Hydro Flask: Travis Rosbach. How a thirsty surfer changed the water bottle industry
This lesson is an episode of How I Built This.
Listen to the episodeWhat you'll get
Travis Rosbach, who had no expertise in making bottles, tells Guy Raz how a shopping trip for a better water bottle in 2007 sent him to China to find a manufacturer, then on to a first prototype, bottles stored in his grandfather's garage, and farmers markets, ice tests and first buyers. The episode also covers a crisis that nearly ended the company, an investor who showed up on the day he planned to close it, and why he later left, which makes it a good model for a newcomer entering a crowded category.
Do this week
Run a simple head-to-head test of your product against the best-known alternative, such as a timed or side-by-side comparison, and show it to five likely buyers in person this week.