The packaging is amazing. This would really stand out on a retail shelf. I love the graphics on both the jelly pouches and the box itself. All the flavors were spot on. Surprisingly my favorite was the Yuzu even though I’m a sucker for anything Lychee.
I don’t run myself, I use these mainly during heavy leg days. I used to be a powerlifter and I can say these have really helped out during those longer sessions in the gym.
My only criticism would be on the box, the “about us” section. It doesn’t indicate that it was made by 3 people and is an Asian owned/run business. It’s not indicating that it’s from a small business, doesn’t explain the meaning behind Pao. I get that there isn’t a lot of space to explain everything on the side of the box. But when I read: born in Brooklyn, pao labs is a sports nutrition brand inspired by the nostalgic flavors and textures of our Asian American heritage.
It kind of makes it sound like some big faceless company decided to make an Asian inspired energy jelly. I buy from a ton of small businesses and specifically seek them out. For me spending a little more is fine if I’m contributing to a small owned and run business. So I guess I wish it was more clear that this wasn’t just made in some huge lab by a team at a large corporation. I guess if this ever does get big enough to get on retail shelves one day i would hope that it would be made more clear. Because I think that people would rather support a small business vs a corporate entity
