# Food52: Amanda Hesser (2021)

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2023-03-20
- Length: 1h 30m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-03-20-food52-amanda-hesser-2021

## Summary

Amanda Hesser, co-founder of Food52, recounts her journey from a New York Times food writer to launching a digital media and e-commerce company. After a failed tech startup called Seawinkle, she pivoted to Food52 with co-founder Meryl Stubbs, initially bootstrapping the venture using her cookbook advance while operating out of her apartment. The episode details their struggle to secure venture capital, the decision to build trust through curation rather than affiliate links, and the long path to profitability achieved in 2020.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-03-20-food52-amanda-hesser-2021#t=0) Introduction: Amanda Hesser and Food52
- [5:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-03-20-food52-amanda-hesser-2021#t=335) Early Life and Career at the New York Times
- [36:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-03-20-food52-amanda-hesser-2021#t=2204) The Failed Startup: Seawinkle
- [48:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-03-20-food52-amanda-hesser-2021#t=2935) Pivoting to Food52 and Bootstrapping
- [55:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-03-20-food52-amanda-hesser-2021#t=3319) Building the Brand and Community
- [1:02:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-03-20-food52-amanda-hesser-2021#t=3771) Fundraising Struggles and Early Operations
- [1:14:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-03-20-food52-amanda-hesser-2021#t=4443) Scaling, Leadership Challenges, and Profitability

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Food52 (product)
- Seawinkle (product)
- New York Times (company)
- Meryl Stubbs (other)
- Roberta's pizzeria (other)
- Sirius Eats (company)
- Goop (company)
- Daily Candy (company)
- Huffington Post (company)
- Vimeo (tool)

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- [#100 Toasting to 100 Episodes of The Startup CPG Podcast with Our Favorite Moments](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-07-25-100-toasting-to-100-episodes-of-the-startup-cpg-podcast-with-our-favorite-moment) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#179 - Bootstrap Heroes: Hazard's Hop Water, SWAIR, Gourmend Foods](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-01-21-179-bootstrap-heroes-hazards-hop-water-swair-gourmend-foods) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Morgan Murdock of Unbothered Foods](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-05-02-founder-feature-morgan-murdock-of-unbothered-foods) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Stephanie Berwick of Pastazerts](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-05-23-founder-feature-stephanie-berwick-of-pastazerts) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-03-20-food52-amanda-hesser-2021. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.