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On today's episode, I sit down with Katie Douglas, founder of Running Wylder, a running store in San Francisco, or as she puts it, a store that happens to sell running stuff. In this conversation, we talk about how, after nearly twenty years in fashion, one bad trip to buy shorts pushed Katie to open the kind of running store she wished existed. We get into how a layoff sped up her plans, what it took to get the doors open, and why the store has become as much about community as it is about gear. We also get into why Running Wylder doesn't offer gait analysis, how a croissant named Krusty ended up on the store's shirts, the role her Substack plays for the business, and where she sees things heading from here. I learned a lot during my conversation with Katie, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This episode is brought to you in part by Rho, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at uepod.com/rho. Terms apply.

Jones Soda Co. started in snowboard shops and tattoo parlors, anywhere Coke and Pepsi wouldn't go. It printed customers' photos on its labels, sold Turkey & Gravy soda at Thanksgiving, and became one of the coolest drinks of the 2000s. Then, in 2007, it spent millions to get its cans into grocery stores across the country. Two years later, a rival offered to buy it for thirty cents a share. In the first episode of Shelf Stable, a new series from Unit Economics about famous brands with forgotten or under-discussed stories, I tell the story of how Jones built a cult following, what happened when it paid for a spot on the shelf, and where the company is today. Jones is one of my favorite brands from the late 90s / early 2000s, so needless to say I had a lot of fun putting this one together and learned quite a bit while doing it. As this is the first installment in the series, let me know what you think! This episode is brought to you in part by ⁠Rho⁠, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at uepod.com/rho. Terms apply.

On today's episode, I sit down with Max Spero, co-founder of Pangram, a company developing software to help detect AI-generated content. In this conversation, we talk about why Pangram's first product, built for college essays, initially found no buyers, how they subsequently landed Quora as a marquee customer, and how the self-serve side of the business now accounts for the majority of the company's revenue. We also get into why Pangram indexes on false positives, what it takes to train bigger models and detect AI-generated images, and Max's vision for where it all goes from here. I learned a lot from my conversation with Max, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This episode is brought to you in part by Rho, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at uepod.com/rho. Terms apply.

On today's episode, I sit down with Damian Primis, founder of Primis Imports, a company that brings extra virgin olive oil and other Mediterranean pantry goods to the U.S. Damian is a Juilliard-trained bassoonist who started the business when the pandemic put live performances on hold. What began as a single shipment of olive oil, which he distributed mostly to friends and fellow musicians, has grown into a brand sold in hundreds of stores across the country. In this conversation, we get into what it took to turn that side project into a real importing business, from working with freight forwarders and insuring every shipment to working around the annual olive harvest. Lastly, we discuss how his branding opened doors with retailers, why olive oil, which is expensive to produce and hard to mark up, leaves so little room for error, and why, as he expands into more major retail, keeping up with demand without sacrificing quality becomes a real challenge. I learned a lot during my conversation with Damian, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This episode is brought to you in part by Rho, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at uepod.com/rho. Terms apply.

On today’s episode, I sit down with ⁠Whitney Rowell⁠, founder of ⁠Miracle Mama⁠, a functional food company best known for its lactation cookies, which are designed to help support milk supply for breastfeeding moms. Whitney started the business after discovering that, unbeknownst to her, a cookie recipe she'd posted to her personal blog a year and a half earlier had attracted hundreds of thousands of hits, driven largely by engagement on Pinterest. In this conversation, we get into how she turned that recipe into a business, the challenges of manufacturing and distributing fresh-baked cookies, and how developing a shelf-stable version opened the door to Amazon and traditional retail. We also discuss Miracle Mama’s approach to customer acquisition and retention, the role of gifting in driving repeat purchases, and Whitney’s plans to expand into new products that support women through different stages of their lives. I learned a lot during my conversation with Whitney, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. For a limited time, Miracle Mama is offering listeners of the show 20% off their orders at ⁠miraclemama.com⁠ with code UEPOD. This episode is brought to you in part by ⁠Rho⁠, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at ⁠uepod.com/rho⁠. Terms apply.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Mikey Deegan, founder of Mikey’s Pies, a New York-based business selling frozen savory pies directly to consumers. In this conversation, we get into how Mikey went from running a small sandwich pop-up to building a pie business, why the company’s early drop model worked so well for managing cash flow and demand, and what has to change as he moves toward making the pies available whenever customers want them. We also discuss how Mikey sources ingredients, how working out of a commercial kitchen changes the economics of production, and how he thinks about pricing, margins, and fulfillment as the business grows. Lastly, we talk about how Mikey has built a repeat purchase rate above 50 percent without spending anything on paid marketing, winning at the National Pie Championships, and his long-term ambition to make savory pies a much bigger part of the American diet. I learned a lot during my conversation with Mikey, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This episode is brought to you in part by ⁠Rho⁠, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at ⁠uepod.com/rho⁠. Terms apply.

