02:50 – From astrophysics to food
04:19 – The food system’s impact on the planet
10:57 – The grind of being a solo founder
14:36 – Learn fast or burn out
17:17 - A scientist’s favorite emotion? Surprise.
22:42 – The next big steps for Climax Foods
02:50 – From astrophysics to food
Oliver Zahn shares his background in astrophysics and his path from top tech companies Google, SpaceX, and Impossible Foods,to founding Climax Foods. He explains that a sense of urgency to revolutionize the inefficient food system and maximize his positive impact for people and the planet drove him to launch a venture-backed company.
04:19 – The food system’s impact on the planet
Oliver dives into the environmental and ethical motivations behind Climax Foods, citing staggering statistics about agricultural land use, inefficiencies in animal agriculture, and the overlooked problem of animal suffering. He bridges ethical, environmental, and data-driven arguments for why the food system needs radical change. Oliver says, “We use 80% of all agricultural land on Earth, which, by the way, is 40% of all theoretically arable land on Earth, [land] you could theoretically turn to agriculture. 80% of that we used to grow food for animals that produce less than 20% of our calories today.”
10:57 – The grind of being a solo founder
Oliver opens up about the steep learning curve and challenges of being a solo founder, especially as someone who had to quickly learn skills outside his domain. He discusses the loneliness and pressure compared to having a co-founder or working at a big company.
14:36 – Learn fast or burn out
Surviving as a founder takes rapid, relentless learning. Oliver and Beck talk candidly about how the inability to learn quickly enough can be a cause of burnout, even more than running out of funding or missing market fit.
17:17 - A scientist’s favorite emotion? Surprise.
Beck asks Oliver what his favorite emotion is, to which he answers “surprise.” He explains how ‘surprise’ drives scientific discovery and personal growth, reflecting his mindset as both a scientist and a founder, open to constant learning and evolution.
22:42 – The next big steps for Climax Foods
Oliver discusses upcoming milestones for Climax Foods, particularly the scaling of their proprietary casein-like ingredient (“Caseed”) for plant-based dairy. He highlights their global interest, goals for health and affordability, and the overwhelmingly positive feedback from both consumers and industry.
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