Val Griffith, in her early 50s, was facing an 'empty nest' and saw co-founding a company with her daughter not just as a business idea, but as a fulfilling next chapter. This highlights a powerful, often overlooked motivation for late-career entrepreneurship.

Guy Kawasaki identifies successful founders like Steve Jobs and David Chang as being both "plumbers" (handling the messy, operational details like cleaning up literal shit) and "poets" (driving the grand, artistic vision). Excelling at only one without the other is insufficient for building a remarkable company.

When the Target buyer asked if they had supply chain issues before offering a chain-wide launch, the founder instantly said 'nope'—despite producing in a 'chicken coop.' This bold move secured the deal, forcing them to rapidly scale.

To perfect their recipe, the founders didn't just experiment randomly. They carefully deconstructed a high-end chocolatier's almond with a knife to understand its unique properties and palate, which informed their own development.

To boost visibility for their risky chain-wide launch, the founders negotiated for a coveted end cap. Instead of a hefty fee, they offered Target an exclusive peanut butter almond flavor, turning product development into a powerful marketing asset.

Lux Capital's founding success is attributed to the yin-yang dynamic between its co-founders: one an optimist who invents the "airplane" by seeing the best in outcomes, the other a cynic who invents the "parachute" by mitigating risk.

Breezy Griffith's early ventures, like selling sorbets and sandwiches at a loss, weren't failures. They were crucial learning experiences that built the foundational skills and resilience needed to launch a successful CPG brand.

The death of a young family friend prompted Breezy Griffith to move home and re-prioritize family. This personal shift, not a market analysis, was the direct catalyst for starting a business with her mother, demonstrating how life events can shape entrepreneurial paths.

A key advantage for couples in business is when their skill sets are complementary. This natural synergy allows them to "share the load" effectively by splitting responsibilities according to their innate talents, helping the business go "further faster" than a single owner could.