- March 2022
Cedric Rimella, CEO of
Babylon Sciences
- Rebel Entrepreneurship
It is indeed a very different field from what I have experienced in the past. But as an entrepreneur, I am constantly trying to ask myself the right questions and surround myself with people who can give me the best possible answers.
It is true that I am fortunate to be surrounded at I.D. Swiss Botanicals by a large international team of experts with diverse backgrounds who help me to passionately redefine the field of cosmetics with their multidisciplinary skills. For example, we have a scientific team, product specialists, communication and digital marketing experts and even tech developers. We also work with the best laboratories in Switzerland to break with the usual product development cycles that have existed for decades.
This is probably how our culture of serious rebels came about quite naturally.
Entrepreneurship and the need for disruption were undoubtedly born of my desire not to accept the status quo, always thinking that it is possible to change to do things better, more efficiently, more respectfully, more inclusively, more fairly. A sort of rebellion against a state of affairs that I feel is unsatisfactory.
I like the idea of contributing, in my small way of course, to the building. I have 3 young children and a lot of things can’t go on like this!
That’s a big question. For me, entrepreneurship with the will to move the limits imposes disobedience. I’m quite intense, passionate, wholehearted and some would say stubborn at times. I probably disobey someone or something 100 times a day! And I love it! It allows me to solve challenges in an original way, my own or others’, even when they don’t ask me to !!!! So yes, disobedience is essential to disrupt. And no, not very obedient by nature as far as I am concerned.
The unknown, the problems to be solved, the uncertainty, little budget to start with. This makes, moreover, it forces one to be creative and intelligent in every action taken.
I generally live with this quite well because I manage to keep my eyes on the road. Of course, I sometimes lose my bearings and get depressed like everyone else. But I usually manage to get back on track quite quickly thanks to my entourage or my associated friends.
Because I already know that the moments of satisfaction that mark an entrepreneurial adventure will more than compensate for the more difficult moments: enthusiastic partners, customers who show their satisfaction, etc.
Yes, of course. It is extremely difficult to maintain a certain balance. For me and my family, every new project starts with a family deal: for two years it’s going to be hard, very hard. Are we all OK with that? Yes, we are, aren’t we? Relationships are put to the test. It’s essential for everyone to know what they’re getting into. Otherwise boom! In mid-air! As I said, I am extremely well supported and motivated by my wife and children. They know that this is essential for me.
As an entrepreneur, cash is king without a doubt!
Anything else? The link between the taste for work and the hours worked on one’s projects VS the success or failure of an entrepreneurial adventure. It’s hard, very, very hard. Absolute devotion, sometimes even self-forgetfulness, is essential despite what Linkedin teaches you.
This is what I have also learned, and sometimes try to explain to those around me. Not always easy when entrepreneurship is highly romanticised.
- I.D SWISS BOTANICALS
A curiosity to understand a field that is totally unknown to me and generally disparaged. There is never smoke without fire (no pun intended). So I wanted to understand why this plant was so divisive (passion or disgust). I travelled a lot to understand its medical interest, to talk to users, to better understand its interest and benefits. And I must say that I was left speechless.
What I saw and heard was far beyond the reductive vision I had at the time. So we said to ourselves that there was a way to work on this plant and show the world that it had meaning, far from the clichés. So we started a real scientific work here in Switzerland to discover its real benefits.
The field of neurocosmetics came about relatively quickly when we started to understand this plant, pushed by my dermatologist wife. The field of neurocosmetics is extraordinarily exciting. Today CBD is our first neuroactive ingredient but we are working with our scientific team on the next steps by studying and using other plant molecules with untapped power.
We still have a long way to go, of course. But there are so many ways to describe success in an entrepreneurial venture. We often associate it with the outcome of such an adventure or the achievement of a goal that we have set ourselves. Often financially, by the way.
Let’s face it, a startup is an incredibly difficult journey to develop, change or disrupt a sector, and the outcome is at least uncertain. It is therefore essential to produce one’s own definition of success so that it is achievable and realistic, on a regular basis. Otherwise it is a sure-fire failure.
Always moving forward, never giving up, is a success;
Having clients, partners, investors, etc. in front of you for whom the story resonates and whose purpose is immediately understood, is a success;
Ending the day having solved all the challenges of the day is a success;
Etc.
These successes, minor or major, put together make an entrepreneurial adventure worth (over)living, and ultimately will be responsible for a success or failure.
That’s a big question. For me, undertaking with the will to move the limits imposes disobedience. I’m quite intense, passionate, wholehearted and some would say stubborn at times. I probably disobey someone or something 100 times a day! And I love it! It allows me to solve challenges in an original way, my own or those of others, even when they don’t ask me to !!!! So yes, disobedience is essential to disrupt. And no, not very obedient by nature as far as I am concerned.
A boundless curiosity, an appetite for learning and a need for very few hours of sleep. I try to learn something new every 4 months or so. At the moment I am taking a course on quantum physics.
Access to technology, the best science, natural ingredients, a technical and efficient cosmetic tradition. In short, an ideal ecosystem for innovation, not to mention a certain political openness when it comes to CBD, its cultivation, processing and marketing.
Always with great respect, because ultimately the interest of the consumers must come first.
We have decided to challenge the world of conventional cosmetics with our minimalist, symptom-oriented rather than consequence-oriented neurocosmetic approach. We want to convince our users that general wellbeing is also good for the skin, so that in the long run we may be able to dispense with conventional skincare products that are mainly used to correct skin that is affected by our unbalanced lives.
In a way, to demonstrate that another kind of cosmetics is possible. This is the mission that I.D. Swiss Botanicals has set itself. And this is probably not something we can achieve alone.
- Neurocosmetics
To solve skin problems, we need to map it in some way and understand all the interactions that affect skin health.
Focusing on neurocosmetics allows us to explore the deep interactions between our central nervous system and our skin, and to define future ingredients that will allow us to effectively replace topical treatments, thus treating the source and not the consequences.
We are trying to redefine the concept of beauty. And this is probably the future.