Soylent now accepting Bitcoin for preorders

#1

Post by ajaymehta » Tue, Aug 06, 2013, 9:34 PM UTC

Soylent now accepting Bitcoin for preorders
blog.soylent.me

Re: Soylent now accepting Bitcoin for preorders

#2

Post by jgrahamc » Tue, Aug 06, 2013, 9:39 PM UTC

Just as Soylent is disrupting the traditional food industry

Huh?

I've asked this before and never got an answer. How is Soylent different from Ensure Complete? Is it cheaper? Better made? Easier to order? Tastes better? Better for me? Higher quality?

Because if it isn't really any different then what Soylent will need to do is market better than those other companies. Because I'd definitely trust Abbott with my health over random start up with indistinguishable product.

You see I'm actually interested in things like this as a 'meal replacement'. I quite often drink chocolate milk instead of eating lunch and I can buy nutritionally complete things like Ensure Complete. So, what makes Soylent special?

Re: Soylent now accepting Bitcoin for preorders

#3

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Aug 06, 2013, 9:46 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Soylent now accepting Bitcoin for preorders

#4

Post by foobarbazqux » Tue, Aug 06, 2013, 9:54 PM UTC

jgrahamc wrote: post #2

Just as Soylent is disrupting the traditional food industry Huh? I've asked this before and never got an answer. How is Soylent different from Ensure Complete? Is it cheaper? Better made? Easier to order? Tastes better? Better for me? Higher quality? Because if it isn't really any different then what Soylent will need to do is market better than those other companies. Because I'd definitely trust Abbott with my healt…

It has an outstandingly good name and some quirky, viral Steve Pavlina-like self-experiments by the founder.

Re: Soylent now accepting Bitcoin for preorders

#5

Post by alainmeier » Tue, Aug 06, 2013, 9:54 PM UTC

jgrahamc wrote: post #2

Just as Soylent is disrupting the traditional food industry Huh? I've asked this before and never got an answer. How is Soylent different from Ensure Complete? Is it cheaper? Better made? Easier to order? Tastes better? Better for me? Higher quality? Because if it isn't really any different then what Soylent will need to do is market better than those other companies. Because I'd definitely trust Abbott with my healt…

Here's a very thoughtful response from Rob, the creator of Soylent answering your very question:

http://discourse.soylent.me/t/comparing-soylent-to-existing-...

tldr; There's room in the market for more than one non-solid dietary product, the goal of Soylent is to be a complete alternative that supports an active life rather than something that just lets you survive, ensure is expensive and low calorie.

Re: Soylent now accepting Bitcoin for preorders

#6

Post by baddox » Tue, Aug 06, 2013, 9:56 PM UTC

jgrahamc wrote: post #2

Just as Soylent is disrupting the traditional food industry Huh? I've asked this before and never got an answer. How is Soylent different from Ensure Complete? Is it cheaper? Better made? Easier to order? Tastes better? Better for me? Higher quality? Because if it isn't really any different then what Soylent will need to do is market better than those other companies. Because I'd definitely trust Abbott with my healt…

> How is Soylent different from Ensure Complete? Is it cheaper? Better made? Easier to order? Tastes better? Better for me? Higher quality?

More popular and prominent in certain demographics. Which is what "disrupt" implies, versus "improves upon."

Re: Soylent now accepting Bitcoin for preorders

#7

Post by Lemmih » Tue, Aug 06, 2013, 9:57 PM UTC

jgrahamc wrote: post #2

Just as Soylent is disrupting the traditional food industry Huh? I've asked this before and never got an answer. How is Soylent different from Ensure Complete? Is it cheaper? Better made? Easier to order? Tastes better? Better for me? Higher quality? Because if it isn't really any different then what Soylent will need to do is market better than those other companies. Because I'd definitely trust Abbott with my healt…

I wanted to compare the ingredients and their amounts but I can't seem to find the formula for Ensure Complete. If you know where to find it, please post a link. If not, I guess that would be one reason why Soylent is preferable to Ensure Complete.

Re: Soylent now accepting Bitcoin for preorders

#8

Post by falk » Tue, Aug 06, 2013, 9:59 PM UTC

jgrahamc wrote: post #2

Just as Soylent is disrupting the traditional food industry Huh? I've asked this before and never got an answer. How is Soylent different from Ensure Complete? Is it cheaper? Better made? Easier to order? Tastes better? Better for me? Higher quality? Because if it isn't really any different then what Soylent will need to do is market better than those other companies. Because I'd definitely trust Abbott with my healt…

It seems like marketing mostly. Maybe I'm just too old to understand all these crazy kids these days, but I don't see the appeal in drinking my meals. I really don't think this is going to work out.

Re: Soylent now accepting Bitcoin for preorders

#9

Post by cuttooth » Tue, Aug 06, 2013, 10:02 PM UTC

A bad idea run by someone who has no clue about what he's doing combined with another bad idea supported by people who have no clue about what they're doing? Sign me up.

Re: Soylent now accepting Bitcoin for preorders

#10

Post by jgrahamc » Tue, Aug 06, 2013, 10:03 PM UTC

alainmeier wrote: post #5

jgrahamc wrote: post #2

Just as Soylent is disrupting the traditional food industry Huh? I've asked this before and never got an answer. How is Soylent different from Ensure Complete? Is it cheaper? Better made? Easier to order? Tastes better? Better for me? Higher quality? Because if it isn't really any different then what Soylent will need to do is market better than those other companies. Because I'd definitely trust Abbott with my healt…

Here's a very thoughtful response from Rob, the creator of Soylent answering your very question: http://discourse.soylent.me/t/comparing-soylent-to-existing-... tldr; There's room in the market for more than one non-solid dietary product, the goal of Soylent is to be a complete alternative that supports an active life rather than something that just lets you survive, ensure is expensive and low calorie.

Yes, I've read that in the past and without being rude I do not consider that to be 'thoughtful'. It's a repetition of what he's said a number of times about his goals for Soylent, but it does not answer my question.

He mentions Ensure as follows: "I considered Ensure but found it much too expensive, low calorie, unpalatable, and an ingredient make up that was far from complete or optimal." That does not tell me anything about Soylent.

Sure, he wants to make it cheaper. Can he? About a month ago I posted this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5875246 The pricing is very close between Soylent and Ensure Complete. Abbott claims you can live long term on it etc.

My suspicion is that he's comparing Soylent with the common consumer "Ensure" product which is relatively low-calorie etc.