Martin Holden-White, the founder of Grubby, (one of the highest-rated recipe kits in the UK) is on a mission to make plant-based cooking more accessible across the world.

In today’s episode, we discuss how he built his company from the ground up.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:30] Martin's personal background & journey
• [02:30] The inception & launch of Grubby (Before COVID hit)
• [04:20] The relaunch of Grubby
• [05:56] Competing with big players in the D2C space
• [07:39] Weaving sustainability into your business operations
• [09:30] Giving investors an idea to buy into
• [11:56] Getting the right investors for your startup
• [13:02] How to use angel fundraising & investment crowdfunding effectively
• [15:00] How to keep crowdfunding investors involved as advocates for your business
• [16:07] Grubby: From initial growth to profitability
• [18:39] Identifying your initial customer segment & scaling further as an early-stage founder
• [21:43] Marketing & Positioning: Messaging for different customer segments
• [22:40] The biggest challenge Martin faced as a founder
• [25:00] Importance of having a support system as an early-stage founder
• [26:25] Martin's advice on how to structure your life as a founder
• [30:35] Martin's advice for startups looking to become a B Corp
• [33:10 ] Grubby's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “Relentlessly seek feedback” [3:08]
• “Look for investors that you really get along with. They don’t just care about the money - it’s more about how they can help and be a mentor to you” [3:42]
• “Sustainability isn’t the cheapest thing to do, but customers hold value in it - that’s why they buy into our product & mission” [7:55]
• “The early stages as a founder is just about getting as much traction as you can ” [10:21]
• “In that early stage, when there’s very little traction & revenue, angels invest in you as an individual - a lot of it comes down to personality fit.” [11:19]
• “Bootstrapping 101 - Be unbelievably conscious about what you’re getting out of every pound you're spending.” [12:32]
• “The whole thing with crowdfunding is that the crowd follows. So if you have some angel investors already involved already it’ll be easier for them to  believe in your products” [14:25]
• "Word of mouth is the cheapest way to grow your business. Obvious, but overlooked" [15:47]
• “Have really clear pillars - spend time creating that on-page document with all the priorities you had at the start of the year. Look at it every so often to reorient yourself accordingly.” [27:40]”

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