Weee!: Larry Liu

How I Built This · 18 Mar 2024 · 1h 24m

What this episode covers

Larry Liu, co-founder and CEO of Weee!, explains how he pivoted his company from a failed group-buying platform to a $4 billion Asian grocery delivery service. After facing bankruptcy in 2017, Liu realized the core problem was not group buying but the lack of affordable access to ethnic food for immigrants. He restructured the business model to focus on direct-to-consumer grocery delivery, leveraging WeChat for community-based user acquisition and expanding beyond Chinese expats to serve other Asian and Latino communities.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 40m

    Founder Feature: Jen Liao of MìLà

    Jen Liao, co-founder of MìLà, explains how the brand pivoted from a local restaurant to a nationwide direct-to-consumer frozen food business during the pandemic. She details the technical challenges of developing a frozen soup dumpling that survives shipping, the high costs of cold-chain logistics, and the strategic decision to subsidize shipping via cheap ad spend. Liao also discusses securing investment from Simu Liu, navigating the complex timeline of retail expansion into Costco and Whole Foods, and the operational shock of moving to a larger facility.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 30m

    Founder Feature: Single Origin Soy Sauce and Award Winning Branding with Christine Liu and Clarissa Wei of HEYDOH

    Christine Liu and Clarissa Wei, co-founders of HEYDOH, explain how they identified a gap in the $40–59 billion global soy sauce market for single-origin options in US grocery stores. They detail their product development process, including consumer surveys that led to a 'Classic' and 'Silky' SKU split, and a branding pivot from a failed 'Robinhood-app' design to an award-winning identity with agency here4. The founders also discuss operational challenges, specifically a 25% glass bottle breakage rate solved by Spirited Shippers inserts, and a shipping cost reduction strategy using Handled Commerce.

  • Just Gonna Send It · 57m

    Garrett McCurrach and Canon Reeves (Co-Founders, Pipedream Labs)

    Garrett McCurrach and Canon Reeves, co-founders of Pipedream Labs, explain their strategy of building an underground automated logistics network to enable hyper-fast urban delivery. They discuss why they became their own first customer by launching a private-label grocery store to validate the system and attract enterprise partners. The founders also recount their origin story, from Canon’s educational robotics startup to their serendipitous meeting via Twitter, and detail the physical challenges of installing their first 0.75-mile pipe network in Georgia.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 34m

    Founder Feature: Max Luthy of Plink!

    Max Luthy, co-founder of Plink!, discusses scaling his fizzy electrolyte tablet brand from concept to a launch in 1,100 CVS locations. He explains how the company pivoted its value proposition from sustainability to daily hydration, refined its flavor formulation to be less sweet, and optimized its e-commerce conversion rate by switching checkout platforms. Luthy also shares insights on navigating retail category placement and managing the operational challenges of rapid demand growth.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 31m

    Founder Feature: Ehime Eigbe-Akindele of Sweet Kiwi

    Ehime Eigbe-Akindele, founder of Sweet Kiwi, explains how she transitioned from bankruptcy litigation at Citigroup to creating a frozen whipped Greek yogurt brand that launched into Whole Foods. She details the challenges of scaling a frozen product, including an initial rejection due to non-standard packaging and the strategic pivot to a rebrand that highlights the 'Greek yogurt' and 'sweet/tart' profile based on customer feedback. Ehime also discusses managing retail partnerships, avoiding slotting fees through relationship building, and expanding brand awareness via food service channels like hospitals and universities.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by How I Built This. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.