Between us, we’ve overseen the manufacturing of tens of millions of date paste bars. We’ve run these products on our own lines and managed them through co-manufacturing relationships across multiple facilities. And if there’s one thing we can tell you with absolute certainty, it’s that date paste bars rank among the most deceptively risky products in the shelf-stable snack category. …
From Training to Competence: What Food Founders Miss at $10–20mm
Over the years, Liz and I have worked with a lot of founder led food manufacturing businesses. Different products, different personalities, different stages of growth. But there is a very consistent moment that shows up as companies approach roughly $10 to $20 million in revenue. The systems that got them here start to feel shaky. Not because people are lazy. …

