After stepping away from my pizza cone business—a venture I’d truly poured myself into—I took some time to travel through Southeast Asia, which was a much-needed break. But an achiever like me can’t sit still for long! Back in Edinburgh, I hit up a start-up festival, always on the lookout for the next big thing. That’s where I connected with two driven guys who were knee-deep in a vegan pulled pork project.
They heard about my manufacturing background and immediately saw an opportunity. “You’ve got the experience,” they said. “You should go to Vietnam, find a factory, and get this made!” Honestly, I was tired of the Scottish rain, and the idea of another adventure, another challenge to conquer, was exactly what I needed. They booked my ticket, and just like that, I was off to Vietnam. My mission? To network my way to the top food processing companies and find the perfect partner to bring our vegan pulled pork to life.
What I found was a bit of a reality check. Everything was incredibly hands-on, relying on manual labor, and the food processing industry there was still finding its feet. It became clear that scaling our vision in Vietnam, at least in those early days, wasn’t going to be the efficient win I’d hoped for.
Key Wins & What We Learned on the Road to Success
Even when the direct path isn’t the one you take, there are always valuable lessons to be extracted. This journey, while not ending in a Vietnamese factory, gave us crucial insights that are now fueling our success:
- Strategic Execution is Key: We learned the hard way that a clear roadmap and understanding the most cost-effective manufacturing approach are non-negotiable. Sometimes, the most efficient path is right in your own backyard.
- Own Your Narrative (and Your Sales!): Relying solely on big supermarkets? That’s a quick way for a brand to lose its spark. We realized the power of selling online to get real traction and connect directly with our customers. You build a buzz, you prove your concept, and then, maybe you think about the retail giants.
- The Dream Team Makes the Dream Work: This experience solidified the absolute necessity of having co-founders who are fully aligned on the mission. Everyone needs to know their role and play to their strengths. That’s how you build a powerhouse team ready to achieve anything.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from a project that didn’t go as planned but still taught you a ton?