It must start with a vision, but there’s no roadmap for the next steps: Krijn de Nood’s journey in cultivated meat

By Bart Brouwers

Krijn de Nood, co-founder of Meatable, has been on a groundbreaking journey in the cultivated meat industry. Speaking at the LEVEL UP 2024 event, he recounted the challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned while spearheading a vision for a more sustainable future. From cold-calling farmers to sharing the first public tasting of lab-grown meat with journalists, his story is one of grit, vision, and the pursuit of a global food revolution.

Krijn de Nood’s journey with Meatable began with a bold idea and a lot of uncertainty. “The first cells we needed came from a farmer named Marnix,” he recalled. Despite having $3 million in seed funding and the promise of a working cell bank within 18 months, Meatable didn’t initially have the pig or cow cells required for cultivated meat production. The team started by cold-calling farmers to find those vital cells, often met with skepticism. Yet, one farmer, Marnix, saw the potential and agreed to help. De Nood shared how he would receive calls, often in the dead of night, when a cow was in labor so that the team could collect umbilical cord blood, marking the very humble beginnings of a technological breakthrough.

Meatable’s journey wasn’t limited to labs and farms. De Nood recounted meeting notable figures, including King Carl Gustav of Sweden. “I was telling the usual story of how our solution is more sustainable, slaughter-free, and produces less methane,” he said. But the king, an avid livestock farmer, had a different perspective. “He told me, ‘If I’m not on official duties, I’m at my farm looking after my cattle,’” shared de Nood. These interactions highlighted the diverse views on food production and the challenges Meatable would face in changing public perception.

First public tasting

One of the crowning moments for de Nood and his team was the first public tasting of their product. In Europe, cultivated meat is subject to stringent regulations, requiring safety assessments before it can be publicly tasted. The team achieved a significant milestone after more than a year of working with the Dutch government. “We hosted the first public tasting with Michelin-star chef Ron Blauw and journalists from The Guardian and The New York Times. It was a beautiful closure to the six-year journey,” he said. Despite already knowing he would soon step down as CEO, this success marked a personal highlight for him.

Reflecting on the years with Meatable, de Nood admitted it was a “trajectory-changing adventure.” The journey was not without frustration and hardship. He described the constant grind of difficult decisions, managing setbacks, and keeping up appearances, especially when faced with rejection from investors or failed experiments. Yet, he found it worthwhile, noting that these challenges taught him much about himself and strengthened his resolve.

It starts with a vision

De Nood emphasized the importance of vision in the success of a startup. “Every startup starts with a vision,” he stated. This vision creates movement, rallying investors and employees behind a cause. He remarked that European companies, particularly in the Netherlands, could learn from the U.S. about the power of a solid vision to inspire action. However, he also acknowledged the importance of thinking small – breaking the vision into manageable projects and tasks. This approach helped Meatable achieve milestones and aligned the team on their goals.

He also shared lessons on hiring, noting the need to distinguish between executive hires and other roles. “For executive hires, focus on the specific skill required to solve the current challenge,” he advised, recounting how hiring the wrong person set them back in the past. For other hires, he emphasized the importance of intrinsic qualities, such as problem-solving and positive energy, that contribute to a team’s overall success.

One of de Nood’s key insights was the paradox of micromanagement. Contrary to popular belief, he found that founders should sometimes dive deep into issues when something feels off. “If your gut says something is wrong, only stop when it’s fixed,” he stressed, citing his experience in the early days of Meatable. This approach, which he termed “constructive and subtle micromanagement,” is essential for navigating the unpredictable and fast-paced nature of startups.

Obsession or distance

Finally, he touched on the paradox of obsession and distance. Passion, he argued, is crucial for weathering the inevitable difficulties of building a company. “Figure out what part of the business you’re truly obsessed with,” he advised. At the same time, maintaining distance allows for better decision-making. By stepping back, a founder can assess which projects are truly worth pursuing, rather than getting bogged down in every detail.

In closing, de Nood shared a personal reflection from a recent summit. Two CEOs were asked about the impact of executive coaching on their journeys. One found it transformational, while the other dismissed it. This, for de Nood, exemplified the deeply personal nature of entrepreneurship. “Listen to others, be a sponge for different viewpoints,” he said, “but in the end, make your own decisions and make it your journey.”