Tune into the podcast episode above or on Spotify or Apple
00:00–3:58: Show, episode, and guest intro
3:59–5:00: The moment Felix and Rudy decided to found what would become Triple X.O.G
5:01–6:16: Why they decided to take the risk to pursue the idea
6:17–7:42: Why they believe no one had yet to pursue the idea
7:43–8:39: Being in the “very early innings” of celebrating Asian culture outside of Asia
8:40–11:48: The first six months of navigating how to create the product
11:49–15:42: The process of finding and working with a formulator
15:43–18:57: Why they went with their intuition over feedback to finalize the recipe after 35 iterations
18:58–20:53: The process of finding and working with a manufacturer
20:54–22:15: Building a community of fans / discovering the Dragons’ Den audition
22:16–23:42: Being persistent in getting people to try the product
23:43–26:05: How they got into their first retail store and how that led to getting into their first chain
26:06–27:00: The impact of building in public over in stealth
27:01–31:31: What keeps them grounded during challenging moments
31:32–34:17: What happened after the Dragons’ Den episode and what’s coming up in the year ahead
34:18–37:30: Advice for other early stage founders
Behind any innovative idea with the potential to become a household name is rarely a single “a-ha” moment, but a trail of experiences long before what outsiders see as overnight success happens.
For Felix Chen and Rudy Pham, one of those moments was an eight-to-ten-hour trek through Hanes Valley, B.C., where they tossed around business ideas as they tried to find their way back on the right path. Once they reached the top of the boulder field, they landed on one they knew was worth pursuing and, to their surprise, hadn’t been attempted before: modernizing a concoction Chen had mixed for Pham weeks earlier at a friend’s rooftop party.
Three years later, they would innovate a new category born from an East-to-West staple, catch the attention of major retailers and sell their products in 100 stores across the province, and build a community of fans rallying behind them like ambassadors. The duo would also appear on the popular Canadian reality TV show Dragons’ Den, where they received multiple investment offers.
