Unit Economics

The Unit Economics Podcast

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How businesses actually work. Conversations with founders, operators, and investors about the decisions, economics, constraints, and tradeoffs behind the scenes. Hosted by Josh Stabinsky. 🎧 New episodes every week. 🌐 More at uepod.com Want to get in touch? hello@uepod.com

4 dgn geleden

[Springdale Ventures] Dan Graham & Mollye Santulli

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.
19 aug

[Alexandra Spitz] New Mom School

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.
12 aug

[Joy Supply] Lindsay Leopold

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.
5 aug

[Caro] Caroline McKay

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.
29 jul

[Noshi for Kids] Tomo Delaney

On today’s episode, I sit down with Tomo Delaney, founder of Noshi for Kids. Tomo started Noshi in 2015 with Food Paint, a line of fruit and vegetable purees that kids could use to decorate their food. Over the years, Food Paint made its way into Walmart and eventually onto Shark Tank, where Tomo struck a deal with Mark Cuban. Now, more than a decade later, Tomo is preparing to launch a new version of Food Paint, this time made with naturally colored frosting. In this conversation, we talk about what Tomo learned from building the original product, his experience selling through Walmart and appearing on Shark Tank, and what ultimately led him to rethink Food Paint. We also get into manufacturing, pricing, margins, the decision to start with DTC, and how Tomo is approaching the business differently with this new version of the product. I learned a lot during my conversation with Tomo, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
22 jul

[Biche] Alexandra Pauly

On today’s episode, I sit down with Alexandra Pauly, founder of Biche, a luxury pet grooming brand bringing beauty-industry standards to dog care. After working in fashion and beauty media, Alex started Biche out of frustration with the grooming products she was using on her own dog. She spent roughly a year and a half developing their first two products, and in April, went to market with a gentle shampoo and leave-in conditioning oil designed to be better for a dog’s skin and coat while creating a more enjoyable experience for the owner. In this conversation, we talk about what translates from human beauty into pet care, the challenge of developing a fragrance that works for both dogs and their owners, how Alex approached pricing without many direct comparisons, the roles of DTC and retail in the earliest stages of building the brand, as well as how she's thinking about customer acquisition, fundraising, and expanding the product line without losing focus. I learned a lot during my conversation with Alex, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
15 jul

[Brightland] Aishwarya Iyer

On today’s episode, I sit down with Aishwarya Iyer, founder and CEO of Brightland, a brand best known for its high-quality, California-sourced olive oils, vinegars, and other pantry items. Ash started Brightland after a career spanning beauty, technology, and venture capital, combining her interest in olive oil with a desire to build products that encourage people to live a little more offline. Eight years later, Brightland has become one of the most recognized names in the space while managing to remain remarkably deliberate about how the business grows. In this conversation, we talk about the realities of entering the olive oil industry without a traditional food background, how Ash approached pricing and product development, as well as why she's been so selective about retail expansion. We also discuss gifting, collaborations, fundraising, personnel management, and how her approach to building Brightland has evolved over time. Without giving away too much, I think Ash’s philosophy is one of the most unique I’ve come across to date, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I learned a lot during our conversation. As always, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
8 jul

[MAHSA CHAI®] Mahsa Darabi

On today’s episode, I sit down with Mahsa Darabi, founder of MAHSA CHAI®, a premium chai company built around high-quality ingredients, and a powdered format designed to be easier for both consumers and cafes. What started as a personal blend Mahsa made for herself during a period of postpartum anxiety eventually became a product people in her community kept asking for, and today MAHSA CHAI® has moved from hand-filled tins and local pop-ups to retail, cafes, production partners, and customers across the country. In this conversation, we talk about what actually goes into making chai at scale: sourcing dozens of premium ingredients, working with spice and tea suppliers, how tariffs, packaging, and shipping create real fragility for small food businesses, and why MAHSA CHAI® has chosen a powdered chai format instead of the concentrates most cafes use. We also get into pricing, margins, consumer education, retail expansion, the decision to launch a caffeinated blend, and what it means to scale a business while staying extremely protective of the product, the customer, and the values behind the brand. I learned a lot during my conversation with Mahsa, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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How businesses actually work. Conversations with founders, operators, and investors about the decisions, economics, constraints, and tradeoffs behind the scenes. Hosted by Josh Stabinsky. 🎧 New episodes every week. 🌐 More at uepod.com Want to get in touch? hello@uepod.com

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The Unit Economics Podcast
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2025 - 2026
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59
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© The Unit Economics Podcast
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Unit Economics

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