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Gordan Lauc
Episode · #128

RITAM POSLA Gordan Lauc

Guest Gordan LaucHosted by Lidija KiseljakMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Gordan Lauc doesn't fit the typical image of a scientist. He runs Genos, a company that, by his own admission, sees science as a 'hobby,' not its core business. Yet, the World Bank recently ranked Genos as the top scientific producer in Croatia, outperforming state-funded institutions. This unusual position allows Lauc to approach deep scientific research with a market-driven clarity rarely found in academia. As a professor at universities from Zagreb to London and Boston, Lauc's work at Genos focuses on glycomics, a specialized field where his team has become the global authority. They develop biomarkers that are now integral to personalized medicine, even influencing how institutions like the Mayo Clinic approach patient care. This conversation explores the long arc of scientific discovery, the decade-plus lag between a lab finding and a commercial product, and the counter-intuitive strategies required to bring advanced medical insights to market. You’ll walk away with a clearer picture of how to commercialize deep science, the value of rapid feedback in driving behavior change, and why a 'hobby' can sometimes yield world-leading results.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
The World Bank's recent analysis ranked Genos, a for-profit company, as the top producer of high-quality scientific papers in Croatia. For a market-driven firm where science is a 'hobby,' not the core business, outperforming state-funded research institutions shows that commercial pressure can sharpen scientific output.
02
In the globalized market, Gordan Lauc argues it's nearly impossible to compete on price with existing products, citing the plummeting cost of genetic analyses. Profit margins and survival depend entirely on continuous research and development, creating new products that others cannot quickly replicate.
03
Genos's biological age test, now on the market, was first discovered in 2014, taking a decade to move from initial finding to generating market revenue. True innovation in medicine demands an exceptionally long view; expect a ten-year horizon between a scientific discovery and its commercial viability.
04
Lauc points out that most people fail to adopt healthy habits because the payoff — avoiding illness twenty or thirty years in the future — is too abstract. Abstract, distant benefits rarely motivate sustained behavioral change; immediate, tangible feedback is crucial for driving action.
05
The biological age test provides a tangible feedback loop, allowing users to see their progress in improving their health within months, much like a smartwatch tracks daily activity. To encourage deep, lasting behavioral shifts, create a system that delivers concrete, measurable progress on a timeframe relevant to the user's daily life.
06
Genos sells only 'a few hundred' of its biological age tests in Croatia but focuses on the global market, particularly 'longevity clinics' that guide clients through lifestyle changes. A new, high-cost scientific product often requires a global market strategy from day one, targeting specialized niches rather than broad local adoption, to achieve necessary volume.
07
Genos, primarily a research laboratory, licensed its biological age test for global commercialization to a company called Like Age, acknowledging their own lack of sales expertise. Knowing when to hand off a product to a commercialization partner, rather than trying to build in-house sales capabilities, is a critical decision for deep science companies.
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