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Soylent: An Offbeat Food Idea Investors Are Taking Seriously

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Re: Soylent: An Offbeat Food Idea Investors Are Taking Seriously

#21

Post by sharkweek »

netcan wrote: post #9

I'm not sure if there's something I'm missing about soylent, but it seems to me like the most remarkable thing in the soylent story is that the company is a product of the tech startup culture. The product itself fits (in my mind) in the nutritional supplements / meal replacements category and wouldn't have ordinarily gotten the attention of HN and startup investors.* I wonder if this is an anomaly or first blood. Ma…

I think startup culture is breaking into a lot of other spaces, and that's where the press is coming from --

I think of YC alumns like FlightCar who, while sure there's a technology element in how they organize (but what company doesn't have this), are certainly not a "tech" startup -- they're just a good idea.

Re: Soylent: An Offbeat Food Idea Investors Are Taking Seriously

#23

Post by bluedino »

Mikeb85 wrote: post #15

This is unfortunate. Food can be a cultural experience, it brings people together, and tasty, well-prepared food is one of life's great pleasures. Reducing food to merely taking care of physical needs (presumably so we can work more hours) is a shame... Edit - missed some parts of the article - seems it's more in the quick meal-replacement shake category, not to outright replace easting. Either way, I'll take real fo…

You don't have to only consume Soylent. You could do it 2 meals a day and still enjoy dinner with friends.

Re: Soylent: An Offbeat Food Idea Investors Are Taking Seriously

#24

Post by confluence »

pothibo wrote: post #13
confluence wrote: post #3

The key thing that Soylent is going after is Ensure/Fortsip/Sustagen's margins. Full meal replacements are cost competitive with normal food at $5 a day. Medical suppliers currently charge a steep markup of $14 a day for their full meal replacements. At this price it is uneconomical for most people to adopt full meal replacements as a large part of their diets. These margins must be destroyed. Soylent, and its compet…

Normal food at 5$ a day? Not sure which part of the world you live in, but if it's in North America/Europe I call b.s without evidence. You can't run on Ensure/Fortsip/Sustagen's only without having consequences.

See here: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodPlans/2013/CostofF..., thanks to HN user fennecfoxen

Re: Soylent: An Offbeat Food Idea Investors Are Taking Seriously

#25

Post by nightshowerer »

MrDosu wrote: post #22

People that cannot produce a nutritous tasty meal for under 3 dollars within a few minutes need to take a cooking class, not get fed brown powder.

I mostly agree, but "within a few minutes"? I think you're underestimating a bit. It does take time and effort (which is, for sure, not wasted).

Re: Soylent: An Offbeat Food Idea Investors Are Taking Seriously

#26

Post by confluence »

fennecfoxen wrote: post #20
jpau wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking as an Australian, I'm surprised that the average American spends as little as $7 per day on food. Do you know who compiled this statistic, and what a 'typical' $7 day's diet might look like?

I don't know who compiled that statistic, but I can show you the USDA statistics! * http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/usdafoodcost-home.htm * http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/USDAFoodPlansCostofFood.htm

Concurs with my calculations.

Re: Soylent: An Offbeat Food Idea Investors Are Taking Seriously

#27

Post by MrDosu »

nightshowerer wrote: post #25
MrDosu wrote: post #22

People that cannot produce a nutritous tasty meal for under 3 dollars within a few minutes need to take a cooking class, not get fed brown powder.

I mostly agree, but "within a few minutes"? I think you're underestimating a bit. It does take time and effort (which is, for sure, not wasted).

I totally agree that cooking can take significantly longer then "a few minutes", but there is plenty to be had in terms of a quick meal. For me the most worrying part is when the creator of the supplement is stated to have no time for meal preparation due to his work. It is ok to just eat a quick sandwich or a joghurt/fruit combo every once in a while, but if you cant spend some time on proper meals your life is going in a very wrong direction.

Re: Soylent: An Offbeat Food Idea Investors Are Taking Seriously

#28

Post by ufo »

andzt wrote: post #5

One of the ideas I want to find out by trying Soylent is: What happens when hunger is no longer an issue? Will I still crave juicy burgers and fries everday at 12pm? Will I really be satisfied by only eating small bites if I'm already full off Soylent? I definitely see myself using this on days where I'm just too busy to run out for lunch, early morning breakfasts, or as good healthy travel food. Not sure I'll replac…

According to a fiend of mine, Soylent doesn't change you hunger patterns. You still get hungry around lunchtime and then its just a matter of whether you choose to eat a regular meal or a prepare a Soylent shake.

Re: Soylent: An Offbeat Food Idea Investors Are Taking Seriously

#29

Post by fein »

My greatest concern over the approach Soylent is taking is the "one size fits all" mentality.

If the company would put forth an application for biometrics/ some sort of personalized formula calculation, I would feel better about this.

People have different biochemistry, allergies, metabolisms, and nutrient deficiencies. Hell, even different climates and geography cause changes in the way the human body works. It just seems like a huge issue was overlooked in not taking into consideration these variables.

I have a friend whose SO and himself are working on a similar project, however she is a nutritionist and knows the pitfalls. They are trying to take into account the person to person variability and make personalized formulas based on individual needs. I would be much happier with this approach.

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