Live Episode! RXBAR: Peter Rahal
Peter Rahal, founder of RXBAR, and his co-founder Jared Smith explain how they launched a protein bar company in 2013 by targeting the CrossFit community with a minimal-ingredient product made in a Cuisinart. They bootstrapped the business with $10,000, selling directly to gyms and online, and eventually scaled to $36 million in sales before Kellogg's acquired RXBAR for $600 million in 2017. Rahal details the critical decision to dump $300,000–$400,000 worth of inventory due to shelf-life stability issues with an early co-packer, a move that preserved brand integrity despite causing a temporary stockout.