Friends often ask how me the kolache business is going.
I don’t know what kind of answer they’re looking for, but when I ask that kind of question, I suppose I’m usually expecting a *single* answer (good, bad, 10 out of 10, etc.)
The kolache business is simultaneously amazing and terrible at all times.
It’s never really terrible, but I had forgotten how multi-headed it feels to start a startup.
As we progress, I get more excited and more sure there’s a path to a very big opportunity.
But also, as we progress, it sometimes feels like playing whack-a-mole with new problems every hour — which can be draining.
What feels great right now?
People like kolaches. It’s pretty easy to get people to love them, despite the lack of familiarity of the genre. It’s really fun having a product that people ACTUALLY love rather than something you have to CONVINCE them to love.
We (Tom and I) do genuinely have a competitive advantage (operationally) over most independent food entrepreneurs
I feel like there’s a credible path to creating a very big business. It won’t be easy, and we could absolutely fail miserably, but I feel like I can see the light.
What feels crappy right now?
We’re selling, but not selling FAST enough. We need to iterate on pitch to get into stores faster.
We have to move kitchens. We’ve been in a kitchen on a sweetheart deal due to the generosity of some great folks. But the time has come to move on and the prospect of moving kitchens gives me anxiety.
We’re losing a really solid teammate soon (moving due to personal reasons). Finding great people is just hard.