Wayne Byrne, Co-Founder and Director of Method Capital and Venture Partner at Burnt Island Ventures

Repeat entrepreneurs are a special breed. They have essentially proved that they operate through skill and not luck, and Wayne Byrne is one of the most skillful. I met him in 2015 in San Francisco as he was picking up one of many awards for OxyMem as they built towards their acquisition by DuPont, his fourth exit in an illustrious career. He's been able to play both the hardware and software games at a very high level indeed, and has been an invaluable source of advice and support, both for me personally and for the Burton Island. Please enjoy my conversation with Wayne Byrne.Subscribe to The Fundamental Molecule here: https://www.burntislandventures.com/the-fundamental-moleculeFor the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fundamental-molecule/id1714287205-----------This week, serial entrepreneur Wayne Byrne joins Tom to share his somewhat unconventional entrepreneurial journey, offering insights into the nexus of water, technology, and entrepreneurship. From early ‘side hustles’ to his pivotal role at OxyMem, Wayne's experiences underscore the significance of transparency, resilience, and embracing challenging moments as catalysts for growth. He discusses the dynamics of European and US water markets, advocates for strategic market entry, introduces Method Capital's role in providing non-dilutive project finance for sustainability innovators, and highlights the pressing need for water sector innovation.Episode Highlights:0:00 Start0:49 Introduction1:35 Wayne’s entrepreneurial origins2:51 His early journey into cleantech4:57 Wayne’s ‘meander’ into the water industry6:08 His attraction to ‘university spinouts’10:10 OxyMem and the notion of defensibility11:51 OxyMem and the MABR16:00 Wayne’s perspective on partnerships18:28 Key components in his entrepreneurial successes21:57 Processing difficult moments in a small organization23:59 Wayne’s thoughts on the CEO-Board relationship26:56 His perspective on the learning cycle29:06 Comparing water market early stage technology in Europe and the US33:03 Wayne’s approach to new market entry34:33 His thoughts on the level of future dynamism in the water sector36:20 Method Capital39:15 Transferable lessons learned from entrepreneurship and parenthood40:42 The one entrepreneurship lesson he would pass on to emerging water foundersLinks:Burton Island VenturesWayne's LinkedIn PageMethod Capital