How a 19-Year-Old College Student Outsmarted the Grocery Industry
Executive Summary
A Shopify Masters interview in which host Adam Levitt talks with Divyansh Ojha, founder of Odd Bunch, a Canadian subscription service that delivers imperfect and surplus produce to households. He started at 19 and says it has grown from 87 customers to over 100,000 households in about eight years and is profitable. He covers winning over skeptical farmers, building the first site with a friend in a day, building trust with suppliers through a calculated process, waiting about seven years before paid ads, tools like Klaviyo and ReferralCandy, misconceptions about food waste, and plans to expand across Canada and into juices. Sponsor: Shopify, which produces the show. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this note is based on the opening, the business model section, the early supplier and website section, the supplier trust and marketing section, the closing and the description, and may not cover every point in the roughly 40 minute episode. All claims and figures are the guest's own account and are not independently checked. Nothing here is financial advice.
Key Takeaways
The Odd Bunch model
The guest says it is a subscription that ships imperfect or surplus produce at 30 to 50 percent off, saving at least 12 pounds of food per box.
Skeptical farmers
He says farmers asked who would buy graded-out produce, so he had to prove demand on the customer side.
A site in one day
The guest says a friend built a simple landing page with a few products and checkout in a day, and then they had to find customers.
Trust with suppliers
He says suppliers had been burned by unpaid or refunded product, so the company took responsibility and now uses a calculated, three-strikes process.
Late paid marketing
The guest says for almost seven years they grew without paid ads, partly because capital was tight, and he calls that far too late.
Tools
He names Klaviyo for email and ReferralCandy and Smile for referrals within the Shopify ecosystem.
Misconceptions and next steps
The guest says over 50 percent of food waste happens at home, and the plan is more Canadian cities, cold pressed juices and possibly shelf stable items.
The Conversation Breakdown
The Odd Bunch model
⏱ Untimed topicThe guest says it is a subscription that ships imperfect or surplus produce at 30 to 50 percent off, saving at least 12 pounds of food per box.
Skeptical farmers
⏱ Untimed topicHe says farmers asked who would buy graded-out produce, so he had to prove demand on the customer side.
A site in one day
⏱ Untimed topicThe guest says a friend built a simple landing page with a few products and checkout in a day, and then they had to find customers.
Trust with suppliers
⏱ Untimed topicHe says suppliers had been burned by unpaid or refunded product, so the company took responsibility and now uses a calculated, three-strikes process.
Late paid marketing
⏱ Untimed topicThe guest says for almost seven years they grew without paid ads, partly because capital was tight, and he calls that far too late.
Tools
⏱ Untimed topicHe names Klaviyo for email and ReferralCandy and Smile for referrals within the Shopify ecosystem.
Misconceptions and next steps
⏱ Untimed topicThe guest says over 50 percent of food waste happens at home, and the plan is more Canadian cities, cold pressed juices and possibly shelf stable items.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Win trust with process - the guest's supplier approach
Take responsibility for the product and set clear rules, such as three strikes.
Prove demand before supply - the guest's early lesson
Show buyers exist to convince skeptical suppliers.
Value-added extensions - the guest's growth idea
Extend supply chain skills into related products such as juices.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Test demand with a simple landing page before building a full operation.
- ✓Write down clear, fair rules for how you work with suppliers and apply them consistently.
- ✓Check the guest's growth and food waste figures as his own account.
- ✓Treat any remarks about capital and paid ads as the guest's experience and not as financial advice.
Notable Quotes
“you can't expect perfection every time.”
“Over 50% of food waste actually does happen in your home.”
“I was sold on my own story.”
The One Thing to Remember
The guest argues that rescuing ugly produce works as a business when you build supplier trust, prove demand early, bootstrap carefully, and focus on a loyal subscriber base.