Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast — Episode Summary

Episode: Beyond Meat Gets Slaughtered
Host: Scott Becker
Date: January 21, 2026

Overview

In this brief and focused episode, Scott Becker discusses the recent struggles of Beyond Meat, particularly highlighting the company's decision to pivot from its flagship plant-based meat products to protein drinks. Becker analyzes what such a major shift indicates about the health of a business, comparing it to his own experiences in private equity and business investments.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Beyond Meat’s Business Woes

• Stock Decline:

  • Beyond Meat’s stock has plummeted approximately 80% over the past year.
  • Becker contextualizes this drop:

    “That means if you put in $10,000, it’s worth $2,000.”
    [01:13]

• Quality Commentary:

  • Light opinion on the products themselves:

    “Some of it’s good, some of it’s unedible. But that’s not really the point today.”
    [00:47]

2. Big Business Pivots — Red Flags?

• Beyond Meat’s New Strategy:

  • The company is moving into protein drinks, stepping beyond its core plant-based burger products.
  • Becker details how such a fundamental shift often signals deeper problems:

    “My basic sense when a company makes a big pivot...usually it means that a company is struggling.”
    [00:55]

• Lessons from Private Equity:

  • Becker shares a common red flag from his investment experience:

    “When I invest in a privately held company and a couple of years later they come back and say we’re going to make a big pivot, I know that that generally means things have gone horribly wrong. That’s quote unquote the big pivot.”
    [01:24]

3. Closing Thoughts

• Becker emphasizes he is not an investor in Beyond Meat, but highlights the lesson for all business founders and investors:

  “Always a bad sign when something you’ve invested in...decides to make a big pivot.”
  [01:39]

• He wraps up with cautious optimism for the company’s future, wishing them a turnaround but voicing skepticism given recent trends.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Severity of the Drop:

  “Horrendous last 12 months…if you put in $10,000, it’s worth $2,000.”
  Scott Becker, [01:13]

• On Major Strategic Shifts:

  “There’s little pivots, adjustments, and then there’s big pivots into whole new lines. Usually it means a company is struggling.”
  Scott Becker, [00:54]

• Summing up the Situation:

  “Beyond Meat getting slaughtered, moving to protein drinks. The big pivot. Always a bad sign…”
  Scott Becker, [01:36]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:30 — Introduction to Beyond Meat’s issues and the legendary stock drop
• 00:54 — Analysis of “big pivots” in business strategy
• 01:13 — Quantifying Beyond Meat’s market loss
• 01:24 — Private equity lessons on pivots
• 01:39 — Podcast wrap-up and closing thoughts

Overall Tone and Takeaway

Scott Becker’s approach is matter-of-fact, a blend of analytical and conversational. He shares his direct observations with a hint of wry humor (“some of it’s good, some of it’s unedible…”), but maintains an instructive viewpoint for founders, investors, and enthusiasts: major pivots often signal deeper distress, and investors should beware.

This summary captures the essence and key lessons of the episode for anyone interested in business, private equity, or the ongoing saga of Beyond Meat.