Can jerky be disruptive? Absolutely.Joe Oblas, co-founder and CEO of Stryve, decided to disrupt the beef snacks category with a brand that doesn’t believe in compromises. Stryve’s “jerky without the junky” product is nutritious and delicious. That’s because they use biltong, an air-dried meat snack with 50% more protein than jerky — and no sugar, nitrates, preservatives, or chemicals. “Typically, the healthier a snack product is, the worse it tastes,” Joe shared. But that isn’t true with biltong — it’s almost like a miracle snack.Together, Joe and host Kristi Bridges explore biltong’s South African roots and its growing foothold in the U.S. market. “It checked every single box we had,” Joe said. “We were all in.”Despite hurdles — a pandemic and drastically increased commodity prices — Stryve has grown significantly since its founding in 2018. Joe shares why he and his business partner chose to become a publicly-traded company, what keeps him motivated through difficult times, and some valuable advice for entrepreneurs at the beginning of their founding journey.
