How I Built This: Advice Line with Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali of Chomps

Host: Guy Raz
Guests: Pete Maldonado & Rashid Ali (Co-founders, Chomps)
Date: February 19, 2026

Main Theme

This episode of the Advice Line brings Chomps co-founders Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali back to share hard-won wisdom with entrepreneurs seeking actionable advice. Guy, Pete, and Rashid tackle real business dilemmas posed by three founders—of Yadi’s Empanadas, Noble Pies, and Achigan Brand—focusing on scaling strategies, market expansion, manufacturing, and the entrepreneurial leap. Candid, empathetic, and user-friendly, the conversation is packed with practical insights about managing risk, growth, and resilience.

Episode Breakdown & Key Insights

1. Protein Trends & Handling Crisis at Chomps

Timestamps: 02:27–07:34

• Industry Perspective: Pete and Rashid discuss the ongoing protein boom, noting that while protein is everywhere now, Chomps is positioned for both the “proteinification” trend and, eventually, consumer fatigue.
  • “This is a cultural shift. This is not a fad.” – Pete Maldonado (03:34)
  • GLP-1 medications (like Ozempic) are increasing demand for protein-rich, lower-calorie options.
• Crisis Response: They open up about a major product recall due to potential metal contamination.
  • Rapid, precautionary recall was chosen despite “a painful amount of money” lost and no confirmed contamination.
  • Transparency and proactive action was key: “One recall is one too many… But now I can say with complete confidence that we have handled it, we've got through it. The organization infrastructure is far stronger.” – Rashid Ali (05:01)

2. Caller #1: Yadi Deres, Yadi’s Artisanal Empanada

Timestamps: 07:52–19:12
Main Question: Is now the time to expand with a second location, or should we focus on distribution and other models?

Context:

• Former teacher-turned-food entrepreneur, thriving with an empanada shop on SUNY New Paltz campus, generating ~$3,000/day in sales, but faces seasonality (school breaks) and high overhead.

Advice Highlights:

• Labor & Replicability: Make sure management and operations are replicable before expanding.
  • “Are you… running itself? Like, why are you here talking to us?” – Pete Maldonado (12:27)
• Seasonality: College locations are lucrative but have inherent revenue gaps due to academic schedules.
• Food Truck/Commissary Model: Use a food truck for flexibility. During breaks, shift to events or other campuses; consider a commissary model (central kitchen supplying satellite locations, similar to New York bagel shops).
• Delivery & Distribution: Empanadas are prime for delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats) and wholesale to local businesses.
  • “Think about delivery... such a portable grade item... scalable.” – Rashid Ali (16:20)
• Expansion Approach: Grow with caution. Explore another location within ~45 miles first; consider college towns or a mixed commercial kitchen/retail front.
• Emotional Moment:
  • “As always, there is that feeling of, are we ready? Are we not?… having this conversation… gives me that confidence and the trust and belief… now or never.” – Yadi Deres (18:16)

3. Caller #2: Zachary Bonder, Noble Pies

Timestamps: 19:52–30:13
Main Question: How do we break into large retailers (Whole Foods, Target) with our fresh frozen pies when pitches have stalled?

Context:

• Family pie business, $2.2M retail + $200K wholesale (FreshDirect) in 2025, now launching NY store and hoping for broader distribution.

Advice Highlights:

• Capacity & Distribution: Confirm ability to scale—10,000 pies/week, triple-able within six months; currently self-distributing, staying lean.
• Shelf Life Challenge: Four-month freezer life means velocity (turnover) is crucial.
• Differentiate Relentlessly: Emphasize the “upgrade” factor—fewer ingredients, local sourcing, all-butter crust, direct lineage to NY farms.
• Retail Buyer Mindset: Buyers focus on de-risking, velocity, and incremental category growth, not simply finding new brands.
  • “You want to show that by bringing this product on they are de-risked… It’s all about growing the category.” – Guy Raz (25:36, Pete Maldonado)
• Tactical Recommendations:
  • Use existing strong sales/velocity data at FreshDirect/farmers markets to prove demand.
  • Don’t apply everywhere; focus on a single Whole Foods region or tight cluster.
  • “Getting into the retailer is honestly the easiest part... It’s staying and performing.” – Rashid Ali (27:19)
  • Do E-commerce, especially during high holidays, as interest spikes.
  • Engage local store managers directly—they often have more say than expected.
  • “The store manager… is going to be your biggest advocate.” – Guy Raz (26:35)
• Growth Philosophy: Grow deep before wide, expand channel by channel, balance capacity and risk.

