# Orgain: Andrew Abraham

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2023-08-07
- Length: 1h 13m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-07-orgain-andrew-abraham

## Summary

Andrew Abraham, founder of Orgain, explains how a teenage battle with cancer led him to create an organic nutritional shake as an alternative to conventional products like Ensure. Bootstrapping the business while completing his medical residency, he secured a pivotal national launch with Whole Foods after a chance encounter at Expo West. Despite facing a critical product failure where shakes solidified on shelves, Abraham persevered, eventually expanding into Costco and selling a majority stake to Nestlé in 2022.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-07-orgain-andrew-abraham#t=0) Introduction: Andrew Abraham and Orgain
- [6:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-07-orgain-andrew-abraham#t=369) Cancer Diagnosis and Nutritional Discovery
- [18:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-07-orgain-andrew-abraham#t=1116) Developing the Orgain Formula and Brand
- [25:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-07-orgain-andrew-abraham#t=1528) Expo West and the Whole Foods Breakthrough
- [34:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-07-orgain-andrew-abraham#t=2051) Bootstrapping Production and Logistics
- [49:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-07-orgain-andrew-abraham#t=2948) The Solidification Crisis and Product Fix
- [55:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-07-orgain-andrew-abraham#t=3306) Leaving Medicine for Full-Time Entrepreneurship
- [1:00:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-07-orgain-andrew-abraham#t=3613) Expansion to Costco and Scaling the Business
- [1:07:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-07-orgain-andrew-abraham#t=4056) Acquisition by Nestlé and Future Vision

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

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

## Mentioned

- Orgain (product)
- Ensure (product)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Costco (company)
- Nestlé (company)
- Expo West (other)
- Kaiser (company)
- Butterfly Equity (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Founder Feature: Grace Mittl of Absurd Snacks](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-06-13-founder-feature-grace-mittl-of-absurd-snacks) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#252 - The Rise of Laurel's Coffee: Whole Foods, Wegmans & 1,800 Target Stores in Two Years](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-06-09-252-the-rise-of-laurels-coffee-whole-foods-wegmans-1-800-target-stores-in-two-ye) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Erica Groussman of Trubar](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-12-05-founder-feature-erica-groussman-of-trubar) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#118 From Bicycle Beginnings to Global Recognitions with Chlorophyll Water Founder, Matt Levine](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-12-12-118-from-bicycle-beginnings-to-global-recognitions-with-chlorophyll-water-founde) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Meet the Bone Broth Protein Bar with 20g Protein & No Protein Powder](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-08-21-meet-the-bone-broth-protein-bar-with-20g-protein-no-protein-powder) (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/2023-08-07-orgain-andrew-abraham. 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.