How One Entrepreneur Pivoted To Get His Product Into 10,000 StoresJesse Wolfe created a delicious hummus that people loved, but he struggled to make big sales. Then he spotted the opportunity in his failure.
ByJason Feifer•Originally published
This story appears in theDecember 2019issue of雷竞技手机版.Subscribe »
Jesse Wolfe had a crazyidea: He wanted to build the Ben & Jerry's of hummus. He created a brand calledO'Dang Hummusin 2014, whipped up some wacky flavors, and started selling at farmers' markets.Customersloved it. New employees eagerly joined to help O'Dang grow. Friends and family invested, sharing Wolfe'svision.
Then, three years later, he gathered all his employees and partners to make an announcement: They were no longer selling hummus. "We had the whole room up in arms, especially investors," Wolfe says. "They were like, "We invested in a hummus company! We bought the hummus dream! I don't understand!' "
He had a good reason. He'd just gone through one of the hardest transitions an entrepreneur can make -- when you test the market, discover flaws in your original plan, and realize that survival will require radical change. But as Wolfe learned, there's also a bright side to this process. Oftentimes, while the first plan is failing, an entrepreneur can spot a far better opportunity along the way.