Hardware Podcasts

#126 The Rise of HOP WTR with Jordan Bass

The Startup CPG Podcast · 30 Jan 2024 · 44m · Episode 12

What this episode covers

Jordan Bass, CEO and co-founder of HOP WTR, explains how the brand leverages his background at The Wonderful Company and Fiji Water to build a non-alcoholic sparkling water infused with hops. He details the strategic pivot from an on-premise launch to e-commerce during the pandemic, followed by a rapid expansion into natural, crossover, and mass retail channels. Bass highlights key operational decisions, including the importance of secondary displays, liquid deli sampling, and leveraging a loyal online community to drive initial velocity in new retail accounts. The conversation also covers the brand's product innovation, such as the 'Double Hopped' variant, and the cultural emphasis on execution and mentorship in scaling the business.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
The Wonderful Company, Fiji Water, Sierra Nevada, Loganitas, Schlafly, Anheuser Busch, World Brewers Alliance
Products
HOP WTR, LaCroix
Also
Ray Dalio

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • People of Packaging · 31m

    259 - It's definitely NOT beer with Not Beer founder Dillon Dandurand

    Dillon Dandurand, founder of Not Beer, explains how he launched a zero-carb, zero-alcohol sparkling water in Dallas, Texas, leveraging his background at Brazi Bites and Jack Black. He details the operational challenge of sourcing a full truckload of 155,600 tall boy cans to meet minimum order quantities, opting for a turnkey manufacturer to simplify logistics. Dandurand discusses the brand's humorous packaging design, which mimics beer aesthetics, and his strategy of using sampling and influencer marketing to drive retail distribution in Texas before expanding nationally.

    Packaging designDirect-to-consumer & e-commerce
    8 chapters

  • How I Built This · 21m

    How I Built Resilience: Kara Goldin of Hint

    Kara Goldin, founder and CEO of Hint, explains how she launched the unsweetened flavored water brand after quitting diet soda to improve her health. She details the challenges of entering the saturated beverage industry without prior experience, specifically the difficulty of convincing retailers to stock a new category and the technical hurdle of creating a preservative-free product using real fruit. Goldin also discusses how Hint navigated the pandemic by leveraging its automated US-based manufacturing and pivoting aggressively to direct-to-consumer sales, which tripled during the crisis.

    Starting a product companyMaterials & manufacturing processes
    7 chapters

  • How I Built This · 1h 19m

    Liquid Death: Mike Cessario

    Mike Cessario, founder of Liquid Death, explains how he leveraged his advertising background to create a viral canned water brand by targeting the 'extreme' aesthetic of beer and energy drinks. After failing with a brandy startup and finding no US co-packers for canned spring water, he validated demand through a mock Facebook campaign before raising capital to launch. The company scaled rapidly by shifting from Austrian co-packing to US sources, navigating supply chain crises, and building a moat through entertainment-driven branding rather than product differentiation.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceMarketing & brand
    6 chapters

  • How I Built This · 1h 04m

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

    Travis Rosbach, co-founder of Hydro Flask, explains how a failed search for a BPA-free, vacuum-insulated water bottle in 2007 led him to build a new product from scratch. Despite having no engineering background, he traveled to China to find a factory willing to modify equipment for double-walled stainless steel bottles, bootstrapped the initial production by selling his possessions, and validated the product at Portland farmers' markets. After securing early retail distribution through Whole Foods and outdoor trade shows, Rosbach navigated a critical cash flow crisis and a partnership breakdown with co-founder Cindy, eventually selling his stake to investor Jim Collis in 2012 before the company was later acquired by Helen of Troy.

    Starting a product companySourcing & supply chain
    8 chapters

  • How I Built This · 44m

    Live Episode! New Belgium Brewing Company: Kim Jordan

    Kim Jordan, co-founder of New Belgium Brewing Company, recounts how she and her husband Jeff Lebesch started the brewery in their Fort Collins basement in 1991, financing it with a second mortgage and bootstrapping through manual labor. Jordan details the early struggles of securing bank loans, the decision to reject outside equity to maintain control, and the pivotal hiring of Belgian brewmaster Peter Buchard to specialize in Belgian-style beers. She explains the company's evolution into a quarter-billion-dollar enterprise and its unique culture, culminating in the decision to sell 100% of the company to its employees through an employee ownership trust.

    Starting a product companyLeadership, teams & culture
    5 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Startup CPG Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.