Her Protein-Packed Business Went Viral and Made $20K in 1 Month. Now It’s On Track For $1M This Year: ‘It’s Pretty Nonstop’

This Q&A options Caroline Dai, founder and CEO of TofuGo Snacks, a enterprise promoting high-protein tofu snacks. The entrepreneur, who splits her time between Seattle and Vancouver, left her full-time place with Deloitte in 2024 and has since turn out to be an investor in a number of firms: Aura Finance, Vessl Prosthetics and Benny. TofuGo launched this previous March and went viral on social media — hitting $20,000 in month-to-month income. Now the enterprise is on monitor for $1 million this 12 months. Responses have been edited for size and readability. 

What was your day job or main occupation once you began your corporation?Earlier than beginning TofuGo, I labored in technique and finance. I had at all times liked client manufacturers and entrepreneurship. I used to be at all times snacking on protein bars or ingesting protein drinks at my desk. There was nonetheless an enormous hole within the protein snack aisle: The whole lot felt candy and processed. I made a decision to construct a savory protein snack manufactured from complete meals. 

When did you begin your corporation, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?I formally launched TofuGo in March 2026, however the concept began a lot earlier. I grew up consuming Sichuan-style dougan, which is a flavorful pressed tofu snack that’s extremely common in Asia however nearly nonexistent in mainstream North American snack aisles. Each protein snack I noticed within the U.S. was both a candy protein bar or jerky. I wished to create one thing savory, high-protein, moveable and shelf-stable that mirrored the flavors I grew up with, and make the product mainstream. That turned TofuGo — “the world’s quickest tofu.”

Pushing previous rejection, discovering a producer

What had been a few of the first steps you took to get your corporation off the bottom?Step one was determining who was going to supply shelf-stable tofu snacks. I spent months sourcing producers, testing recipes and refining packaging. Most co-manufacturers mentioned no early on as a result of they aren’t skilled in shelf-stable tofu snacks. So I confronted a number of nos to start with. I additionally targeted closely on branding early as a result of I knew this product wanted to face out visually to get individuals curious sufficient to attempt tofu in a totally completely different format.

Are there any free or paid sources which have been particularly useful for you in beginning and operating this enterprise?I used to be a part of a startup accelerator known as the League of Innovators. It’s a free platform for younger entrepreneurs to fulfill business mentors, achieve schooling and join with different founders. It was very useful, particularly to see different younger founders excel. One well-known alumni that got here out of this system is Tara Bosch from SmartSweets. Different founders have truthfully been essentially the most useful useful resource. Conversations with founders in CPG taught me greater than any course or textbook ever may.

Commerce reveals like Expo West had been additionally extremely useful as a result of I can see how manufacturers place themselves in actual time, meet consumers and perceive the place the business is heading.

Client manufacturers study by delivery

If you happen to may return in your corporation journey and alter one course of or method, what wouldn’t it be, and the way do you would like you’d carried out it otherwise?I’d have nervous much less about perfection earlier than launch. At the start, I believed each element wanted to be excellent earlier than placing the product into the world. However client manufacturers study by delivery. You study from buyer reactions, not from endlessly revising in isolation. Pace issues much more than most first-time founders understand.

With regards to this particular enterprise, what’s one thing you’ve discovered significantly difficult and/or stunning that individuals who get into this sort of work ought to be ready for, however seemingly aren’t?Meals logistics are brutally complicated. Folks see a snack model and suppose the onerous half is creating the flavour. In actuality, provide chain coordination, stock administration, shelf life, delivery prices and retail operations turn out to be large components of the enterprise nearly instantly.

One other stunning factor is how a lot schooling issues. Many shoppers have by no means seen tofu positioned as a high-protein savory snack earlier than, so storytelling turns into simply as essential because the product itself.

Are you able to recall a selected occasion when one thing went very unsuitable — how did you repair it?One early problem was that some individuals thought our Soy BBQ taste was chocolate or a candy snack as a substitute of a savory tofu snack. As a result of we had been creating one thing in a class individuals hadn’t actually seen earlier than, we realized shoppers had been relying closely on fast visible assumptions from the packaging.

