# R&D RADIO: Monte Ammons from Liquid Sherpas

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2026-05-11
- Length: 27m
- Episode: 304
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-05-11-r-d-radio-monte-ammons-from-liquid-sherpas
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/c1118302

## Summary

Monte Ammons, founder of Liquid Sherpas, explains why beverage founders should create a technical product brief before starting formulation to avoid costly errors. He shares how one client pivoted their product proposition by 35 degrees after analyzing the competitive landscape, avoiding a saturated market. Ammons emphasizes using AI as a research accelerator for supply chain and ingredient data, while deferring actual formula development to experienced formulators who understand natural ingredient complexities like sedimentation and seasonality.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Monte Ammons and Liquid Sherpas
2. Ammons' Career Arc: From Food Service to Dohler
3. The Case for Technical Product Briefs Over Immediate Formulation
4. Case Study: Pivoting a Client's Proposition by 35 Degrees
5. Managing Natural Ingredient Supply Chain Risks
6. AI as a Research Accelerator vs. Formulator
7. Advice for Early-Stage Founders and Scaling

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Liquid Sherpas (company)
- Coca-Cola (company)
- Community Coffee (company)
- Dohler (company)
- Sonic (company)
- Starbucks (company)
- Celsius (company)
- Poppi (company)
- ChatGPT (tool)

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- [Spindrift: Bill Creelman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-13-spindrift-bill-creelman) (How I Built This)
- [Hydro Flask: Travis Rosbach. How a thirsty surfer changed the water bottle industry](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-11-24-hydro-flask-travis-rosbach-how-a-thirsty-surfer-changed-the-water-bottle-industr) (How I Built This)
- [Guayakí Yerba Mate: David Karr and Chris Mann](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-11-28-guayaki-yerba-mate-david-karr-and-chris-mann) (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)
- [Advice Line with Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-08-08-advice-line-with-jim-koch-of-boston-beer-company) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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