Comment · Sun, June 12, 2022 · ND Owner
Lab Testing Results Of Turkesterone, Beta Ecdysterone, and Gorilla Mind Sigma
Original post in this thread
MisterYouAreSoDumb · 866 points
Okay, so I am finally getting around to make a post about the results of some of the lab testing we have been doing. I've had the results for a bit, but I've been holding off on officially releasing them because frankly it stresses me out these days. It's the same song and dance every time, and it is one I have been doing for a decade now. I release results showing other products are not what they claim, then people attack me and claim I am lying to sell more product. Sometimes the attacks are relatively harmless, and just raise my blood pressure a bit for a day or two. Other times they are death threats to me, my family, and my team. It's not fun sometimes. You'll notice I don't do this nearly as much as I did back in the day on /r/Nootropics. I was younger and more gung-ho then, and had a lot less on my plate. Plus, my family and team kind of pleaded with me to stop doing it so much because of all the attacks and threats. This is why I have not been releasing things like this as much these days. It's not because product quality magically got better in the industry, I can tell you that much! Anyway, let's just get into it.
I woke up this morning ready to jump right into this pos…
What they were answering
Shindog21 · 6 points
One of my roles in the past before moving to formulations was the chemist in charge of PMs, service contracts, standards, budget, and lab materials/supplies. We are talking a multimillion dollar budget for a lab that employed 15 chemists but ran 24/6 365. The fact that you are self funding a lab is nothing short of miraculous especially with the litigation you must face from companies for testing their products and sharing the data with the public (I'm assuming at least).
Don't forget the Empower subscription, LIMS subscription, cost of scale calibration, new glassware routinely, waste disposal if your using organics and certain corrosives, and just the bench tops for equipment that sensitive that are made to reduce and eliminate vibration. We used to spend more money per year on nitrile gloves, chem wipes, parafilm, and miliQ water equipment (filters, bulbs, units, etc) than I made!
Side note, I've always wanted to see this type of thing for the marijuana industry. Dosages for edibles, oils, and baked goods seem to vary wildly from batch to batch.
Edit: Those service contracts are so expensive because techs are paid very well. I just turned down an HPLC-MS Service Tech job for Agilent in Central/East Ohio for six figures + vehicles/gas/insurance.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · ND Owner
Ohh, I won't forget! I try to, but the bills don't let me. LOL.
I totally get the compensation thing. The PhD chemist we hired to develop our residual solvent methods previously worked for Waters, Agilent, and Thermo Scientific. We couldn't pay him what he was making, but he came on for about a year with what we could pay him because he was interested in what we were doing. He eventually found a job making over double what we could pay, so he had to leave. I don't blame him. Some of the compensation is crazy, especially in the pharma side!
Our first lawsuit was super stressful. It's not something you really can prepare for. However, I spoke to owners of other businesses in other industries, and the ones that have been around for a while said it was no big deal. If you exist long enough, you will get sued in the US. The first time is the hardest. Then you get used to it. I've fought a few tough ones so far, and I am sure we have even tougher ones on the horizon. However, we are really good at what we do. We double and triple check everything, and document shit up the ass. We put out verifiable facts that we have evidence for. I also have preplanned counter suits for everything. This shit is not just dangerous for consumers. It's unfair competition, too. I've been super tempted to just start filing suits of my own, but I hold back. However, if people come after me, I am going to counter sue with every possible count that I can. Then comes broad discovery. I know what they will find with us: the facts. I also know what we will likely find in discovery with them. I doubt many of the shady companies out there want our lawyers combing through all their shit. Courts are also extremely friendly to consumer protection. Releasing information to try to protect consumers is always given more weight by judges and the courts. But yes, this is another reason I have stepped back from doing it as much these days. This is another reason my dream is to eventually just move it all to a nonprofit that goes out and tests things and releases the data. I just want companies to take lab testing and quality control seriously. I really don't want to be making enemies.