# #88 Undaunted Leadership with Hint Founder Kara Goldin

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2023-04-25
- Length: 37m
- Episode: 65
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-04-25-88-undaunted-leadership-with-hint-founder-kara-goldin
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/08bc455a

## Summary

Kara Goldin, founder of Hint, discusses scaling her unsweetened flavored water company from a garage startup to over 30,000 retail locations, emphasizing leadership lessons from the pandemic and early growth. She explains how Hint grew 40% in 2020 by pivoting operations, securing deals with Costco, Walmart, and Aldi, and managing supply chain disruptions through direct store engagement. Goldin highlights the importance of hiring 'creators' rather than just managers, maintaining transparency with employees, and the strategic value of lacking prior CPG industry experience. The episode covers her book 'Undaunted,' detailing key decisions like losing Starbucks to focus on Target and refusing unfavorable promotions from Whole Foods to protect brand equity.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-04-25-88-undaunted-leadership-with-hint-founder-kara-goldin#t=0) Introduction: Kara Goldin and Hint's Leadership Journey
- [5:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-04-25-88-undaunted-leadership-with-hint-founder-kara-goldin#t=319) Navigating the Pandemic: Stockouts, Costco, and Team Reallocation
- [14:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-04-25-88-undaunted-leadership-with-hint-founder-kara-goldin#t=886) Boots on the Ground: Founder Visibility and Supply Chain Transparency
- [17:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-04-25-88-undaunted-leadership-with-hint-founder-kara-goldin#t=1075) Hiring Creators vs. Managers: The Value of Inexperience
- [25:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-04-25-88-undaunted-leadership-with-hint-founder-kara-goldin#t=1527) Communication, Trust, and Employee Development
- [33:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-04-25-88-undaunted-leadership-with-hint-founder-kara-goldin#t=2012) Book Club: Key Lessons from 'Undaunted'

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Hint (product)
- Costco (company)
- Walmart (company)
- Aldi (company)
- Sam's Club (company)
- Target (company)
- Starbucks (company)
- Whole Foods (company)
- AOL (company)
- Pepsi (company)
- Undaunted (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How I Built Resilience: Kara Goldin of Hint](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-04-01-how-i-built-resilience-kara-goldin-of-hint) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Jonathan Neman of Sweetgreen](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-04-24-advice-line-with-jonathan-neman-of-sweetgreen) (How I Built This)
- [How I Built Resilience: Justin Gold of Justin's](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-10-31-how-i-built-resilience-justin-gold-of-justins) (How I Built This)
- [Honest Tea: Seth Goldman (2017)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-11-honest-tea-seth-goldman-2017) (How I Built This)
- [Perfect Snacks: Bill and Leigh Keith](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-06-09-perfect-snacks-bill-and-leigh-keith) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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