Everyone loves chicken nuggets. This delicious meal has been popular for decades which makes it hard for everyone to imagine what the world would be without them. The rising concerns on the safety of consuming animal products and the production process behind it sparked one brilliant mind. Here is how this 20-year-old reinvented Chicken Nuggets.
What is NUGGS?
NUGGS is the brainchild of 20-year-old serial tech entrepreneur Ben Pasternak. In simple terms, NUGGS is a “chicken-less” chicken nuggets. It uses textured pea protein to emulate the taste, crunch, and texture of itswell-beloved animal-based counterpart. It also doesn’t contain major allergens, has higher protein, and lower calories.
In the space dominated by companies with billions in funds for research and development, Pasternak knows what sets them apart. In his own words he believes that high-ranking officers of these big companies are old. It’s the difference in age that allows NUGGS to make products that people would actually like.
McCain Foods leads the long list of investors that lined up for this revolutionary food item. NUGGS has collected over $7 million in investments since it started.
Who’s Ben Pasternak?
Ben Pasternak is a serial tech entrepreneur from Australia. At a young age, Ben showed flashes of brilliance. He built two iOS apps that went viral instantly, in 2014. At age 15, he dropped out of High School and flew to New York.
Pasternak immediately went to work after moving, creating two companies right out of the gate. First is Flogg, a social marketplace for teenagers. Second is Monkey, a video chat app that labels itself as a “perv-less” version of Chatroulette.
NUGGS vs. Others
Pasternak refuses to call his brand “Plant-Based”, “Vegan”, or “Vegetarian”. Instead, he calls it “clean meat”. According to him, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian alienate anyone that is not fully accustomed to it.
NUGGS is not the only meat-free chicken nuggets out there. It certainly is not the best budget option. What drives their sales is how they market the product. They tick all the boxes involved in modern-day marketing.
Their packaging is a plain-red box with a sans serif text that reads “NUGGS” sprawled across the front. Their Instagram page is edgy, eye-catching, and meme-savvy. NUGGS’s capacity to engage with people on the internet is at the heart of every investor that chose to invest their money in NUGGS. The brand could definitely speak the language that the internet speaks.
Development Process in NUGGS
To put it simply: NUGGS is branded and marketed like software. Pasternak sees the development of NUGGS as a constant process. NUGGS users (they call their consumers that) are encouraged to send their feedback via the web, Instagram, or a phone number. Release notes are constantly released on their website.
In an interview with Forbes, Mauro Pennella, Chief Growth Officer in McCain Foods said this about their product development process:
“At McCain, we believe NUGGS has developed an incredible product that uses plant-based technology to uniquely simulate a high-quality chicken nugget. A significant factor in achieving this is their approach to generating product trial through social media influencers and their unique approach to fast and iterative innovation, which is based on constant consumer feedback.”
Mauro Pennella
Curious about more teen entrepreneurs? Click here to read more about this 20-year-old sneaker reseller brought in millions.
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Brendan Cox (born 08/29/2000) is an American teen serial entrepreneur who currently owns and runs various businesses. Specializing in graphic design and branding, Cox is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in his age group.
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