Tardigrades, not unicorns

Elliot Begoun
  • 5.0 (22)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

From Start Up to Scale. Bringing together the Natural Product industry's founders, experts, buyers, and legends, we discuss how to build Tardigrades, not Unicorns, nimble, capital-efficient, resilient brands that scale.

  1. Jul 31

    Encore Episode: Building Capital-Efficient CPG Brands

    Host Elliott Begound sits down with Nick McCoy (Whipstitch Capital) and Chris Fenster (Propeller Industries) to challenge the CPG industry's obsession with unicorn-style, hyper-funded growth. Drawing on hard data from hundreds of brands, they unpack a different path: capital-efficient, fundamentals-first "tardigrade" companies that build resilience instead of chasing the next round. Topics covered: How the M&A landscape has shifted — from strategics to private equity to SPACsWhy COVID accelerated e-commerce and forced a rethink of DTC valuationsThe data behind two founder cohorts: companies that burned $1 for every $1 of revenue vs. those that raised just $5M to hit $20M — and why the efficient group often ends up wealthierGross margin, trade spend, and SG&A benchmarks at the $20M revenue markEBITDA multiples across categories and what drives brand premiumsAligning with the right investor DNA, and why founders are "inventory" to LPsAlternative growth channels (food service, corporate campuses) for efficient customer acquisitionWhy companies fail: over-funding, under-hiring, and unrealistic margin assumptionsUsing debt strategically — asset-backed lending vs. equity for growthParting advice: "Stay lean" and preserve founder optionality

  2. Jul 16

    Laurel Orley on Nice vs. Kind, Radical Focus, and Scaling Daily Crunch Snacks

    In this episode of Tardigrades, Not Unicorns, Elliot sits down with Laurel Orley, Chief Crunch Officer and co-founder of Daily Crunch Snacks, to talk about what it really takes to build a durable business — not a unicorn. Laurel shares the origin story of launching a sprouted nut snack company with her aunt Diane during the pandemic, and how a chance question at Expo West ("Where do you see Daily Crunch 100 years from now?") reshaped her long-term thinking. From there, the conversation dives deep into: The difference between being nice and being kind as a founder, and why the hardest business decisions require the latterWhy vulnerability — not corporate polish — is the real engine of entrepreneurial growthScaling through the five dimensions of leadership: inner evolution, radical focus, team & systems, energy management, and operating disciplineHow Daily Crunch runs on EOS/Traction principles — quarterly rocks, 5-7 KPIs, weekly leadership check-insBuilding a team culture around transparency, mental health days, and "bad news early, good news often"Energy management as "the hidden currency" of a company, and Laurel's own morning routine for protecting itWhy cash conversion cycle and contribution margin are the two KPIs Laurel watches like a hawk on the road to breakevenEmbracing "seasons" instead of chasing constant work-life balanceWhether you're bootstrapping a CPG brand or leading a scaling team, this conversation is packed with hard-won lessons on staying grounded while growing fast.

  3. Jul 16

    Radical Focus: How Bobo's Built a $100M Business Without Chasing Trends

    Bobo's CEO TJ McIntyre joins the show to unpack how a self-manufactured, Colorado-based baked goods company grew from $7.5M to over $100M in revenue over the past decade — without formulating to macros or chasing fads. TJ shares why Bobo's bets everything on taste over trend-chasing nutrition claims, why radical focus on just two categories (nutrition bars and wholesome snacks) has been the company's biggest growth unlock, and why self-manufacturing is the key to both margin and quality control. He also explains how Bobo's uses EOS to keep 14 teams aligned around clear quarterly objectives, and how he balances being "in the weeds" on manufacturing KPIs with stepping back to build organizational capacity. The conversation turns personal as TJ opens up about the toll of leading through a tougher growth environment than Bobo's has seen in years, his daily spiritual practice (Stoicism, service work, life coaches) for managing energy, and why he believes money ranks low on what actually motivates people to stay at a company. He closes with hard-won lessons on building for optionality rather than chasing a single exit outcome — because the "wave" of scaling a company today is longer and harder to time than ever. Topics covered: Scaling from $7.5M to $100M+ without a trend tailwindWhy taste beats macros in a GLP-1-obsessed marketThe power of category focus and self-manufacturingRunning the business on EOS across 14 teamsBalancing "doer," "architect," and capacity-builder roles as CEOSpiritual practice and energy management for leadersWhat actually motivates employees (hint: not money)Building for optionality instead of a single exit outcome

