Pilot Runs vs Production Runs

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Daniel Scharff speaks with Jamie Valenti-Jordan, CEO of Catapult Commercialization Services, a leader in food and beverage product development, scale-up, and manufacturing strategy. Jamie brings decades of experience guiding brands from concept to commercialization, and a mission-driven focus on helping innovators build sustainable food systems for a rapidly growing population.

Throughout the conversation, Jamie breaks down the realities of bringing products to market—from choosing the right product developer to navigating the complexities of frozen logistics, ingredient sourcing, and co-manufacturing partnerships. He offers clear, pragmatic frameworks for evaluating partners, managing risk, and building cost-effective operations, while emphasizing the importance of communication, collaboration, and long-term relationship building.

Daniel and Jamie also explore the structural challenges early-stage brands face when entering manufacturing environments not optimized for small batches, and why founders must understand the economics and constraints of their partners to negotiate effectively and scale responsibly.

Listen in as they discuss:

• How to identify and evaluate independent product developers
• Challenges and cost drivers in frozen DTC logistics
• Where and how emerging brands can source core ingredients
• Sampling strategies and pilot runs for early-stage commercialization
• The operational realities behind low minimum order quantities
• How co-manufacturers structure their costs and capacity planning
• Best practices for visiting facilities and developing working relationships
• Key considerations when reviewing co-packer contracts
• The role of transparency, expectations, and shared accountability

Episode Links
Website: https://www.catapultserv.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fvmh97c/ 

Product Developer Database Submissions: https://bit.ly/productdevelopers

epg contact: janele@enterprisepurchasing.com, mention Startup CPG

Join the Startup CPG Slack: startupcpg.com

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (30K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Daniel's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
• Episode music by Super Fantastics