The Razor's Edge #22: Scott Norton of Sir Kensington's on Recessionary Dislocation And Adaptation

The Razor’s Edge

With the economy working through a recession - though certainly a unique mix of crosswinds - we thought it would be good to get out of the software space. Scott Norton, co-founder and CEO of Sir Kensington's, joins the Razor's Edge to talk about what he's seeing in this macro environment, both as someone who started out in finance and as the CEO of the condiments maker. He shares insights from the company's founding in the last recession and what makes the modern consumer goods company different from the big brands (though the big brands can still win, he points out). And since this is the Razor's Edge, we still talk a little bit of SaaS.

Topics Covered

• 3:00 minute mark – Sir Kensington’s calling its shot, but also missing out on another big startup
• 11:00 – How did the last recession shape the firm, and Scott’s career?
• 15:00 – The market’s liquidity rush and does the bill ever come due?
• 21:30 –Past recessions and Japan as models to keep an eye on as we work through this period
• 30:00 – What does 2020 look like for Sir K both in terms of work from home and changing habits?
• 37:00 – The feedback loop for the modern consumer goods company
• 40:30 – Cross pollination in the Unilever family
• 43:00 – What this period means for habit dislocation
• 46:00 – Planning amidst uncertainty
• 51:00 – New software tools?

A few links referenced in the conversation:

• Premium Pete interview with Scott: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds01YpbWfRE
• Healthyish's Toum Recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/toum-recipe
• Sir Kensington's social media group: https://tastebuds.socialmedialink.com/members/sign_in#/