Why CPGs Lost Their Innovation Muscle and How to Build it Back
Thu Dec 18 2025
Why did CPGs stop innovating? We sit down with Bobby Moesta, CEO of The Rewired Group and co-creator of Jobs To Be Done, to unpack why large brands stalled, how innovation drifted into launch theater, and what it takes to build products consumers will actually hire and use. Bobby brings decades of experience across defense, food, and software to reveal a blunt truth: categories are a supply-side fiction, while real competition lives in the moments consumers' own "struggling moments."
We explore how to replace segment thinking with struggling moments, why Snickers competes with coffee and sandwiches, and how “more choice” often lowers velocity by increasing confusion. Bobby lays out a practical reset: start with frank post-mortems, map unknowns early, and design your own innovation process based on your market’s pace of change. Tie teams to outcomes, not ship dates — measure pounds of cash, repeat purchase, and usage occasions instead of margin percent and project completion. Align the big hire (why they buy) with the little hire (when they use), so you grow consumption, not just pantry inventory.
We also dig into AI’s real role in consumer goods. The winners don’t sell AI; they quietly use it to remove friction where talent is scarce and response time matters. Build a kick-ass half, then improve — just like the earliest iPhones. If you’re ready to stop copying features and start solving real jobs, this conversation is your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a teammate who owns a launch calendar, and tell us: what struggling moment will you tackle next?
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Why did CPGs stop innovating? We sit down with Bobby Moesta, CEO of The Rewired Group and co-creator of Jobs To Be Done, to unpack why large brands stalled, how innovation drifted into launch theater, and what it takes to build products consumers will actually hire and use. Bobby brings decades of experience across defense, food, and software to reveal a blunt truth: categories are a supply-side fiction, while real competition lives in the moments consumers' own "struggling moments." We explore how to replace segment thinking with struggling moments, why Snickers competes with coffee and sandwiches, and how “more choice” often lowers velocity by increasing confusion. Bobby lays out a practical reset: start with frank post-mortems, map unknowns early, and design your own innovation process based on your market’s pace of change. Tie teams to outcomes, not ship dates — measure pounds of cash, repeat purchase, and usage occasions instead of margin percent and project completion. Align the big hire (why they buy) with the little hire (when they use), so you grow consumption, not just pantry inventory. We also dig into AI’s real role in consumer goods. The winners don’t sell AI; they quietly use it to remove friction where talent is scarce and response time matters. Build a kick-ass half, then improve — just like the earliest iPhones. If you’re ready to stop copying features and start solving real jobs, this conversation is your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a teammate who owns a launch calendar, and tell us: what struggling moment will you tackle next?