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- Xeddy Tip Of The Week #9
Xeddy Tip Of The Week #9
This week's tips come from the founders of Sweetgreen. They spoke on NPR's "How I Built This" and shared key insights to their success. Check out our read below.
Basil Udo
January 06, 2024
TIPS TO GROW YOUR FOOD BUSINESS
Xeddy Suggestions
Facilitated by Basil Udo · Jan 06, 2024 · 2 min read
Hi, welcome to 2024! Thanks for your interest in receiving tips. This weekly push is meant to share knowledge among business owners like yourself.
Tips Of The Week
Create a culture of it is safe to fail, it is okay to try things.
Go as far as you can see. Once you get there, you can see further.
- Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman, Sweetgreen
About Sweetgreen + Tips Context
Credit: Cornetia Li for NPR
This past weekend, I tuned into the NPR podcast "How I Built This with Guy Raz." The episode featured an interview with Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman, two of the three founders of Sweetgreen. They shared their journey, starting from their days at Georgetown University in 2003 and their meeting with Nathaniel Ru, the third founder. The episode focused on how the limited food options at Georgetown and the mandatory food plan inspired them to offer a healthier alternative for students. They also talked about the initial skepticism they faced due to their youth and how they eventually dispelled the notion that Sweetgreen was merely “a school project.”
Given the widespread interest in healthy food, they expanded beyond the academic setting, opening fast-casual salad shops in Washington D.C., followed by other cities like New York and Los Angeles. They emphasized the need for adaptation and the development of efficient, rapid processes to meet customer demands. This required embracing untested solutions and fostering a culture open to failure, which was crucial for innovation and survival in the competitive market. A notable innovation from Sweetgreen is the Outpost concept. One founder remarked, “Part of the journey is failures… we want a culture and a company that continues to evolve.”
Concluding the episode, Guy Raz inquired about their aspirations for Sweetgreen. The founders expressed their ambition to establish a global, iconic brand that revolutionizes how people interact with food. They envisioned a world where every McDonald's was replaced by a Sweetgreen, pondering the potential impact on the environment and agriculture. Their goal is simply to keep forging ahead.
To check out this episode, click here for the Spotify link.
..Once you get there. You can see further.
