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Masters of Scale

The $800M exit that started with a single muffin

Masters of Scale

WaitWhat

Diversity & Inclusion, Jeff Berman, Bob Safian, Startups, Business, Management, Entrepreneurship, Mindset, Reid Hoffman

4.64.4K Ratings

🗓️ 8 January 2026

⏱️ 36 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Simple Mills started with its founder Katlin Smith tinkering with almond flour muffin recipes in her apartment kitchen. Over the next decade, she built a better-for-you food powerhouse. Smith talks with host Jeff Berman about scaling the brand, selling the company for nearly $800 million dollars, and staying laser-focused on making delicious snacks with clean, nutrient-dense ingredients.

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

As your company scales, the hardest part isn't ambition, it's alignment. That's why Atlassian built

0:07.3

the teamwork collection, an AI-powered teamwork platform designed to help teams move faster together.

0:13.1

By connecting Jira, Confluence, Lume, and Rovo, teams can easily align work to real business goals,

0:20.5

plan and track progress together,

0:22.6

remove knowledge silos, and access the real magic of AI plus human collaboration.

0:29.0

Visit at lassean.com slash team changer to learn more. That's A-T-L-A-S-S-I-A-N.com slash team changer.

0:41.5

As a founder, you're constantly wearing multiple hats, usually at the same time.

0:46.4

But the most successful leaders have learned to hand a few of those hats off to the right people.

0:52.1

That's where Upwork shines.

0:56.6

It's a one-stop shop to find trusted freelance talent across IT, web dev, design, and admin support. And it's built to be simple. Register for free,

1:04.5

connect with freelancers who match your style and pace, and hire them with industry low fees.

1:10.2

Upwork makes the whole process easier, more affordable,

1:13.4

and way less stressful. If your business is ready for that next level, Upwork has the talent to help

1:19.2

you get there. Visit upwork.com right now and post your job for free. That's upw-O-R-K.com. Upwork.com.

1:30.5

I will say I've had many poor roommates over the years who have dealt with my kitchen antics.

1:37.4

I take over the entire kitchen and there's, you know, just powders all over the countertop.

1:43.1

almond flour, hemp seeds, coconut sugar.

1:46.8

Caitlin Smith was a mad scientist on a mission.

1:50.5

She knew there had to be a way to make delicious snacks with healthier ingredients.

1:55.9

I didn't found this company to make money.

1:59.5

I squarely remember points in our history where I was like, well, I could lose all of my money,

2:04.1

and this would still be worth it.

...

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