March 10, 2021
Dr Olivia Ahn, Co-Founder and CEO of Planera on Creating Sustainable Products and the Role of FMCG
My guest today is Dr. Olivia Ahn, co-founder and CEO of Planera which makes the only certified flushable and 100% bio-degradable sanitary pad. Not quite in a garage, Olivia founded Planera in her flat as she was finishing her degree at Imperial College
The business
- [01:00] What made you become an entrepreneur and how did you come up with this idea?
- [03:54] How is your product different from what other organic products are doing in the market?
- [05:00] Why aren’t any of the big FMCG brands doing anything like this?
The process
- [07:55] What was your process from concept to production?
- [10:27] Did you do market validation whilst testing the product?
- [13:23] Why did you choose to sell directly to customers?
The Insights
- [22:23] What has been the hardest part of the journey?
- [23:17] What were some of the biggest mistakes that you think you could have avoided?
- [24:26] What was your larger vision when you thought about creating this company?
- [29:06] - How did you go about building and engaging your early adopter community?
- [30:14] What stage is your company in right now?
- [31:46] How do you keep on top of what you need to do and ensure you don’t burn out?
Company: Planera
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