What is the origin story of Soylent?

The origin story of Soylent is a fascinating mixture of ambition, innovation, and quite a bit of unconventional living. The idea originated around 2012 in Silicon Valley—a time mostly dominated by software startups like Uber and Airbnb. Soylent, in contrast, was a food-based product, which made it a standout venture during that time. According to John Coogan, a co-founder of Soylent, the concept developed in a "hacker house" where he and another co-founder, Rob, were living in less-than-ideal conditions after moving out to Silicon Valley. They discovered the property via Craigslist, which promised a lavish setting but turned out to be almost a dilapidated space with a pool filled with algae and non-functioning bathrooms. Amid this chaos, Rob, living in a space small enough to be considered a closet, conceived the idea of Soylent—a meal replacement product—while trying to find a way to save on food costs due to their tight budget conditions. This low-cost living led them to think about producing food as cheaply as possible, leading Rob to experiment with meal replacements made from powders like protein 1 2.