From Idea to Formula

A Founder's Starting Guide in Food Product Development

Built for founders who:

  • Have a DIY mentality
    & lean budget

  • Want to truly own their intellectual property

  • Value the foundational
    skills professionals use

 Own the knowledge at the heart of your business

Handing over the entirety of your product development to outside experts isn't a strategy — it's a gamble.

Formulas that miss the mark. Endless iterations. Mounting costs.


Most founders build their business on knowledge they don't actually own.

This course changes that.

Learn the foundational steps of food product development — from defining product parameters to creating commercial-ready formulas.

Build skills that let you engage with the discipline at the heart of your business, clarify your vision, and save thousands of dollars in the process.

CREATE COMMERCIAL-READY FORMULAS

Learn to convert starting recipes into standardized formulas that manufacturers can actually use. You'll master the professional structure required by industry professionals — ensuring smooth handoffs and fewer costly iterations.

TRULY OWN YOUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Define your product according to the exact parameters needed for compliant and consistent creation. Build your business on knowledge you actually own, not expertise that walks out the door.

SAVE TIME AND MONEY

Bypass ballooning budgets by completing the foundational work any developer would have to do. Learn to iterate effectively, troubleshoot systematically, and communicate clearly — avoiding endless back-and-forth that drains your budget.

BUILD FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS

Create starting recipes, apply changes effectively and efficiently, and develop confidence in your product development abilities. These aren't just skills for one product — it's expertise you'll use throughout the lifetime of your business.

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

MJ Kinney is a food scientist and product developer with over a decade of experience in taking food products from concept to commercial launch.

As the founder of FareScience, she's helped companies of all sizes — including many pre-revenue startups — develop better-for-you foods that balance nutrition, taste, affordability, and scalability.

This course distills a career's worth of expertise into practical and foundational skills every food founder should have — especially if you have a DIY mentality, limited technical experience, and are working with a lean budget.

Trusted by food founders & industry professionals

FareScience has been featured in leading industry publications and our work supports companies ranging from pre-revenue startups to established brands.

As Featured In

Our Valued Clients

YOUR ROADMAP FROM IDEA TO FORMULA

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Define your product according to the parameters required to both create it and communicate effectively with professional developers

  • Convert recipes into a formula format using the standardized structure product developers and manufacturers require

  • Iterate effectively by applying changes in an organized way that keeps you moving forward without losing momentum

  • Troubleshoot and communicate next steps clearly to food product developers and manufacturers before commercial production

  • Own newfound confidence in your product development skills that will serve you throughout the lifetime of this product and beyond

SECTION 1

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

Covers course objectives, the practical fundamentals of intellectual property, and required materials and equipment to complete product development.

Lesson 1 - Course Objectives
Lesson 2 - Intellectual Property
Lesson 3 - Materials & Equipment

SECTION 2

SECTION 2: PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT BRIEF

An essential framework and living document that transitions any idea into a well-defined concept, setting you up for tangible, compliant results.

SECTION 3

SECTION 3: BENCHTOP FORMULATION

A step-by-step approach to initial formulation — how to search for, test, and format a starting recipe. Learn how to iterate effectively while staying organized and building troubleshooting skills throughout the journey.

Lesson 1 - Expectations & Structure
Lesson 2 - Search For Starting Recipe
Lesson 3 - Test Starting Recipe
Lesson 4 - Format Starting Recipe
Lesson 5 - What "Finished" Looks Like

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY

Simply click the "Enroll Now" button below and follow the prompts to complete your purchase.

You'll get instant access to all course materials, including video lessons, worksheets, and the professional templates food scientists and manufacturers use to develop commercial products.

ENROLL NOW

  • Lifetime access to all course materials — Learn at your own pace and revisit lessons whenever you need them. Receive access to all updates at no additional cost.

  • Save thousands in development costs — Learn the foundational work that's part of every product's development — knowledge you'll own and apply throughout the lifetime of your business.