From World-Class Poker Player to Building an Oats Powerhouse with Brian Tate, Founder & CEO of Oats Overnight
Consumer VC #360: Brian Tate, Founder & CEO of Oats Overnight
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Hey friends,
On today’s episode, I chat with Brian Tate, Founder and CEO of Oats Overnight, the protein-forward, drinkable oatmeal brand that’s grown from a scrappy side project into a vertically integrated food business selling both DTC and through major retailers.
Before starting Oats Overnight, Brian spent years as a professional poker player, and that background heavily shaped how he thinks about risk, iteration, and decision-making. In this conversation, we talk about why Brian chose to own manufacturing from day one, how DTC data informed product development, and why systems—not branding—became the foundation of the company’s growth.
We also get into the realities of scaling an asset-heavy business, how subscriptions actually work behind the scenes, and why vertical integration unlocked faster innovation and better unit economics. Brian shares what worked, what failed, and how his team thinks about long-term profitability in a category where most brands try to outsource complexity instead of embracing it.
If you’re building a food brand or thinking about how to scale beyond marketing tactics, this episode offers a clear look at how process, data, and ownership can drive sustainable growth.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
✅ How a pro poker mindset translates to building a consumer brand
✅ Why Brian chose vertical integration instead of co-manufacturers
✅ How Oats Overnight scaled DTC with subscriptions and creative testing
✅ Why iteration is a core operating principle, not a buzzword
✅ How DTC data informs product development and retail strategy
✅ The real economics of owning manufacturing facilities
✅ When raising venture capital makes sense for asset-heavy CPG
✅ Why retail and DTC work better together than most founders think
✅ How Brian thinks about risk, process, and long-term profitability
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:00 From Magic: The Gathering to Pro Poker
03:00 When Poker Became a Real Career
05:00 Walking Away After Reaching the Top
07:00 The Idea Behind Oats Overnight
09:00 Early Scrappy Days & Vertical Integration
12:00 Learning Manufacturing the Hard Way
15:00 Why Iteration Became a Core Value
18:00 Scaling DTC with Subscriptions
21:00 What Makes Oats Overnight Work Online
24:00 Using Data to Test and Improve SKUs
27:00 Moving From DTC to Retail
30:00 The Walmart Buyer Story
33:00 Designing a Retail-Friendly Product Format
36:00 Managing Channel Conflict
39:00 Expanding Manufacturing Facilities
42:00 Why Asset-Heavy CPG Is Back
45:00 Venture Capital, Profitability & Payback Periods
48:00 High-Risk Experiments That Failed (and Why They Still Mattered)
51:00 Growth Marketing Without Brand Guidelines
54:00 The Long-Term Vision for Oats Overnight
56:00 Book Recommendations & Closing Thoughts
Thanks for listening!