Hank Murphy
Welcome to With Grace. This week, we feature Hank Murphy, Co-Founder & CEO of Bad Hambres. A Phoenix company bringing a more thoughtful approach to frozen burritos, Bad Hambres has built a loyal following since launch. Before starting the business with his partner Sam, Hank worked across operations and technology at Amazon and Walmart, an experience that gave him a deep respect for systems, discipline, and scale. The sensibility behind Bad Hambres, though, was shaped much earlier. Growing up in the Southwest, Hank became quietly obsessed with bean burritos, and the kind of simple food that reveals its quality in the details. He and Sam built the company around that conviction, creating a bootstrapped brand rooted in ingredient integrity, operational rigor, and a belief that convenience food can still feel personal. Today, his role spans nearly every part of the business, from software and logistics to sourcing and manufacturing, always with an eye toward building something lasting and sharing his love of a high-quality bean and cheese burrito. His perspective: "Doubt about whether you're working on the right thing is a crack in the foundation that undermines persistence."
What’s a game-changer for you right now?
Claude Code. I’ve been using ChatGPT since shortly after its release in late 2022, and I’ve always pushed myself to adopt cutting-edge AI tools. Once command-line interfaces became available for LLMs, though, they unlocked something completely new. When you start using LLMs to write files that can recursively use prior outputs as context for subsequent prompts, you can build crazy things. I encourage everyone I care about to try using CLIs, and Claude Code is my favorite. No programming experience necessary.
What’s an unexpected tool you love?
The weather app Windy. If they had an affiliate program, I’d have ultra-platinum status. Windy’s UI is a global map with layers for different weather dimensions: wind, waves, clouds, precipitation, temperature, radar, and more. You can scan backward and forward in time, and it consolidates data from all the major weather models. I can’t understand why people still use anything else for weather.
What’s a habit or routine that’s been crucial for your success?
I started running in 2019 and plan to keep running until I drop. Somehow, a regular three-mile run makes every other challenge in life feel much more manageable.
What motivates you to keep pushing forward in your work?
The conviction that I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. I sacrificed a safe, comfortable corporate career to make bean and cheese burritos. I work much harder now, but I have no doubt it’s what I’m meant to be doing. Doubt about whether you’re working on the right thing is a crack in the foundation that undermines persistence.
What’s an inspiring book, podcast, or resource?
I like watching YouTube videos of George Hotz programming. Even though I have about five years of programming experience under my belt, I usually have no idea what he’s doing, but that almost doesn’t matter. Something about the way he thinks and approaches problems excites and motivates me.
Who’s someone you admire?
My friend and fellow entrepreneur Nick Wetta. He started West Major in 2017 with zero experience in apparel or in running a small business. He started the company because he loves vintage Western shirts, and he’s learned everything from scratch, including how to sew shirts by hand. He’s built a sustainable business selling a product people love in an extremely difficult industry, and he’s never given up.
What interview question do you always ask without fail?
“Tell me about a time you made a big mistake. What happened, and how did you handle it?” I ask this because it’s rare to find people who answer honestly. The tendency is to give a trivial mistake rather than be vulnerable and share a juicy one. Being willing to talk about a real mistake in an interview shows integrity, confidence, and humility, all of which are table stakes in someone I’d choose to work with.
What’s your favorite way to spend a solo day?
Walking, ideally to restaurants or coffee shops with a book in my backpack. Something about walking slows down time.
