What if the appliance you hate most in your kitchen was actually one of the most important tools for your home's health, your food waste habits, and your daily ease? In this episode, Ashley sits down with Tim Ketchum, CEO and co-founder of Composer Appliance, a startup out of San Francisco that is doing what no one else has bothered to do in decades: completely reimagining the garbage disposal. 

Tim walks us through everything that is wrong with the traditional disposal, from the disgusting rubber gasket to the ear-splitting noise to the pipe-clogging paranoia that keeps most people from using the one they already have, and explains how Composer is solving each of those problems one by one with a thoughtfully engineered, beautifully designed system built around a stainless steel iris, single-touch operation, automatic water injection, and an enzyme-based cleaning mechanism that keeps your pipes healthy without you ever having to think about it.

This is a conversation about more than kitchen appliances. Tim and Ashley explore the real story of food waste in America, why composting fails most people in practice, and why the garbage disposal, when designed correctly, might actually be the most accessible, environmentally responsible solution hiding in plain sight. They also go deep on what it actually takes to bring a hardware product to market, including funding, prototyping, market research, intellectual property, and the humbling reality of being a two-person founding team wearing every hat at once. If you have ever stood at your sink wondering what you can put down there, why it smells, or when it is finally time to upgrade, this episode is your answer.

Episode 40 - The One-Touch Garbage Disposal That Won’t Eat Your Hand or Clog Your Pipes with Tim Ketchum of Composer  (39mins)

Episode 40 - The One-Touch Garbage Disposal That Won’t Eat Your Hand or Clog Your Pipes with Tim Ketchum
of Composer 

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

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Tim builds and launches hardware products at the intersection of electronics and user experience. He led new product development at Thomas Electronics, bringing advanced technology products from concept to launch. Tim also brings deep experience in IP management and venture investing. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University.

About the Guest