Lock-In by HappyStack 🥞 How they built a $100m / year pet food business | Spot & Tango
25 snips
Jan 31, 2026 Founders recount cooking pet food in a kitchen and the messy early hustle to prove product-market fit. They explain why they built their own 70,000 sq ft plant and how insourcing slashed margins. Topics include creating a dry Unkibble process, handling a COVID-driven demand surge, using AI to automate ops, and product and channel strategies like PupGum, Amazon, and influencer creative testing.
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Add Friction To Increase Conversion
- Use a personalization quiz even if it adds clicks; it doubled conversion and improved retention by giving customers conviction.
- Treat personalization as a product differentiator, not just a funnel hurdle.
Founders On The Factory Floor
- Building the Allentown plant involved learning manufacturing basics firsthand, including office trailers and bathroom trailers on site.
- The founders stayed hands-on and worked alongside operations to shape culture and processes.
Automate Ops Before Hiring More People
- Use automation agents (like Didero) to manage procurement, bookings, and ERP updates to scale operations without linear headcount growth.
- Implement AI incrementally and audit each use case, especially in CX and manufacturing orchestration.