The Fundamental Molecule

著者： The Fundamental Molecule with Tom Ferguson Burnt Island Ventures
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  • Welcome to The Fundamental Molecule. This show explores the intersection of water, technology and entrepreneurship. Each week, Tom Ferguson, Managing Partner of Burnt Island Ventures, interviews innovators, experts, entrepreneurs and investors in the world of water, to help us understand where this trillion dollar industry is headed. These are the stories of the people building the future of the world’s most valuable and fundamental resource. Explore all of our episodes and learn more at https://www.burntislandventures.com/the-fundamental-molecule
    2023 Burnt Island Ventures
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あらすじ・解説

Welcome to The Fundamental Molecule. This show explores the intersection of water, technology and entrepreneurship. Each week, Tom Ferguson, Managing Partner of Burnt Island Ventures, interviews innovators, experts, entrepreneurs and investors in the world of water, to help us understand where this trillion dollar industry is headed. These are the stories of the people building the future of the world’s most valuable and fundamental resource. Explore all of our episodes and learn more at https://www.burntislandventures.com/the-fundamental-molecule
2023 Burnt Island Ventures
マネジメント リーダーシップ 個人ファイナンス 経済学
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  • Scott Bryan - Pilots, Impact and Acceleration

    Scott Bryan - Pilots, Impact and Acceleration
    2025/02/27
    I owe what I get to do every day here in a job I love to many people, but Scott Bryan really helped. In 2015, he took a chance on me to become the VP of Programming at Imagine H2O running the Accelerator, and it was a learning curve which laid the groundwork for what we do here at BIV. Scott is one of the most important figures in early stage water. Since 2010, he has built Imagine H2O into the premier accelerator for water entrepreneurs running three annual programs, and they announced their first pilot fund last year. All of this adds up to an enormous and rapidly growing degree of impact in water as the companies they backed and supported have revolutionized everything from groundwater management to flood insurance. Please enjoy my conversation with Scott Bryan. Subscribe to The Fundamental Molecule here: https://www.burntislandventures.com/the-fundamental-molecule For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fundamental-molecule/id1714287205 ----------- Scott Bryan, President at Imagine H2O, joins Tom today to discuss the evolution of the water technology ecosystem. Together, they start by taking a look at how the early days were characterized by business plan competitions before the subsequent shift to emphasizing team strength, execution ability, and customer-centric approaches. Scott then goes on to highlight Imagine H2O's evolving selection process, the critical role of pilot projects, and the importance of impact measurement. Noting that water is a less polarizing issue than climate, allowing it a degree of stability, today’s episode also explores philanthropy in the water sector and Imagine H20’s focus on Asia, before wrapping it all up with Scott’s sage advice for water entrepreneurs. 00:00 - Imagine H2O’s Role in Water Innovation 02:19 - Why Water Has Lagged Behind Clean Tech 04:08 - Early Challenges in Water Entrepreneurship 05:40 - What Makes a Water Startup Succeed? 07:30 - The Hidden Dangers of Fundraising Success 09:41 - Key Milestones in Water Innovation Growth 11:17 - How COVID Shifted the Water Tech Landscape 13:17 - Why Most Accelerators Fail at Water Startups 15:15 - The ROI of Water Startup Accelerators 16:14 - Measuring Impact in Water Innovation 17:45 - Why Water Needs Standardized Impact Metrics 18:31 - The Unique Challenges of Running a Water Nonprofit 19:34 - The Role of Philanthropy in Water Innovation 20:24 - Why Climate Funders Must Care About Water 22:46 - How Water Ties Into Public Health and Equity 25:20 - Why Pilots Are Critical for Water Startups 28:12 - How the Water Innovation Pilot Fund Works 30:40 - Expanding Water Tech Innovation Internationally 32:24 - Key Lessons from Imagine H2O Asia 33:48 - Hiring the Right Talent for Water Startups 35:12 - The Future of Water Tech Investment 36:20 - Why Water Is a Bipartisan Issue 38:22 - What Entrepreneurs Must Know About Water Policy 40:11 - The #1 Advice for Water Entrepreneurs Links: Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/ Scott Bryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmilesbryan/ Imagine H2O: https://www.imagineh2o.org/ SM Material Key Takeaways: "Water is a trillion-dollar industry. It's the future of the world's most valuable resource." "Philanthropy in water is changing. It's not just about wells anymore. We need sophisticated impact engines." "There are four pillars: climate, health, equity, and efficiency. They guide our work and impact." "Water is not as polarizing as climate. It's a bipartisan issue. We must manage resources better." "Take the check from people who know the space. Measure value in burritos, not just equity." "We need to standardize metrics in water. The math is all over the place. Precision is key." "Imagine H2O Asia is a base to think regionally. It's about testing business models faster." "We need to think beyond a 10-month accelerator. It's a long journey, and we're here to help."
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    42 分
  • Paul Hauffen - The Customer Inclusion Loop

