Painkiller or Vitamin: An NIL Framework 💊

Why it matters

The startup world has long used a metaphor: Is your product a painkiller or a vitamin?

The concept, popularized by venture capitalists like Kevin Fong of Mayfield Fund, distinguishes between products people must have (painkillers for urgent problems) versus those that are nice to have (vitamins for gradual improvement). As Fong explains it, "People will crawl across broken glass to get a painkiller, but they'll forget to take their vitamins."

This framework perfectly explains why certain NIL solutions gain immediate traction while others languish.

The big picture

Whether it's a Fortune 500 brand deciding whether to enter the NIL landscape or a startup building for this new ecosystem, understanding the difference between must-have and nice-to-have determines their success.

Student-Athletes face real, urgent problems in NIL. Brands that solve painful problems get traction immediately. Those offering nice-to-haves struggle for attention.

The framework

Two questions can help a brand determine if they belong in NIL:

  • Does the product solve a problem student-athletes actually have?

  • How badly do they need it solved?

Some "painkiller" problem examples

  • NIL Deal identification – Student-Athletes pursuing NIL need to find opportunities quickly and efficiently

  • Tax compliance – They owe quarterly estimates (and they don't understand how to manage it)

  • Contract review – Student-Athletes need an inexpensive review of their agreements

Athletes will pay for solutions to these problems today and tell teammates.

Some "vitamin" problem examples

  • Brand building – Important but not urgent

  • Long-term financial planning – Future problem when current problem is rent

  • Network building – Valuable long-term, invisible short-term

Athletes see value but procrastinate. They'll use free versions. Adoption requires patience.

"Candy" problems

In the startup world, "candy" refers to products that seem appealing but provide no real value. In NIL, these are solutions that athletes ignore. The telltale sign: brands spend months explaining why athletes should care, but athletes never asked for it (NFT's, anyone?). These reflect what brands think is "innovative" rather than what athletes or the NIL ecosystem needs.

The severity test

A simple approach you can take (and the one I use in my NIL Research Poll) is to ask student-athletes:

  • "How are you solving [this problem] today?"

  • "What happens if you don't solve it?"

  • "Would you pay to solve it this week?"

If they're using duct-tape solutions, facing real consequences, and ready to pay now—you have a painkiller.

Market timing reality

  • Painkillers get adopted in a few months

  • Vitamins take 6-18 months

  • Candy never achieves product-market fit

The bottom line

NIL success depends on problem severity. Athletes living on tight budgets don't buy gradual improvements when immediate needs aren't met. They need solutions for today's problems, not tomorrow's opportunities. The brands winning in NIL aren't asking "How can we be innovative?" They're asking "What's causing athletes pain right now that we already know how to fix?"

About Bill Carter

Bill has advised brands on Name, Image, Likeness for 25 years—first in pro sports, now at the college level. He was the Co-Founder of the Gen Z sports agency Fuse, which he sold in 2019. In 2020, he founded Student-Athlete Insights and consults on NIL strategy with Fortune 500 companies and 30+ DI universities. Read more about Student-Athlete Insights.

Bill Carter