Hydro Flask: Travis Rosbach. How a thirsty surfer changed the water bottle industry

Hydro Flask: Travis Rosbach. How a thirsty surfer changed the water bottle industry

What if the idea that changes your life… starts with something as ordinary as being thirsty?

In 2007, Travis Rosbach walked into a sporting goods store looking for a water bottle—and stumbled onto a problem no one had solved. Plastic, BPA-lined bottles dominated the market. Metal alternatives leaked, dented, or couldn’t keep drinks cold enough.

Travis’s solution? A double-walled, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel bottle. His expertise? Non-existent.

This is the improbable story of how Hydro Flask was built—from scavenging metal parts in China, to selling bottles at outdoor markets, to getting into Whole Foods by sheer timing and luck, to a last-minute investor who walked in on the day Travis planned to shut the company down.

Hydro Flask would go on to become one of the most recognizable and popular bottles in the country.

This is the story behind it.


What You'll Learn

  • How paying attention to trends can lead to new business ideas
  • How a novice learns the ropes by obsessively comparing existing products
  • How the lessons from past ventures can fuel future success
  • Why perseverance and timing can be just as important as know-how


Timestamps:

  • 05:46 - Building a fence, and a first business: “I had no clue.”
  • 09:33 - A one-way trip to Hawaii : The surprising detour that leads Travis to his biggest invention
  • 15:13 - How Travis gets inspired—then obsessed—after trying to buy a water bottle
  • 22:08 - Searching for a manufacturer: a here-goes-nothing trip to China
  • 31:58 - The first prototype: two colors, sharp edges
  • 35:43 - Bootstrapping Hydro Flask: moving in with mom, storing bottles in grandpa’s garage
  • 37:14 - Farmer’s markets, ice tests and the first buyers
  • 52:27 - The crisis that almost kills the company
  • 56:30 - An eleventh-hour visitor: “I might want to invest”
  • 58:34 - Leaving the company he built: why Travis walked away
  • 1:06:07 - Small Business Spotlight


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jaksot(786)

The Lip Bar: Melissa Butler

The Lip Bar: Melissa Butler

While working long hours as a Wall Street analyst, Melissa Butler started making lipstick in her kitchen as a hobby. But it soon turned into an obsession, costing thousands of dollars. She was frustrated by the lack of diversity in the cosmetics industry, and as a Black woman, wanted to create lipstick colors that complimented her complexion and style. So in 2010, she launched The Lip Bar, with bold colors like green and purple, and boozy names like "Cosmo" and "Sour Apple Martini." Undeterred by a disastrous appearance on Shark Tank with her partner Rosco Spears, Melissa was motivated to pitch her lipstick to Target, and in 2016, launched a new color on Target's online store. Today, The Lip Bar has expanded to 500 Target stores, and has continued to grow a following, despite the pain points of the pandemic. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

23 Marras 20201h 20min

How I Built Resilience: Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries

How I Built Resilience: Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries

Father Gregory Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, one of the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry programs in the world. He speaks with Guy about how the Los Angeles based organization has adapted to continue training and employing people during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

19 Marras 202025min

Kenneth Cole: Kenneth Cole

Kenneth Cole: Kenneth Cole

Kenneth Cole launched his shoe business out of a forty-foot truck in midtown Manhattan and quickly became known as an up-and-coming designer with an eye for street fashion. In 1986, he made a bold move by associating his nascent brand with a controversial issue at the time: the AIDS crisis, and the vital need for research. Through the 1990s and 2000s, Kenneth grew the company into a $500M brand, leading it through downturns, department store consolidation, an IPO and a return to private ownership. Throughout, he stayed committed to AIDS research and many other social causes. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

16 Marras 20201h 15min

Dropbox: Drew Houston

Dropbox: Drew Houston

In 2006, Drew Houston got on a bus from Boston heading to New York. He planned to use the three-hour ride to get some work done, so he opened his laptop, and realized he had left his thumb drive with all of his work files at home. Drew decided he never wanted to have that problem again. On that bus ride, he started writing the code to build a cloud-based file storage and sharing service he called Dropbox. Fourteen years later, Drew and his co-founder, Arash Ferdowsi, have built Dropbox into a public company worth close to $8 billion. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

9 Marras 202047min

How I Built Resilience: Varshini Prakash of Sunrise Movement

How I Built Resilience: Varshini Prakash of Sunrise Movement

Guy talks with Varshini Prakash, co-founder of Sunrise Movement, a grassroots organization that's fighting to make climate change a top priority in the US. The group launched in 2017 and has since grown into one of the largest youth movements in the country. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders about how they're navigating these turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 Marras 202023min

Famous Dave's: Dave Anderson

Famous Dave's: Dave Anderson

Growing up in 1960's Chicago, Dave Anderson didn't eat much deep dish. Instead, his dad took the family to the South Side for barbecue, and those memories—and aromas—stayed with him. For years, Dave tinkered with his own recipes for sauces and sides while working as a salesman and business advisor to Native American tribes. Finally in 1994, he opened his first barbecue shack in the last place you might expect to find one: the little town of Hayward, Wisconsin. The chain grew quickly—too quickly—and Dave developed a love-hate relationship with the brand he'd created, but never lost his passion for smoked ribs and brisket. Today, Famous Dave's has around 125 restaurants across the U.S., making it one of the largest barbecue chains in the country. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 Marras 20201h 15min

How I Built Resilience: Justin Gold of Justin's

How I Built Resilience: Justin Gold of Justin's

Justin Gold is the founder of Justin's, known for its nut butters and chocolate peanut butter cups. He talks about how he started by pulverizing peanuts in his home blender, and describes how his customers are shopping differently during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

31 Loka 202021min

How I Built Resilience: Cheryl Contee of Do Big Things

How I Built Resilience: Cheryl Contee of Do Big Things

Do Big Things is a Black woman-led, mission-driven digital agency that works with companies like Google, Etsy, and the NAACP, and has a staff that's 50% people of color. The agency's CEO and founder Cheryl Contee says having a diverse team is a strategy for authentic engagement. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29 Loka 202019min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
mimmit-sijoittaa
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-rahapodi
lakicast
herrasmieshakkerit
rss-neuvottelija-sami-miettinen
rss-rahamania
oppimisen-psykologia
pomojen-suusta
rss-lahtijat
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
rss-myyntipodi
rss-startup-ministerio
rss-rahataito-podcast
raharesepti
rss-uskalla-yrittaa
rss-doulapodi
rss-bisnesta-bebeja
rss-metsanomistaja-podcast