Now that I've had my sarcasm pill, lauching a pedal shouldn't require mondo investment....many have done it as a side job or while in school....a 2 page web site, paypal, perfboard, handpainted boxes.......
Going big may seem like the right thing to do but.....
Those what's new articles in Guitar "____" magazine are not free, it is ad space that has been sold
Booths at trade shows, once you get the carpet, the table, the electricity, the unionized "help"

will quickly add up and the expended sushi budget will quickly lead those tired legs into Carl's Jr.
Big dealers pay when they feel like making check runs, paypal is much faster.
The biggest danger of starting as a cottage industry is that some bigger fish with better lawyers than engineers likes what's on your plate today.
my $0.02
Andy