4. Caller #3: Josh Schrenko, Achigan (Smallmouth Bass Apparel & Lures)

Timestamps: 30:52–44:38
Main Question: How do I know when to “go all in” and take my business full-time?

Context:

• Outdoor podcaster-turned-founder, growing niche brand for smallmouth bass anglers: apparel plus fast-selling, handmade lures. Revenue just shy of $100k, all organic, currently bootstrapped while running a medical distribution business.

Advice Highlights:

• Full-time Leap: Don’t rush; founders at Chomps both took years before quitting their “day jobs.” Key is having financial runway—cover family and life expenses.
  • “It’s really kind of self reflection… What do you need to support your life? What’s your risk tolerance?” – Rashid Ali (36:39)
• Focus for Impact: Consider narrowing SKUs; lures are higher-margin than apparel, and demand is proven.
  • “You have a niche audience… build a brand for small money… then snowball.” – Pete Maldonado (39:39)
• Solve for Demand & Scale: Prioritize streamlining production and meeting demand to judge the venture’s true ceiling.
  • “You need to create that anchor technical solve which you're circling right now… Once you figure out the unlock and how to scale… that’s going to answer your question.” – Rashid Ali (41:08)
• Co-founder Dynamics: Maybe only one founder goes full-time to start; structure flexibly.
• E-commerce Bias: Favor direct-to-consumer for faster learning and nimbleness.
• “You’ll Know When”: The scariest moment is when staying part-time seems riskier than going full-time—that’s the inflection point.
  • “When it starts to feel like doing this part time is riskier, that's when you know.” – Guy Raz (44:10)

5. Founders' Reflections—If You Could Go Back

Timestamps: 45:47–47:37

• Ignorance as Advantage:
  "I'm glad that we went a bit ignorant and we didn't know what we didn't know… it allowed us to make the right decisions to build it the way we built it." – Rashid Ali (46:11)
• Patience & Perspective:
  "It's just being patient… it's never just linear. We're either, you know, having a terrible day or an amazing day, and there's nothing in between." – Pete Maldonado (47:04)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Handling Recall/Trust:
  “It felt like the world was ending… But… we have to have processes, we have to have controls in place… Now… we have new processes to make sure it won’t happen again.”
  – Rashid Ali (05:01)

• On Expansion Anxiety:
  “There is that feeling of, are we ready? Are we not?… This conversation gives me confidence… I have nothing else to lose.”
  – Yadi Deres (18:16)

• On Retail Dreams vs. Reality:
  “Getting into the retailer is honestly the easiest part… It’s staying and performing.”
  – Rashid Ali (27:19)

• On When to Go Full-Time:
  “When it starts to feel like doing this part time is riskier, that's when you know… You will know that. That will be clear to you.”
  – Guy Raz (44:10)

• On Building in a Niche:
  “…small communities… what seem to be niche, but actually they're much bigger than people realize.”
  – Guy Raz (44:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Protein Trends & Crisis Management: 02:27–07:34
• Caller 1: Empanadas Expansion Dilemma: 07:52–19:12
• Caller 2: Pie Maker Wants Retail Breakthrough: 19:52–30:13
• Caller 3: Going Full-Time with Niche Brand: 30:52–44:38
• Founders’ Retrospective Wisdom: 45:47–47:37

Episode Tone & Style

Warm, relatable, encouraging, candid. The guests and host don’t sugarcoat the pains of entrepreneurship, but deliver empathy and optimism through realism and actionable advice.

Summary Takeaways

• Act with integrity in crisis—brand trust is built on transparency.
• Growth should be thoughtful: prove replicability, manage complexity, and don’t scale at the expense of core viability.
• Retail distribution requires a data-driven story and strong local advocates.
• Entrepreneurial leaps are deeply personal: assess risks, runway, and your real “why.”
• Sometimes, not knowing all the hurdles at the start is a gift—patience and adaptability are everything.

For more founder stories and advice, check out [the original Chomps interview](LINK TO EPISODE) and subscribe to Guy Raz’s newsletter for ongoing insights.