# Hexclad: Danny Winer

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2025-04-28
- Length: 1h 15m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-04-28-hexclad-danny-winer

## Summary

Danny Winer, co-founder of Hexclad, explains how he pivoted from a failed juicer startup to building a $500 million cookware company by discovering a hexagonal non-stick technology at the Canton Fair. Winer and co-founder Cole McRae bootstrapped the business, hand-packaging inventory in McRae's backyard and securing a critical Costco roadshow partnership to validate the direct-to-consumer model. The company scaled rapidly after spending $1 million on Meta ads during the 2020 pandemic and forming a strategic equity partnership with Gordon Ramsay, who provided massive brand visibility and credibility.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-04-28-hexclad-danny-winer#t=0) Introduction: Danny Winer and Hexclad
- [3:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-04-28-hexclad-danny-winer#t=209) Winer's Early Life and Career Pivot
- [21:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-04-28-hexclad-danny-winer#t=1297) The Failure of Juice Presso
- [34:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-04-28-hexclad-danny-winer#t=2049) Discovering Hexclad at the Canton Fair
- [43:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-04-28-hexclad-danny-winer#t=2610) Bootstrapping and Backyard Operations
- [54:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-04-28-hexclad-danny-winer#t=3241) Securing Costco and Early Sales
- [1:00:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-04-28-hexclad-danny-winer#t=3640) Pandemic Growth and Gordon Ramsay Partnership
- [1:10:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-04-28-hexclad-danny-winer#t=4243) Scaling to $500 Million and Future Plans

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Hexclad (product)
- Juice Presso (product)
- Costco (company)
- Gordon Ramsay (other)
- Meta (company)
- Canton Fair (other)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Jamba Juice (company)
- All-Clad (product)
- Lodge (product)
- Vitamix (product)
- Jack Lalanne (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#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)
- [An AWSM (Sauce) Bonus Episode with Carl Starkey](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-05-04-an-awsm-sauce-bonus-episode-with-carl-starkey) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Bar Bruhis of Boostcous](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-07-24-founder-feature-bar-bruhis-of-boostcous) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#249 - Expo Pitch Slam Recap with ChiChi Foods](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-05-19-249-expo-pitch-slam-recap-with-chichi-foods) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [The Recipe For Creating a Culinary Connected Device](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-11-09-the-recipe-for-creating-a-culinary-connected-device) (Over the Air)

## Citing this page

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