Catalina Crunch: Krishna Kaliannan. From Homemade Keto Cocoa Puffs to Breakfast Aisle Breakthrough

In this episode of How I Built This, Guy Raz interviews Krishna Kalyanen, the founder of Catalina Crunch, a high-protein, low-carb cereal brand. Krishna's journey began with his struggles managing type 1 diabetes and epilepsy, which led him to adopt a ketogenic diet. Realizing the challenges of finding suitable breakfast cereals, he started experimenting in his kitchen, blending proteins like pea protein with sweeteners like monk fruit, culminating in a crunchy cereal that did not spike blood sugar.

Catalina Crunch gained traction when Krishna shared his homemade cereal with friends and began charging a grocery store price for it. This informal venture made him aware of a potential market gap for keto-friendly cereals that tasted good. After thorough experimentation and some initial failures, he launched the product online, achieving substantial sales through direct-to-consumer channels fueled by social media.

As his business grew, he sought help from industry experts and began scaling production, moving from commercial kitchens in New York to larger facilities in Indiana. He successfully negotiated a spot on Whole Foods' shelves, later expanding into Costco and other retail channels. Throughout the process, Krishna emphasized the importance of nutrition and adapting to fluctuating ingredient costs while maintaining product integrity. Eventually, he brought in a CEO to help scale operations further, allowing him to focus on maintaining the quality and nutritional standards of his expanding product line.