Grow Everything Biotech Podcast 162. New Year’s Replay with New Insights: Orchestrating BioInnovation Without Missing a Beat
Karl and Erum kick off 2026 with deep reflections on prosperity, consciousness, and the idea that we might be living in a simulation. But the real focus is on a concept that could make or break biotech companies: orchestration. They dive into why most biotech innovations outside of pharma struggle to commercialize and introduce the idea of value chain syndication—bringing together innovators, manufacturers, investors, and big incumbents to create entire ecosystems rather than just individual deals. Using examples like K18 Hair's marketing orchestration and the urgent need to replace Red Dye 40, they break down how founders can architect strategic "seed deals" that build toward transformative industry shifts. This isn't about traditional sales or business development—it's about becoming the center of an ecosystem that includes everyone from ingredient suppliers to end customers. With tailwinds from geopolitical changes, supply chain concerns, and increasing demand for bio-based solutions, the time for orchestration is now. Whether you're a founder trying to scale or a big company looking to innovate, this episode shows you how to think bigger than your own company and build the infrastructure for a bio-based future.
Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing?
Learn more at www.messaginglab.com/groweverything
Chapters:
- (00:00:00) - Welcome and New Year reflections from California and Cape Town
- (00:01:00) - Prosperity, money circulation, and building a better society
- (00:04:23) - Consciousness, simulation theory, and the philosophy of everything
- (00:09:00) - Why we're replaying the orchestration episode
- (00:10:00) - What is orchestration and why it's not just sales or business development
- (00:15:00) - Why biotech companies struggle to commercialize outside pharma
- (00:18:00) - Value chain syndication and manufacturing orchestration explained
- (00:20:00) - Seed deals: How to start small and build toward the big picture
- (00:22:00) - The Red Dye 40 case study: Architecting an ecosystem for change
- (00:27:00) - Why founders need to think differently and become deal architects
- (00:31:00) - Why now? Geopolitical and economic tailwinds for biomanufacturing
- (00:34:00) - Risks, rewards, and the 5-10 year arc of ecosystem building
- (00:37:00) - Final reflections and how to get started with orchestration
Links and Resources:
- Messaginglab
- National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology's Report: Charting the Future of Biotechnology
- Red Dye ban
- 153. Ghosts of Biotech Past: Veronica Breckenridge’s Playbook for Smarter Scaling
- 149. Beyond Capital: Phil Morle of Main Sequence Ventures on Collaboration as the New Competitive Edge
- 120. Busting Biotech's Bottlenecks: Veronica Breckenridge on the Path to Industrial Scale
- 26. Breaking Bad Hair Habits with Biology: Suveen Sahib's K18 Rescues Your Strands
- Star Talk Neil deGrasse Tyson
Topics Covered:
biotech, CPG, business models, industry, bacterial cellulose, fermentation
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Email: groweverything@messaginglab.com
Music by: Nihilore
Production by: Amplafy Media