#42: How Crumbl Founder Built a $1B Cookie Empire From One Cookie

Before building Crumbl, Jason McGowan was a tech founder focused on virality, creating products used by over 120 million people. He then made a bold move: leaving tech to start a simple cookie business.

In this conversation with Derek Andersen, Jason shares how Crumbl grew from one chocolate chip cookie into a $1B+ franchise with 1,000+ locations across the U.S. He explains how product-market fit, A/B testing, and viral growth turned a simple idea into a national brand.

Jason breaks down why product matters more than marketing, how customer obsession drives growth, and how Crumbl built a viral experience through sharing, weekly drops, and community feedback.

The episode also explores leadership, success, and why money doesn’t create lasting happiness. Jason reflects on family, purpose, and what truly matters after building a billion-dollar company.

Follow Jason - X (Twitter): https://x.com/jasonmcgowan
Follow Derek - X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/derekjandersen

Episode Partners:
Pulley
Manage your cap table with intuitive tools built to help founders make informed decisions without breaking stride. https://tinyurl.com/PulleyPartner

Timestamps:
04:32 — Building the Perfect Cookie With A/B Testing
07:18 — The Bubblegum Cookie Failure (Hard Lesson)
08:54 — The Simple Idea Behind Crumbl’s Viral Growth
17:58 — Owning the Customer (Lessons from Facebook)
20:03 — How Crumbl Accidentally Became a Franchise
22:43 — Why Product Matters More Than Marketing
26:18 — Reading Reddit as CEO (Customer Obsession)
30:34 — Scaling Crumbl Nationwide
34:16 — Weekly Drops: The Genius Behind the Menu
44:48 — Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness (Real Talk)
46:25 — Family, Purpose, and What Actually Matters
54:53 — The Truth About Success and Fulfillment
59:26 — Just Get Started (Final Advice)

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Hashtags:
#NegotiationSkills #Stanford #BusinessNegotiation #Persuasion #Leadership #Startups #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #DealMaking #DivotPodcast

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