The Startup CPG Podcast · 23 Jun 2024 · 22m · Episode 50
Max Dichter, CEO, and Jamie Nguyen, Director of Finance and Strategy, of 4th & Heart discuss how the largest US ghee company uses NielsenIQ’s Byzzer data to drive growth and secure retail partnerships. They detail the strategic launch of the ghee butter stick, a product innovation designed to position ghee next to traditional butter in the refrigerated section. The conversation highlights how data insights helped the brand re-enter Target with six times the previous store count and informed their national distribution strategy across 12,000+ stores.
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S'well founder Sarah Kauss joins Guy Raz to advise three early-stage founders on positioning and growth. She helps Chiara Moonzi of Chigi navigate grocery placement for a chickpea-based hot cereal, Jesús Rualcaba of Paper Tacos expand his Latino-inspired greeting cards beyond specialty stores, and Adam Barker of Bolt Skin and Shave determine his growth strategy for a razor brand targeting men who shave their legs.
Justin Gold, founder of Justin's, explains how he launched his nut butter brand by experimenting with flavors in his kitchen and differentiating through portable squeeze packs. He details the grueling early years of manually packing jars at a co-packer to gain retail traction before the company was acquired by Hormel. Gold also discusses how the pandemic shifted consumer behavior toward home consumption, impacting sales of impulse items versus staple jars, and offers advice on validating product-market fit and expanding distribution.
Justin Gold, founder of Justin's Nut Butter, explains how he reverse-engineered flavored peanut butter in his Boulder apartment using a food processor and recipe journals, eventually securing $35,000 from family to launch. After struggling with low sales velocity in jars, Gold innovated a squeeze pack format, which initially failed in the energy bar aisle but succeeded when moved next to jars as a trial size and portion control product. The brand was acquired by Hormel for $280 million, leading to Gold's eventual firing and subsequent return as a board member under new ownership by Forward Consumer Products, aiming to revitalize the stagnant brand.
Kelly Costello, founder of Puppy Cake, explains how she launched an all-natural cake mix for dogs in five months with under $5,000, manufacturing in-house from her kitchen. She details her strategy of lowering barriers to entry for retailers through small case sizes and free shipping, and how adding product lines like Puppy Scoops ice cream mix doubled her sales. Costello also shares a critical lesson from a near-bankruptcy event with H.E.B. grocery store, emphasizing the importance of never fulfilling orders without a legally binding purchase order.
Guy Raz is joined by Che Wong, founder of Boxed, to help Christina Latroverse of Seagrass Pottery decide how to scale her local pottery studio and wholesale business nationally. Next, Hernan Lopez, founder of Wondery, advises Jim Kursley, founder of Lemur Strap, on whether to expand his direct-to-consumer camera strap sales into retail channels like B&H. Finally, David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue, helps Will Carroll, co-founder of Tool Club, figure out how to change consumer behavior to adopt their delivery-first tool rental model.
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