On today's episode, I sit down with Caroline Dai, founder of TofuGo, a brand making shelf-stable, savory tofu snacks inspired by Chinese dried tofu, packaged in a jerky-style pouch. TofuGo launched around March of this year, went viral about two weeks in, and has been figuring out how to turn that attention into a product people understand once it hits a real shelf. In this conversation, we talk about why shelf-stable tofu is hard to manufacture, what actually worked in those early weeks of virality, and why aisle placement does a lot of the customer education social media can't do on its own. We also get into packaging constraints, where the business sits today, and what Caroline is aiming for in the category. I learned a lot during our conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This episode is brought to you in part by ⁠Rho⁠, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at ⁠uepod.com/rho⁠. Terms apply.

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Mehul Nariyawala, co-founder of Matic Robots, a home robotics company building one of the most advanced robot vacuums on the market. Mehul started Matic in 2017 after becoming frustrated with the limitations of existing robot vacuums, but it would take roughly seven years before the company actually began shipping product. In this conversation, we talk about why robotics is so much harder than traditional hardware (which is already hard to begin with), why Matic chose to rely on cameras instead of a more sensor-heavy approach, and what it means to build a product while betting that the underlying technology improves over time. We also get into Matic’s decision to manufacture domestically, how the company thinks about pricing and recurring revenue, and how something as small as a supplier changing the glue inside a motor can throw off an entire production schedule. Lastly, we talk about what Matic has actually learned from having robots inside real homes, why consumers have so little tolerance for mistakes on seemingly simple tasks, and some of the lessons Mehul took from working with Tony Fadell at Nest. I learned a lot during my conversation with Mehul, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This episode is brought to you in part by ⁠Rho⁠, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at ⁠uepod.com/rho⁠. Terms apply.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Cristina Ashbaugh, co-founder of Yardsale, an outdoor apparel and equipment brand, and Double Black, its recently opened coffee shop / retail space in San Francisco. Yardsale started with a pair of magnetic ski poles, but in less than three years has expanded into bags, apparel, owned retail, and now coffee. In this conversation, we talk about why something as simple as adding magnets to a ski pole created a surprisingly difficult manufacturing problem, how a viral TikTok and a Fast Company article helped accelerate the company almost immediately after launch, and what Yardsale’s experience on Shark Tank actually did for the business. We get into how their mix of revenue has shifted over time, how Cristina and her co-founder think about expanding into new categories, and why wholesale has become a smaller part of the business than they originally expected. Lastly, we talk about Double Black specifically, how a search for warehouse space turned into a coffee shop and retail store, the economics of operating the space, and why staying independent has given Yardsale more flexibility in deciding where to take the business. I learned a lot during my conversation with Cristina, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This episode is brought to you in part by ⁠Rho⁠, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at ⁠uepod.com/rho⁠. Terms apply.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Alex Brands, founder of Rite of Way, a Brooklyn-based fragrance brand. Alex spent more than a decade in brand strategy, including time at Gin Lane and Mad Happy, before launching Right of Way about a year ago. In this conversation, we get into how he evaluated fragrance as a category before deciding to enter it, what the process of developing a scent actually looks like, and how he thought about both demand forecasting, and pricing pre-launch. We also get into building brand equity when you’re competing in the premium end of the market, why Rite of Way has deliberately launched new scents at a metered pace, and why Alex has come to see retail as one of the most important parts of the company’s growth. I learned a lot during my conversation with Alex, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This episode is brought to you in part by ⁠Rho⁠, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at ⁠uepod.com/rho⁠. Terms apply.

