Friedberg reports Ohalo experiments achieved dramatic yield increases and hybrid vigor across multiple plant species.
“And in every experiment we ran, the results were incredible. The yield goes through the roof. Everything we expected would happen, happened. The genetic diversity creates hybrid vigor, creates faster growing healthier plants, bigger plants.”
Friedberg's non-engineer chief of staff used AI to write a Python script in hours to screen hundreds of resumes.
“Laura asked AI to write a Python script for her, to download all the resumes from Greenhouse, scan them, score them, and give her results. She did this all in a couple of hours.”
Friedberg explains Ohalo's system replaces 2.5 tons per acre of leftover potatoes with less than 10 grams of seed.
“They're farmed vegetatively, so you actually chop up leftover potatoes and put them back in the ground in order to grow potatoes, like Matt Damon does in The Martian.”
Friedberg's system replaces two and a half tons of potato planting material with less than ten grams of seed.
“And with our system, you can put less than 10 grams of little tiny seed to replace that two and a half tons of potato.”
Friedberg reports Ohalo experiments consistently showed yield increases through hybrid vigor as predicted.
“in every experiment we ran, the results were incredible. The yield goes through the roof. Everything we expected would happen happened. The genetic diversity creates hybrid vigor,”
Friedberg explains Ohalo's system produces uniform potato seed, eliminating need for warehouse storage of seed potatoes.
“With boosted, with our system, not only can we breed potato, but we can then make uniform seed. So every seed that comes out of that potato is the same.”
Friedberg invested in Ohalo for four and a half years despite uncertainty before seeing results.
“And we had to get multiple things right in a row over time to see if this thing even worked. And fortunately it works, but it took us four and a half years.”
Friedberg says Ohalo took four and a half years of investment before proving its big idea worked, resisting rational hedging.
“But because we remained committed to the bigger idea, this bigger experiment we had, this big project, We had a shot at it, and we got there, and this thing worked.”