Operators Titans E014: Why Every Shark Wanted In, But The Woobles Walked Away

Can you build a beloved consumer brand around the joy of making something with your hands?

Matt Bertulli and Mike Beckham sit down with Justine Tiu and Adrian Zhang, Co-Founders of The Woobles — a crochet kit brand born from a personal journey through burnout, self-discovery, and a Brooklyn apartment full of hand-stamped packaging. What started as a side hobby became a business with Super Bowl airtime, a McDonald’s Monopoly partnership, and a spot on Shark Tank … where they walked away from every deal.

The conversation covers the concept of “fiero” — the feeling of doing something you once thought was impossible — and why that idea sits at the core of everything The Woobles makes. Justine and Adrian discuss the brutal lessons of being listed as Joann Fabrics’ largest unsecured creditor, how iOS 14 forced them to rethink channel strategy, why product obsession beats marketing strategy, and what it’s like to build a company, a marriage, and a family all at the same time.

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Chapters
00:01:32 Welcome to The Woobles
00:02:24 Super Bowl or Wedding Cake
00:07:12 Why We Left Our Careers
00:16:02 One Apartment, Two Founders
00:18:31 This Call Changed Everything
00:21:41 What Are You Selling? Fiero
00:27:54 Scarcity to Sustainability
00:30:20 First Hires, Family First
00:36:29 Walking Away from the Sharks
00:41:20 Packaging Wins Retail
00:43:47 Breaking Into Licensing
00:51:46 Product Is the Company
00:55:40 How Marketing Has Evolved
01:01:38 Building Without Ego
01:08:04 Product Beats Marketing
01:18:14 Joann’s Bankruptcy Gut Punch
01:22:00 Why the Beginner’s Mind Wins
01:24:48 Married & Co-Founders
01:28:31 Titans 10: Rapid-Fire Questions