Digitizing Food Safety - Karim Khinouche - Shift & Thrive - Episode # 042

What does it take to shift from a consulting model to a tech-driven product in a traditionally risk-averse industry like food safety? In this episode of Shift and Thrive, Natalie Nathanson interviews Karim Khinouche, founder and CEO of Novolyze, about his journey from industrial engineer to food safety innovator. Karim shares how his company evolved from a consulting firm into a scalable tech platform, the misconceptions surrounding food safety, and why execution, not just ideas, drives success. He also dives into his leadership philosophy, the challenges of digital transformation, and actionable advice for founders looking to make meaningful change.

Takeaways:

• Leaders should be open to transforming business models from service-oriented to product-oriented if it aligns with long-term goals. Invest in understanding the core issues your company aims to solve; deep immersion in customer interactions can provide invaluable insights.
• Use data-driven evidence to address and dismantle misconceptions within your industry. Communicate the actual state of affairs clearly to stakeholders to foster informed decision-making.
• Recognize the fear and resistance that employees might have towards digitization. Implement change gradually and provide training to ease the transition. Highlight short-term wins to build trust and demonstrate tangible benefits to stakeholders.
• Create mechanisms for continuous feedback from customers. Ensure your product roadmap is responsive to their evolving needs. Celebrate and showcase success stories to reinforce the value of your product and encourage adoption.
• Stay close to your competition to learn and improve your offerings. Healthy competition drives better products and services. Use competitive insights to spot your strengths and areas for improvement.
• Maintain transparency in your company's long-term vision to align internal teams and customers. Recognize short-term setbacks as part of the journey towards achieving long-term goals.

Quote of the Show:

• “ Keep learning. That may seem basic, especially for founders, but the day you stop learning, there's not much more we can build. So keep learning every day.”

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khinouche/ 
• Website: https://www.novolyze.com/ 
• Email: [e-mail] 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2D1YbT2QhKxIwbREpU7EMb 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/id1740828813 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa60b654-1955-4055-93df-fdd40c2a5c8f/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change 
• iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-shift-thrive-ceo-insights-166792501 
• Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/shift-and-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/PC:1001086797  

This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency. 

Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com