Zack Abbott, CEO of ZBiotics, on how coaching helped him scale himself
Zack created the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. As ZBiotics scaled into a multinational brand, it needed a CEO, not a scientist. He explains how his coach helped him become one.
If you're running a company well, your company is going to have new needs every six months. So if you don't think you are able to evolve with those needs, get a high-performance coach.
Zack wrote about his experience working with a Titan Coach on LinkedIn
See it on LinkedIn →The founder and the company
Who is Zack Abbott?
Zack Abbott is the co-founder and CEO of ZBiotics, the company behind the first genetically engineered probiotic sold to consumers. He holds a PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of Michigan and invented the company's technology. Before ZBiotics he designed clinical trials at Biorasi and researched HIV vaccines at UC Davis.
Who founded ZBiotics?
ZBiotics was founded in 2016 by Zack Abbott, its CEO, and Stephen Lamb, its COO. The company is based in San Francisco and was part of Y Combinator's Winter 2018 batch.
What is ZBiotics?
ZBiotics makes genetically engineered probiotic drinks. Pre-Alcohol, launched in 2019, breaks down acetaldehyde, the byproduct of alcohol behind rough mornings. Sugar-to-Fiber turns dietary sugar into fiber in the gut. The company has sold more than 14 million bottles of Pre-Alcohol.
How much funding has ZBiotics raised?
ZBiotics has raised about $17 million. Spring Tide Capital led the $12 million Series A in August 2024, and Oyster Ventures led a seed round in 2020. The company reached profitability in 2023.
Does Zack Abbott work with an executive coach?
Yes. Zack Abbott works with an executive coach from Titan, which matches Series A to C founders with coaches who have built or coached companies at scale. In his Titan interview he describes the move from scientist to CEO. He says a company has new needs every six months, so its founder has to keep evolving.
From the conversation
Why did you start looking for a coach?
In the early days when I'm sleeping under a bench as a scientist, that's actually the only job I was formally trained for. Then we got a few employees and we launched a product. You go from doing to managing to leading, and it becomes more and more clear that I need somebody who's done this before to help me make that transition.
How does your coach work?
I played a lot of sports growing up, and there is a playbook for how you can be a great leader. These are skills you can learn. So here are the skills that you need that you're not good at right now, and here are the drills you can do to get better at them.
What makes him different from coaches you had worked with before?
Compared to other coaches I've worked with before Titan, my experience with Matt has been that he very much tailors his approach to my needs.
What would you tell another founder?
If you're running a company well, your company is going to have new needs every six months. So if you don't think you are able to evolve with those needs, get a high-performance coach.
Full transcript
Zack Abbott, Co-Founder and CEO of ZBiotics, in conversation with Titan. Lightly edited for clarity.
What ZBiotics creates
Hey, I'm Zack, CEO of ZBiotics, and we make genetically engineered probiotics. There's these new problems, these new things that our biology is not involved to deal with. And we can't just go out in the ground and pull out the same ingredients that we've been using for the last several thousand years to magically solve these new problems. We need modern biotechnology to invent new ingredients to solve these problems.
How the company got started
I'm trying to launch the world's first ever genetically engineered probiotic. The best idea, the best way to get started was a product that would help people feel better the day after drinking. We have one product on the market that's doing really well. We've launched a second product in the last year.
How growth changes challenges
Whatever stage you're at, you're always, if we just get to here, everything's gonna be great. As we scaled up, the problems get more complex, and you start layering in more challenges and more of a complex business model. At each stage of the company, my job as a CEO really has changed a lot.
Why he needed a coach
In the early days, when I'm sleeping under a bench as a scientist, that's actually the only job that I was actually formally trained for. It was being a scientist. Then we got a few employees, and we launched a product, and now we're selling a consumer product. And you go from doing to managing to leading, and it becomes more and more clear that I need somebody who's done this before to help me make that transition. And so I think that that's when I realized having a coach would be really helpful.
How coaching builds leadership skills
Compared to other coaches I've worked with before Titan, my experience with Matt has been that he very much tailors his approach to my needs.
I played a lot of sports growing up, and there is a playbook for how you can be a great leader. And these are skills you can learn. So here are the skills that you need that you're not doing good at right now. Here are the drills or the things you can do to get better at them.
That idea to me as a performer was, oh, yeah, well, I definitely want, why am I gonna try and figure that out myself? Let's get somebody who's done this before who can help me get there. And so I think especially at this complexity of the company, it just felt like this was a no-brainer.
Why Titan supports evolving needs
If you're running a company well, your company is gonna have new needs every six months. So if you don't think you are able to evolve with those needs, get a high-performance coach. Get somebody who understands what your needs are and helps you develop those skills. And Titan is the best way to accomplish that.
Zack Abbott and ZBiotics: quick facts
| Role | Co-founder and CEO, ZBiotics |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Zachary Abbott |
| Company founded | 2016, San Francisco; Y Combinator W18 |
| Co-founder | Stephen Lamb, COO |
| Education | PhD in microbiology and immunology, University of Michigan (2015); molecular and cell biology, UC Berkeley |
| Previously | Clinical trial design, Biorasi; HIV vaccine research, UC Davis |
| Total raised | About $17 million |
| Latest round | $12 million Series A (August 2024) |
| Investors | Spring Tide Capital, Oyster Ventures, Y Combinator |
| Links | LinkedIn · zbiotics.com · Crunchbase |