Gainful

Gainful was founded in 2017 by Eric Wu (COO) and Jahaan Ansari, who met in high school as co-captains of a soccer team and later launched the company as undergrads at Georgetown University. Eric graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, and the two founders were among a small group of first-time entrepreneurs to raise over $17M in venture capital from world-class investors like YCombinator. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with a 25-person team also based in New York City.

Company Mission

Gainful’s mission is to bring personalized sports nutrition to every body, making high-quality, customized supplements accessible beyond elite athletes. By combining nutrition science with technology, Gainful creates protein powders, pre-workouts, and hydration supplements tailored to individual fitness goals, dietary preferences, and lifestyle factors through a detailed online quiz.

Products & Services

Gainful offers a subscription-based personalized nutrition platform with several product lines:

• Personalized Protein Powder: $45/month for 14 servings with custom formulation based on quiz (four “Protein Base” options and three “Goal Boost” options including whey, low lactose whey, and vegan)
• Flavor Boosts: 14 single-serving flavor packets per order (unflavored protein with separate flavor options for variety)
• Pre-Workout Supplements: Starting at $20/month with personalized formulas
• Hydration Supplements: Electrolyte and hydration products tailored to workout intensity
• Registered Dietitian Access: Unlimited one-on-one consultations included with all subscriptions

Subscriptions ship every 3-8 weeks based on customer preference, with free shipping on orders over $60 ($5.99 for smaller orders). The personalization quiz assesses fitness goals, dietary restrictions, workout frequency, and taste preferences to create custom formulations.

What Sets Them Apart

Gainful differentiates through science-backed personalization and registered dietitian access included with every subscription. Unlike one-size-fits-all protein powders, Gainful’s quiz-based approach creates formulas specific to muscle gain, weight loss, general fitness, or endurance goals. The unflavored protein with separate flavor packets allows taste customization without reformulation. In 2024, Gainful launched at Target through an exclusive wholesale partnership, placing products in 1,800 stores and demonstrating mainstream retail validation.

However, the company faces operational challenges. Gainful is not BBB accredited with failure to respond to 3 complaints, and the 3.58/5 Trustpilot rating (913 reviews) reflects mixed customer experiences. Common complaints include higher pricing than competitors ($3.21/serving vs $2 industry average), shipping delays, limited refund policies, and questions about how meaningfully personalized the products actually are beyond marketing. Product quality and registered dietitian access receive praise when customers successfully engage with the service, but operational inconsistencies create friction disproportionate to the premium price point.