How to Survive in a Niche Economy

So this was our first LIVE episode, which we recorded at Cosmic Coffee & Beer Garden in Austin, TX during SXSW. To everyone who came out and was there in the flesh, thank you thank you thank you and a special thanks to Marc Nathan for organizing the event as it was a ton of fun. I chatted with Jason Karp, Founder of Hu Kitchen, Hu Chocolate and CEO of HumanCo. HumanCo is a holding company that’s invested in healthy living. We’re going to learn more about their brands Snow Days, Against the grain and Cosmic Bliss. We discuss the rebrand of Coconut Bliss to Cosmic Bliss and question if there is a current bifurcation within the better for you movement.

Here are some of the questions I ask him:

1. How has your health journey shaped your professional journey?
2. Did you have experience in the CPG space before?
3. Was the goal always to start a chocolate company and eventually create other products?
4. Why did you sell Hu to Mondelez?
5. What is HumanCo?
6. When you think about introducing new products at HumanCo, what is your value system within better-for-you?
7. Your products, both at Hu and now HumanCo, are premium-priced. Can you talk about the pros/cons of premium pricing and why you believe people are willing to pay more?
8. A couple of years ago you acquired Coconut Bliss, which was a plant-based ice cream company. You recently decided to introduce dairy ice cream and rebrand Coconut Bliss to Cosmic Bliss. What was the thinking behind that decision?
9. What was the reaction?
10. Do you think there is a divide or polarization within BFY?
11. As we take a step back and look at the marketing/branding within better-for-you products overall, what marketing resonates with you and marketing that you don’t like?
12. What’s your approach?
13. It seems like the term “plant-based” is everywhere within the better-for-you space (it certainly was all over Expo West). Do you think the term has lost its meaning?
14. What are your thoughts about adding genetically modified ingredients to food to make it sustainable?
15. Do you consider lab-grown meat genetically modified?
16. What’s one part of the better-for-you movement that’s most misunderstood?
17. What’s one piece of advice that you have for founders in this current climate?