In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Caitlin Bricker speaks with Lucy Dana, founder of One Trick Pony, the peanut butter brand revolutionizing a pantry staple with innovative packaging. Lucy shares her journey from tech and coffee operations to launching a two-ingredient peanut butter made with Argentinian peanuts, offering practical insights on product development, retail growth, and the power of solving real customer problems.
Together, they discuss Lucy's pivot from standard jars to groundbreaking upside-down packaging that eliminates oil separation, the importance of listening to customer feedback, and how viral social media success (6 million combined views!) led to inbound retailer interest. Lucy also reflects on her experience at Uber and Blue Bottle Coffee, the challenges of being a solo founder managing everything from co-manufacturer searches to suitcase mishaps, and why focusing on mass appeal over artisanal positioning opened doors to club retailers and conventional channels.
Packed with candid stories about operational headaches, packaging innovation, and the reality of scaling from natural to mass retail, this conversation is essential listening for founders navigating product-market fit, anyone passionate about differentiation in crowded categories, and those learning to balance lean operations with growth ambitions.
Tune in now to learn how solving a simple but annoying problem can transform your business trajectory and create authentic retailer demand.
Listen in as they share about:
- One Trick Pony's Origin Story & Argentinian Peanuts
- The Upside-Down Jar Innovation & Development Process
- Solving Customer Pain Points vs. Being Just a "Cute Brand"
- Viral Social Media Success & Inbound Retailer Interest
- Transitioning from Natural to Mass & Club Retail
- Operations Background at Uber & Blue Bottle Coffee
- Solo Founder Realities & Fractional Team Strategy
- E-Commerce vs. Retail Balance & Growth Plans
- Messaging Evolution & Product Differentiation
- Dream Collaborations & What's Next
Episode Links
Website:https://onetrickponynuts.com/?srsltid=AfmBOor3bLIUGMRSEz-K6RuqGpZpLu3Re4-zI4piEslHpZokf5jOjhVw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onetrickponynuts/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-dana-72531658
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 (20K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
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