  4. Jul 2

    Building Optionality, Not Just an Exit with Matt Weiss

    In this episode of Tardigrades, Not Unicorns, Elliot sits down with longtime friend Matt Weiss, founder and CEO of Rind, the better-for-you snacking brand built on whole-fruit nutrition. Matt shares his journey from 19 years as a Wall Street research analyst to building a CPG company from a nights-and-weekends side project into a vertically integrated manufacturing platform, Keep It Real Foods. Matt and Elliot dig into: Leaving a stable career on Wall Street for the "riskier" path of staying safe, and the mentor conversation that gave him the confidence to jumpWhy discomfort and groundlessness are signals of growth, not warning signsBuilding tailwinds into the business model from day one (convenience, sustainability, food waste reduction) to survive unpredictable headwinds like COVIDThe strategic case for vertical integration — acquiring a Vermont manufacturing facility and how one deal snowballed into a broader platforming strategyShifting from "grow at all costs" to building a durable, EBITDA-positive business focused on optionality rather than a predetermined exitBalancing focus and diversification: competing internally for manufacturing capacity and making trade-offs on where Rind shows upEvolving from "doer" to "architect" to "builder of capacity" as a leader, and what that shift requiredWhy human judgment, discernment, and relationship-building are the edge that AI can't replicateParenting, boundaries, and blending family with business-buildingAdvice for founders chasing "lightning in a bottle": build for relevance past year three, not just fast tractionConnect with Matt Weiss and learn more about Rind and Keep It Real Foods. Learn more about Tardigrades, Not Unicorns at tigbrands.com.

  5. Jun 25

    The Messy Middle: How Miguel Leal Built Somos Foods on Repeat Rates, Margins, and Radical Resilience

    In this episode, Elliot Bisnow sits down with Miguel Leal, co-founder and CEO of Somos Foods — a better-for-you Mexican food brand now in 9,000+ U.S. stores. Miguel shares what it really takes to build from zero when you've spent a career scaling established brands like KIND Bars, Kettle Chips, and Cholula. This conversation gets real about the emotional weight of entrepreneurship, the discipline required to survive the messy middle, and what it means to build a company that lasts. Topics covered: Building Somos from a pandemic side project to a retail stapleWhy Miguel pivoted from D2C to retail — and what almost broke the businessThe "50/50 Rule": how chasing 50% repeat rate + 50% margin became their north starCutting SKUs, tightening focus, and the power of saying noManaging energy — his own and his team's — as a founderMeditation, faith, and why Miguel credits his morning routine with getting through the hardest yearsThe Doer → Architect → Capacity Builder leadership arcWhy 80% of board conversations are about people, not numbersThe founder dinner group that kept Miguel from quittingWhy everyone else is crying too — and the danger of LinkedIn veneersResources mentioned: Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull (Pixar)Numerator / SPINS for repeat rate trackingConnect with Miguel: miguel@somosfoods.comLinkedIn: Miguel LealLearn more: tigbrands.com

  6. Jun 18

    Building a Durable Fermented Foods Empire with Jorge Azevedo of Fermented Food Holdings

