# Back to the Roots: Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2021-11-08
- Length: 1h 19m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-11-08-back-to-the-roots-nikhil-arora-and-alejandro-velez

## Summary

Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez, co-founders of Back to the Roots, explain how they pivoted from a college project growing oyster mushrooms on coffee grounds to building a $100 million organic gardening brand. They detail their early bootstrapping strategy, the critical lesson learned from a failed Kickstarter launch of the AquaFarm (later Water Garden) that nearly bankrupted them, and their strategic shift to focus exclusively on lawn and garden products sold in big-box retailers like Home Depot and Walmart.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-11-08-back-to-the-roots-nikhil-arora-and-alejandro-velez#t=0) Introduction: Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez
- [10:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-11-08-back-to-the-roots-nikhil-arora-and-alejandro-velez#t=629) The Berkeley Origin and First Mushroom Harvest
- [28:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-11-08-back-to-the-roots-nikhil-arora-and-alejandro-velez#t=1688) Bootstrapping the Mushroom Business with Whole Foods
- [43:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-11-08-back-to-the-roots-nikhil-arora-and-alejandro-velez#t=2580) Pivoting to Mushroom Kits and the Bachelorette Detour
- [1:00:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-11-08-back-to-the-roots-nikhil-arora-and-alejandro-velez#t=3615) The AquaFarm Kickstarter Disaster and Near Bankruptcy
- [1:10:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-11-08-back-to-the-roots-nikhil-arora-and-alejandro-velez#t=4223) Expanding to Cereal and the Strategic Pivot to Gardening
- [1:16:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-11-08-back-to-the-roots-nikhil-arora-and-alejandro-velez#t=4571) Scaling to Home Depot, Walmart, and Costco

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Packaging design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/packaging-design)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Back to the Roots (company)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Paul Stamets (other)
- Alice Waters (other)
- Pete's Coffee (company)
- Gourmet Mushrooms Incorporated (company)
- David Law (other)
- AquaFarm (product)
- Water Garden (product)
- Home Depot (company)
- Walmart (company)
- Costco (company)
- Nordstrom (company)
- Petco (company)
- Johnny Ive (other)
- Acre Ventures (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#169 - "How to Take Advice" with Nikhil Arora](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-11-12-169-how-to-take-advice-with-nikhil-arora) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#024 - How to increase your own productivity and that of your garden’s, with Mattias Lepp of Click & Grow, Estonia](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-03-024-how-to-increase-your-own-productivity-and-that-of-your-gardens-with-mattias) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [#179 - Bootstrap Heroes: Hazard's Hop Water, SWAIR, Gourmend Foods](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-01-21-179-bootstrap-heroes-hazards-hop-water-swair-gourmend-foods) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Bootstrapped to 800,000 Units Sold Worldwide: The Story Behind Rockit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-04-17-bootstrapped-to-800-000-units-sold-worldwide-the-story-behind-rockit) (It's Only a Prototype)
- [S3 E7: Building Bootstrapped Hardware That Sells with Christian Reed](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2026-01-13-s3-e7-building-bootstrapped-hardware-that-sells-with-christian-reed) (The Builder Circle)

## Citing this page

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