All of this motivated me to take a position extra time in social media, spending time educating people who that is tofu in a kind they aren’t used to. As an alternative, it’s a savory protein snack. We additionally created visuals of the savory taste profile that had been instructional. It actually pressured me to consider clearer messaging and language. 

Hitting $5,000 per week and $1 million projected yearly

How lengthy did it take you to see constant month-to-month income? How a lot did the aspect hustle earn?We began seeing traction shortly after launch. Our social media went viral two weeks after launch and led to sturdy momentum. 

Early media protection drove tons of holiday makers to our web site, and it validated that there was actual demand round savory protein snacks and shelf-stable tofu merchandise. We quickly noticed $5,000 weekly income and hit $20,000 in a single month. We’re projected to usher in $1 million in income in 12 months one primarily based on our progress in each the U.S. and Canada.

What does progress and income seem like now?The expansion has been very quick for such an early-stage meals model. We’ve expanded quickly throughout the U.S. and Canada by means of DTC, on-line marketplaces and retail conversations.

What’s been most rewarding is seeing how excited individuals are about TofuGo. The repeat buy conduct and word-of-mouth have been extremely encouraging.

Founders should “swap contexts”

How a lot time do you spend engaged on your corporation on a each day, weekly or month-to-month foundation?Actually, it’s fairly nonstop. I’d say about 60 hours per week. A typical week can embody every part from manufacturing calls and logistics to conversations with companions, content material creation and buyer help.

One of many largest surprises about being a founder is how shortly you must swap contexts always. You may go from discussing P&L within the morning to filming Instagram movies within the afternoon.

What do you take pleasure in most about operating this enterprise?I like constructing one thing that feels culturally significant whereas additionally fixing an actual client downside. Seeing individuals react with “Lastly, a savory protein snack” has been extremely rewarding as a result of it validates the unique perception behind the model. I additionally love how inventive client manufacturers are — packaging, storytelling, group and product all come collectively into one expertise.

What’s your finest piece of particular, actionable enterprise recommendation?Once I first began, I used to be a bit nervous about posting on social media. I pushed myself onerous as a result of I instructed myself I’m the very best ambassador for TofuGo. I spotted momentum issues loads psychologically as a founder. After one in all our posts went viral two weeks after launching, I turned considerably extra motivated and assured within the enterprise. It was additionally a second of encouragement, telling myself, I’m good at this! It jogged my memory that consistency on-line can create alternatives in a short time, particularly for client manufacturers. My recommendation is to indicate up on digital camera early on as a result of there isn’t any higher ambassador of the model than the founder. 

This Q&A options Caroline Dai, founder and CEO of TofuGo Snacks, a enterprise promoting high-protein tofu snacks. The entrepreneur, who splits her time between Seattle and Vancouver, left her full-time place with Deloitte in 2024 and has since turn out to be an investor in a number of firms: Aura Finance, Vessl Prosthetics and Benny. TofuGo launched this previous March and went viral on social media — hitting $20,000 in month-to-month income. Now the enterprise is on monitor for $1 million this 12 months. Responses have been edited for size and readability. 

What was your day job or main occupation once you began your corporation?Earlier than beginning TofuGo, I labored in technique and finance. I had at all times liked client manufacturers and entrepreneurship. I used to be at all times snacking on protein bars or ingesting protein drinks at my desk. There was nonetheless an enormous hole within the protein snack aisle: The whole lot felt candy and processed. I made a decision to construct a savory protein snack manufactured from complete meals. 

When did you begin your corporation, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?I formally launched TofuGo in March 2026, however the concept began a lot earlier. I grew up consuming Sichuan-style dougan, which is a flavorful pressed tofu snack that’s extremely common in Asia however nearly nonexistent in mainstream North American snack aisles. Each protein snack I noticed within the U.S. was both a candy protein bar or jerky. I wished to create one thing savory, high-protein, moveable and shelf-stable that mirrored the flavors I grew up with, and make the product mainstream. That turned TofuGo — “the world’s quickest tofu.”