Putting Olive Oil in a Squeeze Bottle Earned This Startup a Cult Following

In the spring of 2023, a fight broke out on LinkedIn over olive oil. Or, to be more specific, olive oil bottles. Andrew Benin, the co-founder and chief executive officer of the olive oil startup Graza, was miffed that Brightland, a competitor, had packaged its new herb-infused Pizza Oil in a squeezable plastic bottle—Graza’s signature packaging—instead of the traditional glass. “#Copycat culture is an incessant part of our entrepreneurial landscape,” he posted. The spat spilled into food media, and a few days later, Benin returned to LinkedIn to apologize, saying...