    Elliot sits down with Jorge Azevedo, CEO of Fermented Food Holdings (FFH), to talk about what it really takes to build a lasting, scalable food business through acquisition, integration, and relentless operational discipline. FFH was built through four acquisitions between 2022–2023, making it the largest producer of sauerkraut and kimchi in North America across retail, food service, club, and industrial channels. Jorge shares hard-won lessons from integrating founder-led and multi-generational family businesses — including a fifth-generation farm in Bear Creek, Wisconsin. Topics covered: Integration & culture change — Why you can't force culture, and how FFH earned buy-in from a tight-knit community and the family farmers they rely onOperating discipline — Building financial visibility first, then ownership of the numbers, then driving resultsThe CEO's three roles — Doer, architect, and builder of capacity — and how to know which one to beEnergy management — Transparency as the antidote to burnout, and why "creative abrasion" keeps teams sharpInnovation vs. incrementality — Why FFH had to say no to dozens of ideas to successfully launch Fermented Beans at Whole FoodsInner evolution as a leader — The learner's mindset, working toward your own obsolescence, and keeping family as the foundation that grounds everythingConnect with FFH: Look for their brands at Whole Foods and natural grocery retailers nationwide. FFH's mission: double the number of Americans eating fermented foods in the next five years.

  7. Jun 3

    You Are Your Own Best Mentor: Will Nitze of IQBAR on Building a Durable Brand in an Un-durable World

    In this episode, Elliot sits down with Will Nitze, founder and CEO of IQBAR — a brain and body nutrition platform offering bars, bites, hydration, and mushroom coffee now in over 15,000 retail doors. What starts as an origin story quickly becomes a masterclass in building a resilient, capital-efficient consumer brand through one of the most disruptive decades in recent memory. Topics covered: How a Harvard grad turned a paleo diet epiphany and a copy of Grain Brain into a national CPG brandThe "PR answer" vs. the real reason Will started IQBARWhy retail eclipsed e-com as the dominant growth vector — and how the company got to Walmart before many thought it was "ready"The doer → architect → capacity builder evolution of entrepreneurial leadership, and why external chaos (pandemics, keto trends, GLP-1s, tariffs, cocoa prices) kept Will in "founder mode" well into year eightEnergy management as a hidden currency — and the wall that comes for every founder who thinks they're immuneWhy IQBAR runs on ~15 people for a business its size, and the "energy in, revenue out" framework for channel selectionThe myth of the step-by-step retail ladder (and why you can go to Walmart sooner than you think)Optionality as the only real finish line for entrepreneursWill's closing conviction: there is no playbook, and you are your own best mentor

  8. May 29

    Building SIMPLi: Family, Mission, and Regenerative Food

    In this episode, Elliot sits down with Sarela Herrada and Matthew Cohen, the husband-and-wife co-founders of SIMPLi— the leading regenerative organic certified pantry staples brand known for their heirloom beans, single-origin grains, and premium olive and avocado oils. What started with a tent pitched on the border of Peru and Bolivia, a view of Lake Titicaca, and a quinoa harvest has grown into a purpose-driven business spanning 13 countries, with offices in Philadelphia and Lima. But the real story here is everything that had to happen alongside the business — three kids under three, a culture reset, a global pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and now tariffs. Sarela and Matt open up about: The origin of SIMPLi— from Sarela's upbringing in Peru and her early experience with the American food system to the moment the company was bornWhy they had to stop leading with sustainability and start leading with product attributes (including the nutrient density data that's turning heads)The fundamentals that saved them: gross margin, EBITDA, and contribution margin as their North Star KPIsThe evolution of leadership — from doer to architect to builder of capacity — and what it takes to not get stuckHow they approach energy management, resilience, and showing up for their team when the business is all-consumingThe culture reset that changed everything, including their eight norms frameworkWhat's keeping them up at night: capital access, new SKU launches, and the pantry club at eatSIMPLi.comTheir vision for SIMPLi as the gold standard in regenerative food — and Matt's goal of a one-night camping trip with the familyThis one is for every entrepreneur navigating the beautiful mess of building something meaningful while also trying to be present for the people you love most.

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5
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About

From Start Up to Scale. Bringing together the Natural Product industry's founders, experts, buyers, and legends, we discuss how to build Tardigrades, not Unicorns, nimble, capital-efficient, resilient brands that scale.

Information

  • Creator
    Elliot Begoun
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    147
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Elliot Begoun
  • Show Website
    Tardigrades, not unicorns