When I tell people I founded a supplements company, their first reaction is “Why?”.

When I then tell them our first products will support their pursuit of wellbeing — perform better, rest better, and get their mental game in check — their reaction is mainly silence, followed by an “if you eat right you do not need vitamins”.

I can see their minds churning. Why vitamins? Why me? Frankly, I do not blame them. I am a healthy 21-year-old male trying to solve a problem they associate with old people and fitness freaks. Based on what is commonly (mis)understood about the topic, their silence is understandable.

There are two reasons why we started this company: to make people feel better by getting the right nutrients, and to make it easier to feel better.

Let me share our story, explaining why we are devoted to solving this problem, and why it’s important.

WHAT DO I KNOW?

When I was 17, I set a personal goal of fighting Anthony Joshua, former boxing Heavyweight Champion of the World, within 8 years. I have been dedicated to physical activity and human performance for as long as I can remember. Throughout my childhood, I performed various sports from basketball to Olympic diving, and I started lifting heavy weights in my early teenage years. Human performance, movement, and nutrition became the only things that mattered to me. I was obsessed.

When I was 19 I stumbled upon and joined a tech startup in Stockholm. I joined early and became part of the core team. I had found a new obsession. I started prioritizing work in every possible way. Lunch was switched for the fastest and most efficient option, sleep was cut. But most of all, my boxing training and physical activity that had been such a core part of my life and identity for the last 10 years, was radically reduced.

Even though I was totally aware of the importance of the right nutrition, and the value of physical activity for mental performance and physical health — I ignored all my learnings and overlooked the signs of mental and physical fatigue.

Frankly, I think a lot of people get stuck in this trap of knowing what they have to do but pushing it aside due to its inconvenience.

Humans are creatures of habits. Legacy Vitamins simplifies the process of finding, buying, and taking the right vitamins— so it is easier to stick to your routine.

WHY NOW?

At the beginning of 2021, I tore my chest muscle during training. I ended up having surgery and was told I would not be able to move my arm for 6 months, train for 9 months, or lift any weights for 12 months.

I could not accept it. There had to be a better and faster way to recover. So I dove deeper into learning about nutrition, vitamins, minerals, and protein peptides. I tested everything. At one point I had 15 tubs of different generic vitamins and minerals, taking 1–2 capsules of each, every single day.

What I quickly realized was that these supplement companies were stuffing their products full of fillers and flow agents — why? Basically ‘fillers’ bind nutrients for cheaper, and faster production of lesser quality ingredients. Luckily, we manufacture our capsules with natural alternatives— it just takes longer, costs more, and requires more expensive machinery. An obvious choice in our eyes.

I then fell through the same trap once again. Even though I knew I had to do this for an optimized recovery, it became a process I pushed aside and forgot. I kept saying “I will take them after breakfast, after lunch, after dinner”. There was no easy way for me to keep track of my supplement intake.

I started researching if others were experiencing the same and studied the supplement industry and its developments. To my surprise, I found that many are experiencing the same problem but there is no simple option that solves it.

Eventually, the tech startup I worked with and invested in got acquired in May of 2021, which gave me time to go all-in on this space that had been luring me for years.