Live Episode! RXBAR: Peter Rahal

How I Built This · 13 Aug 2018 · 47m

What this episode covers

Peter Rahal, founder of RXBAR, and his co-founder Jared Smith explain how they launched a protein bar company in 2013 by targeting the CrossFit community with a minimal-ingredient product made in a Cuisinart. They bootstrapped the business with $10,000, selling directly to gyms and online, and eventually scaled to $36 million in sales before Kellogg's acquired RXBAR for $600 million in 2017. Rahal details the critical decision to dump $300,000–$400,000 worth of inventory due to shelf-life stability issues with an early co-packer, a move that preserved brand integrity despite causing a temporary stockout.

Mentioned

Companies
Kellogg's, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Staples, Mondi Foods
Products
RXBAR, Larabar, AmRAP nutrition, Motts
Tools
Cuisinart, Shopify

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