E48 #StartupStory “NVP's Product Market Fit Journey: When To Pivot & Fractional Strategies To Extend Runway” with Jan Dideriksen, CEO of Nordic Virtual Pastures

In the latest episode of Life Science Talent Talks, our host sits down with Jan Dideriksen, CEO and Founder of Nordic Virtual Pastures, to explore the company's fascinating journey. Jan shares how his team has navigated pivotal shifts in strategy and embraced an innovative approach by utilizing fractional hires to extend runway and optimize progress. A key focus of the discussion is Nordic Virtual Pastures' unique use of sustainably sourced cell media products from bio-waste streams to support cellular agriculture, cultivated meat, and mammalian cell growth. Jan shares insights on the importance of customer feedback, the company's strategic pivots and the role of fractional hires such as CCO Line Holst Graves in achieving milestones more efficiently. The conversation provides practical tips for startups on navigating pivots, engaging with investors, and leveraging fractional talent to achieve business goals. For startup leaders, investors, and innovators, this conversation is packed with actionable advice on managing pivots, engaging with investors, and building lean yet highly effective teams. Timestamps: 01:05 Overview of Nordic Virtual Pastures 01:12 Product Details and Technology 03:11 Market and Competitive Advantage 05:44 Journey to Entrepreneurship 07:25 First Pivot: From Cell Growth to Cultivated Meat 10:15 Second Pivot: Focusing on Media Components 13:20 Current Strategy and Market Fit 16:32 Feedback and Adaptation 20:43 Innovative Strategies for Product Market Fit 21:03 The Role of a Chief Commercial Officer 22:45 Importance of Customer Feedback 25:26 Fractional Hiring: A Strategic Approach 25:50 Building and Evolving the Team 32:58 Challenges and Benefits of Fractional Hiring 38:44 Future Plans and How to Support 39:50 Final Thoughts and Invitation to Connect Ideas for future podcast guests or themes? 💡 We want to co-create this podcast with you. We'd therefore love to hear your suggestions for future podcast guests or themes. Feel free to share in a private message or leave a comment below 🙏🏼 (It's also ok to invite yourself 😉) Join Our Life Science Talent Ecosystem We want to build a community to inspire life science professionals and leaders through talent talks and organized events. Share knowledge across the life science community through personal stories of their journey. We encourage you to take part in shaping this community by sharing your feedback, questions, or ideas. This you can do through our LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠community page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Warm Regards from your podcast hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nehar Mortuza⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Søren Spanner Bach