Episode
KIND bars: Daniel Lubetzky. From peace in the Middle East to a $5 billion snack bar
- Published
- Apr 20, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3931
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Summary
What if the thing you care about most ... might be what’s holding your business back? Daniel Lubetzky didn’t leave his law job to build a straightforward business. He left it to build a company he believed would support peace in the Middle East. Daniel named it, aptly, PeaceWorks. It partnered with Israeli and Arab businesses across the region to make and sell gourmet foods—together. But Daniel ran into a big problem: he discovered that lots of people don’t shop for a “cause”. Most people buy things they like—especially when it comes to food. Soon, Daniel was scrambling to find new revenue streams to support PeaceWorks. When he got the chance to sell an Australian snack bar in the U.S., he jumped on it—and did really well! But when Daniel's ONE big retailer dropped it, profits tanked. Daniel faced a brutal choice: Walk away… or start over. What came next was a leap of faith. He decided to create his OWN bar. It was almost completely unlike the competition at the time: It was made of whole nuts, fruits, sea salt, and a little chocolate—all easy to see in a novel, transparent wrapping. Daniel named his company KIND, and when he sold it to Mars in 2020, it was valued at $5 billion! This is a story about why mission alone doesn't sell, how failure forces clarity, and the moment every founder faces when they must decide: Do I keep going ... or do I quit? What you’ll learn: Why customers don’t buy your mission—they buy your product The hidden danger of being “too purpose-driven” How to pivot without abandoning what matters to you Why control over manufacturing can make or break your business The surprising power of retail placement (and why checkout counters changed everything) How scarcity thinking can limit growth—even when you’re winning Why saying “yes” to the wron…