#169 - "How to Take Advice" with Nikhil Arora

The Startup CPG Podcast · 12 Nov 2024 · 56m · Episode 93

What this episode covers

Nikhil Arora, co-founder and co-CEO of Back to the Roots, discusses the nuances of receiving and giving advice while scaling his organic gardening brand from a college project to a $100M retail business. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a 'North Star' purpose, the critical role of his co-founder relationship with Alejandro Velez, and the necessity of resilience in entrepreneurship. Arora shares specific lessons learned from mentors like Jony Ive and Michael Pollan, as well as costly mistakes involving rushed product launches and underestimating retail costs.

Mentioned

Companies
Back to the Roots, Home Depot, Nordstrom, Petco, Whole Foods, Annie's, Stony Field Farms, Urban Center, Nvidia, Apple
Products
Water Garden, Vitamix
Also
Jony Ive, Michael Pollan, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Gary Hirshberg, John Fork, Paul Stamets, Kickstarter

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • How I Built This · 1h 19m

    Back to the Roots: Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez

    Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez, co-founders of Back to the Roots, explain how they pivoted from a college project growing oyster mushrooms on coffee grounds to building a $100 million organic gardening brand. They detail their early bootstrapping strategy, the critical lesson learned from a failed Kickstarter launch of the AquaFarm (later Water Garden) that nearly bankrupted them, and their strategic shift to focus exclusively on lawn and garden products sold in big-box retailers like Home Depot and Walmart.

  • How I Built This · 41m

    Advice Line with Michelle Wahler of Beyond Yoga

    Michelle Wahler, co-founder and former CEO of Beyond Yoga, joins Guy Raz to offer advice to early-stage founders. She discusses the importance of focusing on sustainable growth rather than chasing a massive exit, and shares insights on building a brand through superior materials and emotional storytelling. The episode features calls from founders of Elective Study Abroad, Grace Ann Upholstery, and Sacred Pause Soap Company, who seek guidance on conversion, relationship repair, and digital marketing.

  • How I Built This · 44m

    Advice Line with Nick Green of Thrive Market

    Nick Green, co-founder and CEO of Thrive Market, joins Guy Raz to advise three founders: Mercedes Smith of Blackstrad Concert Attire, Danny Walsh of Peak State Coffee, and Riya Jane of Voice Back. Green discusses how Thrive Market uses data and AI to drive product selection and customer experience, while advising Mercedes on balancing quality with speed by focusing on a core product line. He counsels Danny on funding a mission-driven brand without compromising values, suggesting debt or equity from mission-aligned partners, and advises Riya on scaling awareness for her speech-loss app by targeting clinicians and influencers rather than broad ad channels.

  • How I Built This · 54m

    Thrive Market: Nick Green

    Nick Green, co-founder and CEO of Thrive Market, explains how he pivoted from selling his SAT prep company to building an online grocery marketplace after being rejected by dozens of VCs. He details the critical decision to raise seed capital from health bloggers and influencers like Mark Sisson and Wellness Mama, which allowed the company to maintain its mission-driven values. Green also discusses the operational challenges of scaling, including a failed tech build, the mistake of offering free coconut oil to acquire members, and the eventual path to profitability through private label products and sustainable operations.

  • How I Built This · 41m

    Advice Line: Growing Beyond Your Niche

    Guy Raz hosts a mashup Advice Line episode with Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Andrew Abraham of Orgain, and Brett Schulman of CAVA to advise three early-stage founders. Oni Colston of The WAMO Game seeks advice on building confidence and brand storytelling without a historical narrative. Ken Dauschmidt of Tear Restore asks how to educate customers at scale for a dry-eye product, receiving advice to shift from a medical to a lifestyle narrative. Adam Goldberg of A Gold Photo struggles with scaling his pet photography studio and delegating control, receiving guidance on hiring and systematizing.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Startup CPG Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.