Innovation Over Renovation — Mission Ventures' John Stapleton

Modern FMCG success requires agility, consumer insight, and brand conviction. Is your strategy built for speed and clarity, or comfort and tradition?

This week’s VentureFuel Visionary is John Stapleton, co-founder of Mission Ventures. He has co-founded and scaled three startups in consumer goods, from pioneering and creating the fresh soup category at New Covent Garden Soup Company to launching the toddler food category with Little Dish. He has also spent over 30 years turning ideas into category-leading brands.

Today, he mentors entrepreneurs, invests in startups, and helps large and small companies work together through Mission Ventures. Tune in as we talk about the future of FMCG, why we need to buck conventional wisdom, and the importance of deeply understanding your consumers.

Episode Highlights

• Challenging Conventional Wisdom – John explains how breaking away from industry assumptions enabled the creation of the fresh soup category, despite strong skepticism from experts.
• Supporting Founders Beyond Capital – He outlines a model that emphasizes preparing startups to raise investment, spend smart, and prove value through clear milestones rather than just securing funds.
• Corporate-Startup Collaboration Done Right – He also describes a structure where big companies learn entrepreneurial thinking through arms-length startup partnerships, gaining innovation insights without disrupting core operations.
• Risk-Controlled Innovation Partnerships – The discussion explains why large companies often struggle to integrate entrepreneurial brands and how arm’s-length incubator models reduce risk, avoid corporate drag, and preserve founder-driven agility.
• Insight-Driven Premium Strategy – John breaks down why narrow consumer focus, real insight work, and premium value delivery are critical as price sensitivity rises and consumers demand proof before paying more.