Crumbl: Jason McGowan

How I Built This · 11 Aug 2025 · 1h 04m

What this episode covers

Jason McGowan, co-founder of Crumbl Cookies with Sawyer Hemsley, explains how he applied tech startup methodologies to build a 1,000-store franchise chain. McGowan details the rigorous A/B testing of recipes, the strategic decision to franchise early to avoid outside capital, and the use of weekly rotating flavors and TikTok virality to drive demand. He also discusses the operational challenges of scaling logistics, managing a remote workforce of bakers, and the legal battles with competitors over stolen trade secrets.

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