To Every Founder Who Said Yes Before There Was a Product
I want to write you an honest letter.
When I launched the Founders 250 cohort, I had a formulation, a supply chain in early stages, and a conviction that the market needed what we were building. I didn't have a finished product. I didn't have a co-packer under contract. I had 14 months of R&D and a food scientist who believed in the thesis.
You believed in it anyway. Two hundred and fifty of you.
That's not something I take lightly.
What We're Actually Building
Genesee isn't trying to out-compete Quest or RXBAR on their terms. We're not building the "cleanest mainstream bar." We're building the bar for athletes who have decided that mainstream isn't the standard they want to hold themselves to.
That's a smaller market—at least right now. But it's a market that is growing faster than the mainstream can follow, because the underlying logic is sound: you cannot optimize athletic performance with ingredients that undermine metabolic health.
The bison tallow thesis. The no-seed-oil policy. The no-soy-isolate policy. These aren't marketing differentiators. They're the minimum bar for a product that deserves to be called real food.
The Roadmap I Haven't Announced Yet
Here's what I can tell you without making promises I can't keep:
- The subscription is the foundation. Not because subscriptions are good for our unit economics (they are), but because a monthly bar delivery changes how you eat. You stop defaulting to whatever's on the shelf at the gas station. You have a plan.
- The recovery bar is in formulation. We're working on a second SKU specifically designed for post-workout: higher carbohydrate load, slightly different fat profile, same no-compromise ingredient list. Target launch is Q4 2024.
- The retail conversation is happening. I've had conversations with three regional grocery chains and two specialty fitness retailers. We won't go to retail until the supply chain can handle the volume without compromising quality. That's not a negotiation position—it's a constraint I'm not willing to waive.
The Standard I'm Holding Myself To
I told the founding cohort that if we ever compromise on ingredients, you'll be the first to know. I meant it. If the bison supply chain ever pushes us toward a lower-quality substitute, I'd rather reduce the bar count than dilute the formula.
That's easy to say. Harder to do when production constraints hit. I'm writing it here so you can hold me to it.
Thank You
Genesee exists because 250 people decided that a founder's conviction was worth backing before the product shipped.
I won't let you down.
—Will