Insights from ‘The Whole Truth’ Founder on Building A Trusted Clean Food Brand

Ever checked the label on a “healthy” snack and realised it’s full of sugar, preservatives, and ingredients you can’t even pronounce?

That moment of betrayal sparked a business idea that’s now taking over India’s health food shelves.

Meet Shashank Mehta, ‘The Whole Truth’ founder, who went from battling weight issues as a teenager to launching a clean label food brand — a startup that’s calling out the food industry’s half-truths, one ingredient list at a time.

At his visit to Masters’ Union, Cyberpark campus, Shashank broke down how frustration led him to build one of the most trusted clean label food companies in India.

If you’re someone who's tired of fake marketing and dreaming of building something real, this story is exactly the kind of playbook you want to steal from.

Get a quick glimpse from Masters’ Union podcast:

https://youtu.be/ie2Bm1e8Zwg?list=PLuORQNF2i_0Ntb7VDUnpZ2WPfPvHZZE3O 

The GTM Strategy Behind ‘The Whole Truth’ Brand

Before The Whole Truth, There Was a Big Problem to Solve

Prior to becoming ‘The Whole Truth’ owner, Shashank Mehta was just a regular consumer like you. He starts the masterclass by sharing his personal experience to practice healthy eating. In his journey towards clean eating, he fell for every so-called “guilt-free” food on the shelf. But no matter what he picked, the results weren’t adding up and neither were the labels.

He eventually realised the problem wasn’t him — it was the food.

So he built a brand that did the opposite of what most FMCG companies were doing: telling the whole truth.

No fake claims. No asterisks. Just ingredients upfront — clean, simple, and honest.

“His journey makes you rethink what it really takes to start up. It’s not about chasing the next profitable idea, but about solving a real problem that exists around you and others. That problem becomes your purpose. And honesty? That becomes your competitive edge.”

What Makes The Whole Truth Foods Stand Out:

• Front-of-pack ingredients list — no small print tricks

• No refined sugar, preservatives, palm oil, or artificial flavours

• Educates customers instead of selling hard

How ‘The Whole Truth’ Build Trust as The Clean Label Brand?

Let’s face it — People are interested in clean label foods but are also reading labels! 

They care about what goes in their body. But the space is still filled with brands that look “healthy” but cut corners behind the scenes.

‘The Whole Truth’ broke into the market by doing the one thing most brands don’t: building transparency with their buyers.

That’s it. That’s the moat.

And in doing so, they didn’t settle to win customers but built a community.

Why Clean Label Food is a Hot Bet for Young Founders:

• Transparency builds faster loyalty than discounts ever will

• Growing consumer distrust = massive white space for honest brands

• Wellness is no longer niche, it’s mainstream

Generalist Vs. Specialist Startups: Why Founders Must Wear Many Hats

At Masters’ Union masterclass, Shashank pulled back the curtain on what it really takes to build a brand like The Whole Truth. And no, it’s not having a perfect business plan or being a deep domain expert.

It’s about being a generalist: knowing enough across product, marketing, logistics, and finance to make decisions, move fast, and hire better.

Shashank Mehta’s Advice for First-Time Founders:

• You don’t need to know everything, but you can’t be clueless either
  
  

• Generalists adapt faster, and that’s everything in a startup
  
  

• What matters is momentum, not mastery

‘The Whole Truth’ Founder’s Take on Leadership in A Startup

Drop the Ego, Pick Up the Work

Leadership in early-stage startups is more than being the loudest voice in the room or acting like a mini-CEO. According to ‘The Whole Truth’ founder, it’s about showing up for your team, your product, your mission.

Shashank spoke about two kinds of leaders he’s worked with:

• The big picture thinker who inspires teams with clarity of vision

• The ground-level builder who solves problems shoulder-to-shoulder

Amongst these, the best leadership lies in a bit of both. But more importantly, they must be authentic as real leaders don’t copy leading methods.

Quick Hits on Startup Leadership:

• You don’t have to be charismatic, just consistent
  
  

• Hire slow, fire fast, but always with empathy
  
  

• People follow leaders they trust, not ones with fancy titles

Tips to Rule The Market for Startups in ‘The Whole Truth’ Style

You Don’t Need to Be Big to Beat the Big Guys

When you’re competing with names like Nestlé, Britannia, and Amul, you can't outspend them. But you can out-trust them.

‘The Whole Truth’ Foods didn’t build brand loyalty with massive ad budgets. They built it through consistent honesty across products, packaging, and content.

Their customers buy into the product and continue to join into the mission with advocacy. This is the kind of edge you get when you're small, and the big guys can't copy authenticity.

Why Small Brands Like ‘The Whole Truth’ Are Winning:

• Customers are smarter and hungry for transparency
  
  

• Real storytelling cuts through the noise
  
  

• Founder-led brands feel more human and people love that

What The Whole Truth Owner Looks For in Investors?

The Right VC Partner is a Growth Multiplier

One of the sharpest takeaways from Shashank’s session at Masters’ Union was this: Don’t just chase funding. Chase alignment.

His investor network was built with those who choose to go beyond writing cheques. They opened doors, challenged his thinking, and backed long-term brand building and not just sales spikes. It’s a long road, and who you walk it with makes all the difference.

What Smart Founders Look for in VCs:

• Strategic fit over vanity valuations
  
  

• Someone who believes in your category more than your numbers
  
  

• The ability to help as an investor and though-provoker (literally)

Why Masters’ Union Brings Founders Like The Whole Truth’s Shashank Mehta to the Classroom?

At Masters’ Union, students read case studies and meet the people behind them too!

That’s what sets us apart from other top tech and business schools. Our curriculum is designed to give visionaries of tomorrow with hands-on access to real founders, real strategies, and real insight into how businesses are built today.

Undoubtedly, these real-world insights give larger picture thoughts to our Masters' Union students like a daily-dose, especially directly from people who’ve actually built stuff.

So when ‘The Whole Truth founder’  walked into the room, it wasn’t theory — it was a masterclass in building trust, from scratch for our young founders and leaders.

Takeaways from Masters’ Union Masterclass with ‘The Whole Truth’ 

• How to turn a challenge at your vicinity into a market opportunity
  
  

• What it takes to build a clean label brand from zero
  
  

• Why being a generalist is a superpower in fast-moving industries
  
  

Final Thoughts

Shashank Mehta’s story is proof that clean label food is a trust business. ‘The Whole Truth Foods’ was created by solving a real problem with brutal honesty.

And the next big idea might already be sitting in your own frustration with the way things are.

If you too are thinking about starting something — maybe it's in food, maybe not — remember this: You don’t need permission. You need a problem worth solving, and the guts to start.

Happy Building!