Supporting Startup Founders and the Water Sector with "The Water Entrepreneur" Podcast Host Paul Gagliardo

In this Interview, we meet Paul Gagliardo who is the Host of The Water Entrepreneur podcast, based in San Diego, California. The podcast focuses on the stories behind successful water startups, exploring the personal journeys, challenges, and successes of water entrepreneurs.

ONE-LINER:

"The Water Entrepreneur podcast is a virtual mentoring platform where founders can share their lessons learned and inspire the next wave of water innovators."

Pitch/Reverse Pitch:

Don’t miss Paul’s Overview of The Water Entrepreneur podcast, which you can find on the video from [3:21] to [4:38].

Discussion:

After the overview, we discuss:

• The evolution of the water startup ecosystem over the past 15 years, and how it has become more supportive and investor-friendly.
• The importance of understanding both the technical and business aspects of water innovation for successful entrepreneurship.
• Paul's insights from his time at American Water, where he focused on identifying and implementing new technologies that were both innovative and revenue-generating.

Insights:

At [15:05], Paul shares a story about how he helped American Water reduce costs by 20% by finding a clever solution to commoditize water meters, illustrating the value of innovative thinking in the water industry.

Advice:

At [24:13], Paul advises water startups to focus on finding the right entry point into utilities and understanding the difference between technologists and business-minded individuals within these organizations.