This is The Baking Soda Playbook
The Baking Soda Playbook: For early-stage startups on the rise
Welcome to the Baking Soda Playbook!
During our VC time meeting early stage startups, we’ve noticed a pattern that many successful startups share some of these special attributes of baking soda. We collected a handful of CEOs, operators, VCs and other experts to share lessons they learned. These startups, much like a rising loaf, are growing and developing, and we want to share their experiences with you all.
Why baking soda?
Well, take a second and think about the powder. As a consumer, you could agree that:
It has a tonne of use cases and somehow brands manage to keep finding new ways to sell it. It can be used for baking, cleaning, freshening, whitening, drying, deodorizing, soothing, easing, exfoliating, erasing, drying, preserving and brightening. It can be packaged to fit the need and the impact just keeps coming.
It is absolutely critical without exception. In our houses, we don’t run out of baking soda, and we always keep an extra box. Don’t you?
It always finds new uses. Actually, consumers find new uses. The number of times that we’ve searched for a pain point and found baking soda as the solution is astounding. The product can be innovated efficiently and the list of applications grows as problems become more complex.
It always works and doesn’t need changing. Regardless of whether you want to raise a cake, remove a smell, or whiten your teeth, nothing beats it on efficacy to value ratio.
It is found EVERYWHERE: Go on Amazon, browse your local hardware shops, fill up gas and shop for supplies at grocery stores – it is omnipresent. It doesn’t just depend on certain channels, and its breadth of distribution is a superpower.
Anyone can use it: It isn’t expensive and works in all climates. It is for all walks of life, and we all know about it. It is inclusive.
It’s apparent that many of these traits are relevant and aspirational on your CEO journey. It is critical for early growth. Many podcasts focus on companies that have proven successful, and while those are extremely valuable, it’s important to highlight our heroines and heroes at critical points in their journey. They are learning to be like baking soda.