Ep.21 - How Living Things Scales Smarter - Max Adorian

In this episode of Chain Reaction, host Michael Ostroumov sits down with Max Adorian, Head of Operations at Living Things Soda, one of the UK’s fastest-growing functional beverage startups. Max shares his unconventional journey from e-commerce entrepreneur to operations leader, revealing how curiosity, resilience, and problem-solving led him into the dynamic world of supply chains.The conversation explores the balancing act between finance and operations, the role of forecast accuracy in a scaling FMCG business, and how technology and AI are reshaping decision-making. From literal factory fires to navigating stockouts, Max offers an inside look at the realities of growth, agility, and the “yes-if” mindset that keeps Living Things moving forward.Guest BioMax Adorian is Head of Operations at Living Things Soda, a fast-growing prebiotic beverage brand transforming how consumers think about gut health. With a background spanning e-commerce, technology, and startups, Max brings a broad operational perspective to FMCG, blending hands-on problem-solving with strategic financial acumen. He has been instrumental in scaling Living Things across 14 countries, leading the operational transformation that took the company from its first 9,000 cans to national listings in Tesco, Waitrose, and Ocado.Key TakeawaysOperations often finds you — not the other way around.Scaling startups require constant re-evaluation of forecasts.The tension between finance and operations is natural but productive.Visibility and shared data are the foundation for cross-team alignment.Forecasting is part science, part art, part luck.Cashflow management must balance stock availability and liquidity.Communication is key: “Yes, if…” enables flexibility over flat refusals.Agility in supply chains relies on trusted, flexible suppliers.Technology enhances operations but can’t yet replace human nuance.AI adoption will define future-ready operations teams.Continuous learning and adaptability are essential in fast-growth FMCG.The ultimate dream: perfect forecasting.Chapters00:00 Welcome and guest introduction 01:00 How Max fell into operations 03:20 Living Things Soda: the growth story 04:50 The prebiotic soda category 06:30 Finance vs Operations: balancing tension 09:10 Aligning teams through trust and visibility 12:40 The “Yes, If” rule for operational decision-making 16:40 Forecasting challenges in fast-growth FMCG 19:30 Agility, suppliers, and stockouts 20:30 Technology, data, and the Google Sheets dilemma 22:50 AI in operations: hype vs. reality 25:40 Building operational capability and talent 28:00 AI, expertise, and the future workforce 30:10 If you had a magic wand: perfect forecasting 31:15 Closing thoughts and farewellScaling operations is about protecting cashflow while raising service levels. This episode covers how operators prioritise, sequence, and avoid premature complexity.FLOX angle: Find the fastest operational wins with the 3-minute maturity assessment: https://www.flox.is/resources/logistics-ops-maturity-assessment/ Explore FLOX (Supply Chain & Logistics Orchestration): https://www.flox.is/#SupplyChain#Logistics#SupplyChainManagement#LogisticsOperations#SupplyChainStrategy#LogisticsTechnology#SupplyChainVisibility#LogisticsMarketplace#SupplyChainLeadership#FLOX