From 100 Rejections To $3 TRILLION Industry Disruptor

Avoid the 'health food' aesthetic

Goodles rejected green packaging and 'broccoli doing push-ups' to position as a joyful mass-market brand competing directly with Kraft and Annie's.

Change the game, don't play theirs

Recognizing big brands were 'asleep at the wheel' with decades-old nutrition, Goodles focused on clean-label ingredients with 21 superfood nutrients while maintaining mainstream appeal.

Target the hidden demographic

Instead of only marketing to moms with toddlers, Goodles targeted young adults who loved mac and cheese but avoided it due to nutrition concerns, removing the 'guilty pleasure' stigma.

Confidence through data

After 100+ VCs rejected the idea citing impossible competition and wrong packaging, Deset relied on Excel spreadsheets and her experience as a fourth-time CEO to persist.

Bet on yourself

When institutional funding failed, Deset cashed out her 401(k) to bootstrap until investors later came begging to participate after proving traction.

The power of 'I told you so'

Deset keeps rejection emails from VCs tacked on her wall as motivation, noting several rejected firms later returned asking to invest.

TikTok drives R&D

Viral hacks like Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds adding cream cheese to Cheddy Mac inspired the 'Dreamy Creamy' product line.

Beyond basic flavors

Goodles launched with unconventional varieties like Cacio e Pepe to attract foodies, finding that even young children requested sophisticated options like truffle.

Cult brand status

Community engagement extends to fans getting Goodles tattoos and dressing as mac and cheese boxes for Halloween, creating organic marketing.

The SVB bank run on skates

While roller skating at Expo West, Deset learned of Silicon Valley Bank's collapse and had to skate through convention halls attempting to withdraw funds.

Trust your intuition

Deset's 'dirty unicorn' mistake involved ignoring her gut to follow a billionaire investor's advice, resulting in the worst company performance—teaching her to never override data-driven intuition again.