    Paul Hauffen - The Customer Inclusion Loop
    2025/02/12
    True dyed-in-the-wool software pros are a valuable breed in water and Paul Hauffen is one of the best. A two-time entrepreneur, he sold his last company Sedaru, and, in a founding hiatus, is bringing his enormous experience to bear helping companies along their trajectory, partially as a BIV Venture Partner. Paul is a very wise man indeed and his insights on building solid foundations for companies, the hard yards of especially early sales and reference building, and the traps that founders can fall into are second to none. We're so lucky to work with him. Please enjoy my conversation with Paul Hauffen. Subscribe to The Fundamental Molecule here: https://www.burntislandventures.com/the-fundamental-molecule For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fundamental-molecule/id1714287205 ----------- Executive, entrepreneur, advisor, and BIV Venture Partner, Paul Hauffen, shares his insights on several valuable topics for water tech startups including common pitfalls for founders after securing funding, his personal journey into the water industry, and the development of his previous company, Sedaru. Paul offers advice on identifying and engaging early customers, outlines the benefits of targeting utilities, reflects on the evolution of software within the water sector, and shares the future of software opportunities. He finishes up by providing his perspective on marketing and sales, defining product-market fit, and emphasizing the vital role of strong customer relationships. 00:00 - Paul Hauffen: Water Tech Visionary 02:03 - The Biggest Mistake Founders Make 03:57 - Why You Shouldn’t Celebrate Fundraising 06:01 - Effective Startup Marketing on a Budget 07:38 - Why Water? A Founder’s Journey 11:27 - How to Identify a Profitable Market Opportunity 14:50 - Building Trust Through Customer Inclusion 15:21 - How to Land Your First Customer 16:32 - The $40K Napkin Deal: Winning Early Sales 18:01 - Checklist for Finding the Right First Customer 21:16 - Why Utilities Make Great Customers 24:25 - How to Win RFPs and Lock in Long-Term Contracts 26:28 - The Evolution of Water Tech Software 28:31 - The Future of AI and Software in Water 33:30 - AI’s Role in Water Innovation 36:29 - Marketing and Sales for Water Startups 39:03 - Pricing Strategy for SaaS in Water Tech 39:49 - Defining Product-Market Fit in Water Software 42:17 - Lessons from Advising Water Tech Startups 44:01 - The Customer Inclusion Loop Links: Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/ Paul Hauffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulhauffen/ SM Material Key Takeaways: "Founders often get intoxicated with marketing before proving value." "Establish product market fit before allocating budget to marketing." "Practical marketing is essential until product market fit is achieved." "Build excuses to interact with customers to strengthen relationships." "Utilities are great customers because they prioritize productivity over profit." "AI allows us to revisit legacy workflows and solve problems faster." "Early customers should be small to mid-size, progressive, and decision-makers." "Balance vision with execution to turn ideas into reality." "The customer inclusion loop is vital for growth and trust building."
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    46 分
  • Mudasser Iqbal - AI, Water and Institutional Memory

    Mudasser Iqbal - AI, Water and Institutional Memory
    2025/01/23
    There is a lot going on in AI right now, from the travails of ChatGPT to the technology being essentially single handedly responsible for the surge of the so-called “Magnificent Seven” and therefore the overall S&P 500 in 2024. But what does it mean for water? Mudasser Iqbal is a career technologist and an exceptional guy, previous CEO of Visenti before its acquisition by our friends at Xylem in 2016, and he and his co-founders reformed to pursue the AI opportunity in water. TeamSolve is going after a tough problem, essentially aiming at solving the lack of easily accessible institutional memory and insight in water utilities using the power of AI. This is a fascinating run through the ins and outs of applying this technology and water, the practicality of problem solving, working with remote teams, maintaining customer focus and much, much more. Please enjoy my conversation with Mudasser Iqbal. Subscribe to The Fundamental Molecule here: https://www.burntislandventures.com/the-fundamental-molecule For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fundamental-molecule/id1714287205 ----------- Mudasser Iqbal, Founder and CEO at TeamSolve and noted ‘AI use in water’ visionary, details his organization’s mission to revolutionize utilities with their "knowledge twin," a formidable resource which effectively combats expertise loss. Accessible through everyday platforms, the Twin boosts efficiency for field techs and command centers. Building upon lessons learned from Visenti and Xylem, Iqbal stresses practicality, user feedback, and a distributed team model. He also urges water innovators to embrace tough challenges and strategic partnerships, mirroring TeamSolve's customer-centric, globally impactful approach. 00:00 - AI's Evolution and Real-World Applications 04:48 - Agentic Frameworks: Beyond Generative AI 07:04 - Why AI in Water Matters Now 09:37 - Real-World Examples: Institutional Knowledge Gaps 12:25 - Knowledge Twin: A Practical AI Solution 19:17 - Practical Uses: Field Technicians and Command Centers 24:21 - Ensuring AI Reliability and Trustworthiness 26:22 - Remote Team Collaboration: Lessons from COVID 29:30 - Vicente Learnings: Collaboration and Customer Focus 32:45 - Building a Customer-Centric Company Culture 35:15 - Creating Moats: Knowledge Sharing and Network Effects 38:51 - Maintaining Focus Amid Growth 40:40 - Advice for Water Entrepreneurs: Solve Hard Problems Links: Burnt Island Ventures TeamSolve Mudasser Iqbal SM Material Key Takeaways: "AI has been around for decades, contributing to drug discovery, predictive maintenance, and more. It's not new, but its applications are expanding." "Generative AI connects the dots in water systems, overcoming data limitations and enabling real problem-solving." "Institutional knowledge in water utilities often retires with employees. AI can bridge this gap, preserving essential information." "AI's promise lies in solving real-world problems, not just generating text or images. It's about practical applications." "Focus on solving a hard problem that's bothering customers. Stick to it for long-term success." "AI can help leapfrog water utilities that are just starting their digital journey, providing practical solutions."
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    42 分

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