#98: What Makes a Brand Worth Betting On | John Lowe, Managing Director at Amok Consumer Growth

About this episode

How do you recognize a “super concept” before it goes mainstream?

John Lowe, Managing Director at Amok Consumer Growth and former CEO of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, joins Jason Harris to share his playbook for identifying breakout food and beverage brands.

During his 14 years as CEO, John scaled Jeni’s by more than 100x in revenue—while also serving on the boards of White Castle, Watershed Distillery, and more. Today, he’s bringing that experience to founders through Amok Consumer Growth, backing companies like Fox in the Snow and DOUGH.

Key Takeaways:
✅ Bet on founders with self-awareness—they’ll build the right team around them
✅ Growth pace is determined by organizational bandwidth, not ambition alone
✅ Cultural relevance (from Twitter to TikTok) is a marketing lever worth investing in
✅ Copycats come fast—brands need a defensible “moat” in product, process, or community

Memorable Moments:
💡 “When you’ve got people lining up every day, you know there’s some magic around it.”
💡 “Private equity doesn’t make the food taste better—it’s about the founder and the product.”
💡 “Jeni’s on a stick was right in front of us. I regret not pounding the table harder.”
💡 “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.

”Brought to you by Mekanism.