Dave's Killer Bread: Dave Dahl

How I Built This · 1 Jul 2019 · 1h 07m

What this episode covers

Dave Dahl, co-founder of Dave's Killer Bread, recounts his journey from a life of addiction and incarceration to creating a successful organic bread brand with his brother Glenn and nephew Shoby. The episode details the product development process, including the use of blue cornmeal and organic cane juice to achieve specific textures and flavors, and the strategic decision to print his recovery story on the packaging to drive early sales at farmers markets. It also covers the operational challenges of scaling production, securing capital through Glenn's personal assets, and managing family dynamics that eventually led to a $275 million sale. Additionally, the postscript features Jason and Erica Feucht, founders of Pit Liquor, discussing the formulation of their natural deodorant using whiskey and vodka, and the packaging failure involving defective spray caps that nearly sank their startup.

Mentioned

Companies
Trader Joe's, Costco, New Seasons, Bob's Red Mill
Products
Dave's Killer Bread, Pit Liquor
Also
Vivitrol

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