I Love it when a founder says they don’t want to be in Whole Foods

Strategy

May 6

I love it when a founder says they don’t want to be in Whole Foods

Not because Whole Foods isn’t great. It is.
But because that answer usually signals something far more important: intentionality.

They’ve thought about:
• the kind of business they’re actually building
• where their product truly performs
• and which customer they need to win 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸—not someday

Whole Foods can be an incredible customer.

It can also be the wrong one if it pulls you into velocity expectations, margin pressure, or operational complexity your business isn’t built for yet.
I helped build a brand to 10,000+ doors without Whole Foods ever being part of the plan.
Not as a miss. As a choice.

Good channel strategy isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about being somewhere your product is special and where it thrives.
Distribution should reinforce your strategy—not replace it.

Choose the channel that fits the business you want to run, not the logo you want to post about.