Magic Spoon

Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz started their entrepreneurial journey with an unconventional idea: protein bars made from cricket flour. What began as a college assignment evolved into their first company, Exo. The founders literally ordered live crickets to roast at home and worked with a top-rated chef to perfect their recipes. However, they quickly discovered a fundamental problem with their product: getting consumers to actually eat something made of ground-up bugs.

As Exo stalled, the founders faced a critical decision. Rather than abandon entrepreneurship, they pivoted to another ambitious idea: creating a breakfast cereal that captured the taste and nostalgia of childhood classics like Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs—but without the sugar and grains. This pivot wasn't random; it was informed by their hard-won experience with Exo. They had learned which strategies worked and which didn't.

Drawing on their roller-coaster experience with their first business, Gabi and Greg revisited winning strategies from Exo and scrapped the plays that hadn't worked. This disciplined approach to learning from failure positioned Magic Spoon to succeed where their first venture had struggled. By focusing on a consumer pain point (the desire for healthy breakfast options that still taste indulgent) and applying their operational lessons, they were able to build momentum.

Magic Spoon has grown into a nationwide brand, validating their pivot strategy and proving that their persistence through failure ultimately paid off. The company represents a textbook example of how founders who learn from setbacks and adapt their approach can build successful consumer brands.