# Spindrift: Bill Creelman

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2020-01-13
- Length: 1h 04m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-13-spindrift-bill-creelman

## Summary

Bill Creelman, founder of Spindrift, explains how he pivoted from a failed mail-order smoked fish business and a successful cocktail mixer brand (Stirrings) sold to Diageo, to creating a sparkling water made with fresh-squeezed fruit. He details the immense technical challenges of preserving fresh juice without refrigeration, the struggle to find bottlers willing to handle pulp, and the strategic decision to drop a profitable soda line to focus entirely on the sparkling water brand. The episode also covers the five-year development of Chime, an automatic chai brewing machine by Gaurav Chawla, highlighting the difficulties of hardware prototyping and supply chain management for physical products.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-13-spindrift-bill-creelman#t=0) Introduction: Bill Creelman and Spindrift
- [3:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-13-spindrift-bill-creelman#t=222) Early Ventures: Nantucket Harvest and Stirrings
- [29:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-13-spindrift-bill-creelman#t=1742) The Spindrift Idea and Early Prototyping
- [34:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-13-spindrift-bill-creelman#t=2056) Production Challenges and Cold Chain Logistics
- [44:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-13-spindrift-bill-creelman#t=2670) Breakthrough: Shelf-Stable Cans and Retail Expansion
- [50:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-13-spindrift-bill-creelman#t=3015) Strategic Pivots: Dropping Soda and Natural Flavors
- [1:00:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-13-spindrift-bill-creelman#t=3644) Post-Script: Gaurav Chawla and the Chime Chai Brewer

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Spindrift (product)
- Stirrings (product)
- Diageo (company)
- Trader Joe's (company)
- Chime (product)
- Gaurav Chawla (other)
- Salesforce (company)
- Indiegogo (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

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- [Founder Feature: Kun Yang of Pricklee](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-02-20-founder-feature-kun-yang-of-pricklee) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#168 - CPG Founder Life - What to Expect: Paul Voge](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-11-05-168-cpg-founder-life-what-to-expect-paul-voge) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#040 - Beer as you don’t know it - a startup bringing you the freshest craft beer possible, with Jong-Wook Shin of HOPii, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-10-25-040-beer-as-you-dont-know-it-a-startup-bringing-you-the-freshest-craft-beer-poss) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [259 - It's definitely NOT beer with Not Beer founder Dillon Dandurand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-05-01-259-its-definitely-not-beer-with-not-beer-founder-dillon-dandurand) (People of Packaging)

## Citing this page

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