[Rotten] Michael Fisher

In this episode, we sit down with Michael Fisher, founder and CEO of ⁠Rotten⁠, the better-for-you candy brand built for people who still want to indulge. Michael shares how Rotten came to life after years of R&D, early manufacturing trials, and the realization that healthier candy didn’t need to look or feel “health-first” to win consumers.

We walk through what it actually takes to build and scale a modern candy brand — from working with food science partners and commercial manufacturers to using Kickstarter and direct-to-consumer as early validation and learning tools. Michael breaks down how Rotten leveraged DTC to iterate quickly on product and messaging before expanding into retail, and why that feedback loop was critical before taking on larger distribution.

We also dig deep into retail strategy: how Rotten thinks about velocity, distributor relationships, and syndicated data; the margin pressure that comes with better-for-you ingredients; and the packaging decisions that matter most on shelf. Michael explains how the brand approaches pricing, promotions, seasonal demand like Halloween, and why Rotten has been able to attract customers who had never purchased better-for-you candy before.

If you’re interested in CPG, food and beverage, retail expansion, or the operational trade-offs behind building a product that has to win on taste, branding, and economics, this is a detailed look inside the business of modern candy.