The Fundamental Molecule

By: The Fundamental Molecule with Tom Ferguson Burnt Island Ventures
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  • Summary

  • 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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Economics Leadership Management Personal Finance
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Episodes
  • Sarah Brody - From Oceans to McKinsey

    Sarah Brody - From Oceans to McKinsey
    Oct 28 2024
    It's always worth paying attention to top-level consultants as crucial advisors to their usually enormous clients. They have their finger on the pulse of the practical needs of the market and are responsive when they see critical mass in an area. Sarah Brody runs the North American water practice of McKinsey, which she has restarted in response to considerable client demand from mega-cap corporates to private equity firms. The mainstreaming of water advice for major clients is a very interesting leading indicator of the increasing attention being paid to the fundamental molecule. Sarah is a proper intrapreneur and has done exceptional work building the business on behalf of her clients. She really elucidates the role that firms like McKinsey play in this sector, and she has an excellent water origin story. Please enjoy my conversation with Sarah Brody. 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
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    36 mins
  • Michael Rigney - The Millenium Falcon of Heat Pump Water Heaters

    Michael Rigney - The Millenium Falcon of Heat Pump Water Heaters
    Oct 9 2024
    The idea of an Overton Window when the conditions around a political issue change that in turn changes the nature of what is politically possible, is a useful one in assessing businesses. Sometimes conditions change enough in a market or sector that there is suddenly a significant window of opportunity for a founder to run through. We think that is the case with Michael Rigney, CEO of Cala Systems. They're building a next generation heat pump water heater, and if they're right, they could save billions of gallons of water, reduce US national emissions by 3%, and save domestic energy consumers about $23 billion a year. We talk about the nature of the water heater market, competing against entrenched incumbents, and rebuilding a well known consumer product from the ground up. He has major game in this segment and Cala are in a fascinating position. Please enjoy my conversation with Michael Rigney. 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 ----------- Cala Systems CEO, Michael Rigney, shares insights on the future of water heating with his company’s next-generation heat pump technology. He explains how predictive control and intelligent design are set to revolutionize the industry by optimizing energy efficiency, cost savings, and user comfort. Rigney also discusses the importance of strategic partnerships, the role of branding, and the urgent need for decarbonizing residential water heating to reduce global emissions. 00:00 Introduction 00:50 Overton Window and Market Opportunities in Water Heating 01:47 Why Target the Water Heater Market 03:21 Recognizing a Unique Market Opportunity 05:40 Early Steps in Building Cala Systems 07:15 Building the World’s First Intelligent Heat Pump Water Heater 11:02 User Experience and Intelligent Water Heating 12:42 Customization and Integration with Home Systems 13:29 Branding Water Heaters: Lessons from Nest and Opower 15:37 Designing Cala Systems’ Website as a Brand Statement 17:29 The Impact of Decarbonizing Water Heating 20:17 Building a Strong Team 22:17 The Importance of Hiring Slowly and Thoughtfully 24:02 Practical Innovation: Balancing Thought and Scrappiness 25:48 Building the Company You Need for the Future 28:01 Balancing Customer and Installer Needs in Product Development 30:32 Geographic Focus for Early Deployment 35:24 Transitioning to Founder and CEO Role 36:44 Advice for Future Water Entrepreneurs Links: Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/ Michael Rigney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljrigney/ Cala Systems: https://www.calasystems.com/
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    39 mins
  • Ifetayo Venner - Gatekeepers, Big Infrastructure, and Leadership

    Ifetayo Venner - Gatekeepers, Big Infrastructure, and Leadership
    Sep 25 2024
    It's nice to have friends in high places, and in water, there are few places higher than the presidency of the Water Environment Federation, the core trade body for the wastewater industry. Ifetayo Venner and I got to know each other in 2017 when we both spoke at the opening session of WEFTEC, WEF’s annual gathering for the wastewater world, and we spoke in a cavernous room filled with about 5000 pros talking through our stories of how we got into water. Ifetayo’s was a lot better than mine, and no surprise. She is an enormously accomplished professional, Past President of WEF and a Senior VP at Arcadis, the massive engineering consultancy. She has led the creation of some very serious projects in wastewater, and I wanted to have her on The Fundamental Molecule to help us understand the role of engineering consultancies in the sector, what the world looks like from her point of view, the opportunities in infrastructure renewal, and of course, her own path through all of it. She really is great. Please enjoy my conversation with Ifetayo Venner. 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
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    46 mins

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