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Comment by blaufast | Hacker News Reader

There are zero profitable syn bio companies in the world because even simple projects are too slow and costly.

Ginkgo doesn’t value it’s employees, and doesn’t have secret sauce. I think the next company, that Ginkgo diaspora found or flee to, will be the one that starts making these claims real.

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You are correct. I was on an IGEM project when I was in undergrad, didn’t do too well but was amazed by the potential.

After I finished grad school, interviewed at 3 Syn Bio start-ups. Did not get offers from any of them, but all 3 failed within 1.5 years of me applying (blessing in disguise).

I find the technology and ramifications fascinating, but we are at least 20 years out from anything meaningful in the space.

I wonder if you might expand on your assertion that Ginkgo doesn't value its employees -- I have a friend that joined Ginkgo not too long ago, and I hope things work out for them.

It resembles academia. The company is very penny wise and pound foolish, toxic behaviors aren’t managed, the (5!) founders are basically dead weight, and hours are expected to bleed into evenings and weekends. There’s an inversion of resources- the more work you have, the less you will be supported by the company. The people who flourish tend to have academic backgrounds and this perpetuates the cycle. Good luck to your friend!

Similar vein between Amyris/Zymergen

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