Building Better-for-You Products That Actually Taste Good: The WHIMS Playbook for Premium CPG

Jesse Barruch cracked the code that stumps most better-for-you brands: creating a 1-gram sugar chocolate that actually tastes like the original. As co-founder of WHIMS, he’s proven that healthy alternatives don’t have to sacrifice on flavor—but getting there requires systematic operational excellence.

In this episode, Jesse breaks down the frameworks he’s developed to balance taste, health benefits, and manufacturing reality while building a premium CPG brand. You’ll get actionable insights for:
Product Development – His systematic approach to formulation when balancing competing constraints like taste, nutrition, cost, and shelf life
Manufacturing Partnerships – How to evaluate and manage co-manufacturers for complex specialty products
Ingredient Sourcing – Framework for balancing cost, functionality, and supply chain reliability with specialty ingredients
Retail Strategy – His approach to channel selection and retailer relationships in the premium better-for-you space
Unit Economics – Key financial metrics for managing premium ingredients and specialized manufacturing costs
Consumer Education – Systematic approach to overcoming skepticism and converting people to better-for-you alternatives

Whether you’re developing better-for-you products or just want to understand how to systematically innovate in established categories, Jesse’s frameworks will help you build products customers actually want to switch to.
Perfect for: CPG founders, product developers, anyone building premium consumer brands

Guest: Jesse Barruch – Co-Founder, WHIMS
Host: Samantha Rose – Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless CommerceThis episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.