#30: OceanMade with Emily Power – From Microsoft to Kelp Pots, developing a biodegradable seed starter pot, designing a successful pre-sale campaign, navigating imposter syndrome and making decisions with limited information.
Send us a textEmily Power is the founder of OceanMade, who is bridging the gap between terrestrial agriculture and ocean innovation with her groundbreaking Kelp Pots. Sparked by Bren Smith's seaweed farming feature on '60 Minutes', Emily transitioned from her corporate role at Microsoft to ocean entrepreneurship. After pivoting from an initial sustainable marketplace concept, she discovered her mission while confronting the plastic pollution in her own garden. Drawing on seaweed's remarkable properties, Emily developed biodegradable seed starters that significantly outperform both plastic and existing alternatives. In this episode, Emily shares her winding path from corporate life to sustainable innovation, the challenges of developing Kelp Pots, and the surprising results of her experiments. She offers candid insights about imposter syndrome, the value of communication, and building a business that solves real problems while helping the planet. You will appreciate her insights on market validation, product testing, and communicating complex marine benefits to everyday consumers. This conversation offers valuable perspectives for anyone working to translate ocean innovation into practical, scalable solutions that create both environmental and economic impact.Timestamps:00:00:00 - Introduction and Emily's experience at Microsoft00:06:44 - Most valuable skills learned in corporate life: communication and initiative00:10:45 - Leaving Microsoft00:13:50 - First iteration of OceanMade as a sustainable marketplace00:15:06 - Products must solve problems first, sustainability comes second00:17:45 - Building your business as your own "utopia"00:20:35 - Most expensive mistakes: premature branding and imposter syndrome00:24:50 - How doubt led to thorough research and product validation00:27:30 - Current focus of OceanMade and Kelp Pots description00:28:45 - The "eureka" moment that inspired Kelp Pots while gardening00:30:40 - Problems with existing biodegradable pots in the market00:33:25 - Research, development and prototyping process00:35:47 - Breakthrough discovery: complete biodegradation and superior growth00:39:27 - Moving from MVP to market validation00:40:47 - Future R&D plans for different seaweed species and applications00:41:56 - Importance of seeking mentors and support00:44:31 - Making decisions with limited information and moving forward00:45:54 - Marketing strategy and pre-sale success00:49:01 - Using storytelling and the hero's journey in marketing00:52:06 - Target audience: home gardeners and anyone who wants to grow00:53:31 - Marketing channels: word of mouth, Reddit, and gardening communities00:57:31 - Future vision: eliminating plastic from gardening and agriculture00:59:01 - Challenges with scaling and maintaining sustainability01:02:26 - Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in sustainable products01:04:56 - ChatGPT as a research assistant and closing informationUseful Links:Emily Power on LinkedInOceanMade and Kelp PotsMacro OceansFun Stuff DesignsDerek Sivers, author of "Anything You Want"Seth Godin, author and marketing expertBren Smith, author of "Eat Like A Fish"Get in touch The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing him directly at
[email protected]
Netherlands