Jacob Afriat is the Managing Partner at Great Circle Ventures, an early-stage investment firm focused on food, beverage, and consumer health. In this episode, we break down how Great Circle decides which emerging brands are actually venture-backable. Jacob explains what he looks for in founders, growth, margins, retail velocity, repeat purchasing, and capital efficiency, why a fast-growing company can still have unhealthy economics, and why Great Circle would rather pass on a lot of sevens and eights to be ready for the occasional nine or ten. We also talk about how packaging and branding can become real investment signals, how Great Circle approaches valuations and follow-on capital, why the firm sometimes passes on a company only to invest later, the role design agencies play in sourcing new brands, and what Jacob has learned from both the investments Great Circle has made and the ones it missed. I learned a lot during my conversation with Jacob, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This episode is brought to you in part by ⁠Rho⁠, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at ⁠uepod.com/rho⁠. Terms apply.

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Dan Graham and Mollye Santulli of Springdale Ventures. Springdale invests in early-stage consumer brands, and I wanted to use this conversation to understand how the investing side of the industry actually works. In this conversation, we walk through the entire lifecycle of a deal, from how a company first gets on their radar to the metrics they look at, how they evaluate founders, how they think about valuation, and what can ultimately cause them to pass. We also get into portfolio construction, follow-on investing, how they underwrite, and what their role looks like after the check is written. I learned a lot during my conversation with Mollye and Dan, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This episode is brought to you in part by ⁠Rho⁠, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at ⁠uepod.com/rho⁠. Terms apply.

Alexandra Spitz is the founder of New Mom School, an in-person postpartum education business that has grown from one Orange County studio to 26 locations across 18 states. In this conversation, we talk about why Alex chose franchising over opening company-owned locations, how she selects markets and franchisees, why newborn classes are capped at 14 moms, how pricing and customer acquisition work, and what it takes to train instructors and create a consistent experience across a rapidly growing network. We also get into what Alex learned from scaling the franchise quickly, and how her thinking about who makes a good franchisee has changed along the way. I learned a lot during our conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This episode is brought to you in part by ⁠Rho⁠, a paid partner of the show. Rho is the modern banking platform built for the AI era. Startups and growth-stage companies can open accounts in minutes, issue cards, manage expenses, pay bills, and close the books, all in one connected platform, backed by real human support that founders love. Right now, qualified Unit Economics listeners can get $100 when they open and fund an account at ⁠uepod.com/rho⁠. Terms apply.

Lindsay Leopold is the founder of Joy Supply, a cookie brand focused on making a great-tasting, better-for-you product while creating more demand for regeneratively grown ingredients. In this conversation, we talk about how an oat cookie recipe from Lindsay’s great-grandfather’s 1908 bakery became a starting point for the product, what it took to develop the final recipe and bring it into commercial production, sourcing regenerative ingredients, and finding a co-manufacturer willing to work with a more custom supply chain. We also discuss why Lindsay completely reworked the brand after getting feedback on early samples, how she thought about packaging and pricing, why Joy Supply is primarily focused on retail rather than DTC, and what the company is already learning about inventory, forecasting, fulfillment, and distribution as it grows. Finally, Lindsay shares how she thinks about new flavors, certifications, fundraising, and deciding which parts of the business are worth holding onto and which she’s willing to change as she learns. I learned a lot during my conversation with Lindsay, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today's episode, I sit down with Caroline McKay, the founder of Caro, a PR agency focused on design and hospitality. Before starting the firm in 2020, Caroline worked on both the agency and in-house sides of public relations, including running communications for Soho House across North America. In this conversation, Caroline explains what a PR agency actually does, why even Caro’s most established clients still receive roughly 90% of their opportunities through active pitching, and why every successful pitch needs to answer one question: why now? We discuss what makes a company ready to invest in PR, the materials and founder participation required to support a campaign, and how Caro decides which potential clients are likely to be a good fit. Finally, Caroline shares how smaller editorial teams, affiliate commerce, podcasts, Substack, AI, and changing media habits are affecting the way brands earn attention. I learned so much during my conversation with Caroline, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.