In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Anabel González, founder of Good Bacteria, and Hayden Williams, Partner at BrandProject, for the podcast's first-ever founder and funder episode—a behind-the-curtain look at what the investment process actually looks like from both sides of the table.

Good Bacteria is the first rotating probiotic system delivering a new blend of prebiotics, probiotics, and a postbiotic each week. Dr. formulated with clinically studied ingredients, it's designed to expose your body to different microbes over time to build up gut resilience—a smarter, science-backed approach to gut health that actually fits into your daily routine. BrandProject is an early-stage consumer fund partnering with founders building standout consumer-first brands, investing pre-seed and seed with check sizes of $500K–$3M and a hands-on, operator-minded approach.

Anabel shares how a postpartum healing journey led her to a Johns Hopkins doctor via cold LinkedIn outreach, over 200 investor cold emails, and ultimately a pre-launch investment from BrandProject—a fund she had specifically targeted because of their portfolio. Hayden walks through what drew him to Good Bacteria before there was even a product in hand, how he validated the science, and why Anabel's personalized cold outreach stood out in a sea of generic pitches.

Together, they cover:

How a postpartum healing journey became the founding story of Good Bacteria
Why Good Bacteria was originally a beverage—and how it pivoted to a rotating probiotic system
What 200+ investor cold outreaches actually looks like, and how the BrandProject introduction happened
What BrandProject looks for in pre-launch founders when there's nothing but a deck and a story
Why Anabel invested in brand and story before product—and why that was the right call
The diligence process: validating the science, the market, and the founder's operating instincts
The "sense of inevitability" principle—and why the best founders make investors feel the train is leaving the station
What a healthy founder-investor relationship actually looks like day to day
How many people from a company should be involved in fundraising—and who
Good Bacteria's product roadmap: four products coming, a master brand in the making

Whether you're a founder preparing to raise, trying to build the right cap table, or just want to understand what investors are really evaluating before they write a check, this episode is essential listening.

Episode Links:

Anabel Gonzálezon LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/anabelg

Good Bacteria: https://www.itsgoodbacteria.com

Good Bacteria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodbacteria/

Hayden Williams on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howillia/

BrandProject: https://www.brandproject.com

BrandProject on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandproject-lp/

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Show Links:

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Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
Episode music by Super Fantastics