need:
Deliver joint-like simplicity and performance, with the convenience of an oil vape.
Ecosystem Redesign
Rather than incremental improvements, I redefined the entire Era ecosystem to deliver both simplicity and performance breakthrough.
Era Go
Democratize Access to Premium
Maintain premium durability while dramatically simplifying user experience
Update firmware to drive high-thermal-mass pods requiring 2x power output
Introduce anti-clog technology to automatically clear blockages
High Performance Pods
Deliver Performance at Competitive Cost
Achieve 5x performance increase (total particulate mass of THC in vapor)
Maintain low temperature profile to preserve terpenes and deliver smooth hits
Reduce hardware costs by 50% while improving filling throughput
100% Live Rosin
Establish Premium Differentiation
Launch 100% live rosin flagship product with premium local farm partnerships
Restructure entire oil lineup with clear good-better-best positioning
Redesign packaging for intuitive product hierarchy
Innovation & Execution
Technical Innovation
These weren't three separate products—it was one unified system where each piece made the others better. Era Go's single temperature was specifically engineered for Era High Performance Pods, while both were designed for 100% Live Rosin. While competitors used brute-force voltage creating harsh hits, we delivered 5x vapor output at extremely low temperatures—preserving the delicate terpenes that make premium solventless products exceptional.
Cross-Functional Leadership
As Head of Product, I led teams across global supply chain, engineering, sales, marketing, and consumables operations through an 18-month development cycle. The biggest challenge was coordinating hardware, firmware, and oil formulations with vastly different development timelines. I established extensive testing protocols to ensure our ceramic atomizer worked across a wide range of viscosities, including the final viscosity of 100% Live Rosin.
Managing Systems Integration
The new pod design delivered more than just performance improvements—it simplified our entire manufacturing operation. The redesigned hardware enabled faster filling processes, dramatically improving throughput while reducing labor costs. This operational efficiency was crucial for supporting the volume growth we anticipated from mainstream market expansion.
Building the Premium Supply Chain
Working with my product management team and partnering with consumables operations, we identified and partnered with industry-leading flower growers for our 100% Live Rosin formulations. This required building relationships with boutique cultivators in each launch state who could meet our quality standards.
Go-to-Market Strategy
Collaborating closely with our VP of Marketing, I helped develop the "Hits Hard, Not Harsh" tagline and launch strategy that spoke directly to consumers' core need—potent effects without sacrificing smoothness. This messaging became central to differentiating our technical innovation in a crowded market focused on brute-force performance.
Results
40% pod revenue increase - Driven by both higher unit sales and premium product mix
50% pod hardware cost reduction - Enabling Era Go $20 MSRP while maintaining positive margins
2x filling throughput improvement - Simplified pod design reduced labor costs and increased production capacity
Market expansion success - "Hits Hard Not Harsh" campaign resonated with mainstream consumers beyond cannabis connoisseurs
Platform foundation established - New architecture supported rapid iteration on future pod variants and oil types