Question 1

What is Genie?

Accepted Answer

Genie is the first AI that can create real consumer products. Indie founders, creators, and influencers come to Genie with an idea and walk away with a manufacturer-ready custom formula and a path to production. You pitch an idea, work with Genie to research the market and build a real custom formula, get it chemist-reviewed, and we match you with the right contract manufacturer to bring it to market.

Question 2

What product categories does Genie support?

Accepted Answer

Genie supports custom formulation across skincare and beauty, color cosmetics, fragrance, sunscreen, deodorant, intimate care, pet grooming, pet supplements, non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages, supplements, food and snacks, sauces and condiments, home care, candles, CBD topicals, and CBD ingestibles. Each category has specialized formulation logic, an ingredient database, and category-specific regulatory awareness.

Question 3

How does AI-driven formulation work?

Accepted Answer

You chat with Genie about what you want to build. Genie generates a complete custom formula with INCI ingredient names, percentages, functional roles, phase breakdowns, and manufacturing instructions. You can iterate by conversation: adjust percentages, swap ingredients, refine based on your target COGS or texture. Every formula draws on a 180,000-row ingredient database with chemistry data, and is structured for real-world manufacturing.

Question 4

What is COGS modeling?

Accepted Answer

COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) modeling lets you estimate per-unit production costs before talking to a manufacturer. Genie breaks down raw material costs, packaging assumptions, and margin scenarios, so you understand your unit economics upfront — at $5 retail vs $25 retail, you'll see whether your formula actually pencils.

Question 5

What is Basic Launch?

Accepted Answer

When your formula feels solid, Basic Launch ($499 per formula) is how you take it to market. A licensed chemist reviews the formulation for stability and compatibility, a manufacturing-ready tech pack is emailed to you, and Genie introduces you to vetted contract manufacturers. Checkout is self-serve with a quick agreement checkbox. No contract manufacturer commitment required, you can decide afterwards.

Question 6

What is Launch Pro?

Accepted Answer

Launch Pro ($999 per product) is the full done-for-you path to market. Everything in Basic Launch, plus a professional, retail-compliant product label and manufacture coordination through launch. Best for founders who want hands-off execution once the formula is locked. Checkout is self-serve with an agreement checkbox.

Question 7

Does Genie replace a chemist?

Accepted Answer

No. Genie's AI does the formulation work; licensed chemists in our network review every formula that goes through Basic Launch and Launch Pro for safety, stability, and regulatory compliance. The AI accelerates the work; the chemist is the quality layer. For any product going to market, a chemist review is non-negotiable, and that's why it's part of the launch tiers.

Question 8

Is Genie a private label marketplace?

Accepted Answer

No. Private label uses pre-existing formulas off a catalog. Genie creates a real custom formula owned by you. You hold the IP. You decide the brand, the positioning, the packaging, the price. Genie is just the development partner.

Question 9

Is Genie a contract manufacturer?

Accepted Answer

No. Genie develops the product; contract manufacturers produce it. We work with a network of 95+ verified CMs and introduce you to the right ones based on category, MOQ, certifications, and location. Basic Launch and Launch Pro both include those introductions.

Question 10

How is Genie different from using ChatGPT for formulation?

Accepted Answer

Generic AI generates plausible text. Genie generates a real formula validated against a 180,000-row ingredient database, INCI conventions, regulatory constraints, and a chemist correction loop, then encodes it into a tech pack a manufacturer can quote from. Plus when you're ready to launch, a licensed chemist reviews the formula and Genie introduces you to vetted manufacturers who can produce it. ChatGPT can describe a product; Genie helps you actually make one.

Question 11

How much does Genie cost?

Accepted Answer

Free lets you build for real: unlimited AI chat and unlimited formula generation, with ingredient percentages blurred until you unlock a formula. Want just one formula's full breakdown and export? Formula Unlock is $99 one-time per formula. Pro ($49/month, billed annually) unlocks full ingredient percentages and export on every formula you create, plus 1,000 label tokens a month and priority support. When you're ready to go to market, Basic Launch ($499 per formula) gives you a chemist-reviewed, manufacturing-ready tech pack plus introductions to vetted manufacturers, and Launch Pro ($999 per product) adds a retail-compliant product label and manufacture coordination through launch. Compared with the $7,000 to $30,000 a custom formulation traditionally costs, most founders build free, go Pro to unlock everything, then step up to Basic Launch or Launch Pro once the formula is locked.

Question 12

Who is Genie built for?

Accepted Answer

Indie brand founders building their first product line, creators and influencers launching under their own label, and growth brands expanding into a new category. The founders building with Genie today are hip, mission-driven, and creator-led. If you have a product idea and you're tired of being told 'go find a chemist and a CM,' Genie is for you.

Question 13

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Just go to madebygenie.com and start chatting. No signup needed to try it. When you're ready to keep building, sign up free for unlimited chat and unlimited formula generation, or upgrade to Pro for $49/month, billed annually, to unlock full ingredient percentages and export on every formula you create.

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