Ep. 5: Wayne Byrne - 4x Startups to Exit
Repeat entrepreneurs are a special breed. They have essentially proved that they operate through skill and not luck, and Wayne Byrne is one of the most skillful. I met him in 2015 in San Francisco as he was picking up one of many awards for OxyMem as they built towards their acquisition by DuPont, his fourth exit in an illustrious career. He's been able to play both the hardware and software games at a very high level indeed, and has been an invaluable source of advice and support, both for me personally and for the Burnt Island. Please enjoy my conversation with Wayne Byrne.
Listen now on:
Subscribe to The Fundamental Molecule here.
Ffull show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content below.
-----------
This week, serial entrepreneur Wayne Byrne joins Tom to share his somewhat unconventional entrepreneurial journey, offering insights into the nexus of water, technology, and entrepreneurship. From early ‘side hustles’ to his pivotal role at OxyMem, Wayne's experiences underscore the significance of transparency, resilience, and embracing challenging moments as catalysts for growth. He discusses the dynamics of European and US water markets, advocates for strategic market entry, introduces Method Capital's role in providing non-dilutive project finance for sustainability innovators, and highlights the pressing need for water sector innovation.
Episode Highlights:
0:00 Start
0:49 Introduction
1:35 Wayne’s entrepreneurial origins
2:51 His early journey into cleantech
4:57 Wayne’s ‘meander’ into the water industry
6:08 His attraction to ‘university spinouts’
10:10 OxyMem and the notion of defensibility
11:51 OxyMem and the MABR
16:00 Wayne’s perspective on partnerships
18:28 Key components in his entrepreneurial successes
21:57 Processing difficult moments in a small organization
23:59 Wayne’s thoughts on the CEO-Board relationship
26:56 His perspective on the learning cycle
29:06 Comparing water market early stage technology in Europe and the US
33:03 Wayne’s approach to new market entry
34:33 His thoughts on the level of future dynamism in the water sector
36:20 Method Capital
39:15 Transferable lessons learned from entrepreneurship and parenthood
40:42 The one entrepreneurship lesson he would pass on to emerging water founders
Links:
