Katlin Smith joins Guy Raz on the Advice Line to help founders decide when to go all-in. Three callers bring real scaling dilemmas: Scott's spent-grain pretzel line is stalled by co-manufacturing limits, Tim's Kentucky hot sauce has demand but not enough cash flow, and Marissa's silicone pet-products brand needs one focused marketing bet after spreading a small budget too thin. Smith answers with the same practical filters she used to grow Simple Mills: match the product to what contract manufacturers can run, prove taste and economics first, and concentrate limited dollars in the narrowest channel where buyers already are.
Upcycle Foods Co. turns surplus ingredients like brewers' spent grain into better-for-you food products, headquartered in Minneapolis.
2 episodes