# #168 - CPG Founder Life - What to Expect: Paul Voge

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2024-11-05
- Length: 1h 07m
- Episode: 91
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-11-05-168-cpg-founder-life-what-to-expect-paul-voge
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/8d48c97e

## Summary

Paul Voge, Co-Founder and CEO of Aura Bora, a craft sparkling water brand, details his journey from launching in 2019 to reaching 10,000 stores by 2024. He explains the structural unprofitability of the beverage industry due to distributor margins and the lack of vertical integration compared to giants like Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Voge discusses the operational nightmares of physical goods, including a $400,000 loss from exploding cans and a truck frozen in Texas, while emphasizing that fundraising consumes over half his time. He advises founders to pursue CPG only for the creative fulfillment of building something tangible, warning against the expectation of quick profits or easy scaling.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Paul Voge and Aura Bora's Growth
2. Product Differentiation: Citric Acid and Taste Profile
3. Industry Economics: Why Beverage Startups Struggle with Profitability
4. Early Days: Distribution, Sales, and Cash Flow Challenges
5. Operational Nightmares: Exploding Cans and Frozen Trucks
6. Scaling Stress: Forecasting, Fundraising, and Retailer Dynamics
7. Founder Mindset: Opportunity Cost and Long-Term Expectations

## Topics

- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Founder wellbeing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/founder-wellbeing)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Aura Bora (product)
- LaCroix (product)
- Coca-Cola (company)
- Pepsi (company)
- Liquid Death (product)
- Poppy (product)
- Sprouts (company)
- Walmart (company)
- Kroger (company)
- Siete (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Spindrift: Bill Creelman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-13-spindrift-bill-creelman) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Bill Creelman of Spindrift](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-11-27-advice-line-with-bill-creelman-of-spindrift) (How I Built This)
- [Liquid Death: Mike Cessario](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-01-22-liquid-death-mike-cessario) (How I Built This)
- [259 - It's definitely NOT beer with Not Beer founder Dillon Dandurand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-05-01-259-its-definitely-not-beer-with-not-beer-founder-dillon-dandurand) (People of Packaging)
- [Advice Line with Brett Schulman of CAVA (July 2024)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-01-02-advice-line-with-brett-schulman-of-cava-july-2024) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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