One of the SF tech world's most antisocial inventions is fighting for its life

"Maybe it's a pair of pure white Allbirds. Maybe it's an abandoned Lime scooter, or a fleece North Face jacket bracing the bitter San Francisco wind. Or, maybe, it's pingpong tables and private charter buses chauffeuring software engineers to their moneyed jobs on the Peninsula. As they hammer code from morning until night, it's likely that, at some point, a nondescript bottle of Soylent accompanied them at their desks, stifling their hunger and quietly prompting them to continue working."

"it became symbolic of the Bay Area's rising tech scene and the brutal gentrification that followed. Within the past several years, however, the company has faced multimillion-dollar losses, rumors of toxic company culture, and a revolving door of C-suites. Despite these widely publicized issues, the CEO of Soylent's parent company is confident that the product's loyal consumer base - along with its taste and "swallow-ability" - will set it up for success within the next two years."

"Founded by software programmer Rob Rhinehart, the first iteration of Soylent was developed in San Francisco in 2013, a time when such a product made perfect sense: Girlbossing was at an all-time high, obnoxious startups were popping up all over San Francisco, and "hustle culture" permeated Silicon Valley. The chemical cocktail, which tasted like bland, unsweetened cake batter, allowed him - and other ambitious founders throughout the Bay Area - to grind without interruption."

Bay Area tech culture evokes minimalist apparel, shared office perks, and convenience-driven habits. Soylent emerged in 2013 as a liquid meal replacement designed to sustain long work sessions with bland, efficient nutrition. The product appealed to founders and engineers who viewed meals as interruptions and embraced Soylent's affordability and convenience. The company later incurred multimillion-dollar losses, endured rumors of toxic corporate culture, and experienced frequent executive turnover. The parent company CEO expresses confidence that loyal consumers, along with the product's taste and swallowability, will drive a successful rebound within two years.

Read at SFGATE