Out of 910 graduating students in the Class of 2014 from HBS, three went into water. Of those three, only Peter Brooks and I remain. And, meaning no offense to all our wonderful classmates, I'm glad it's him. Peter is just a really great guy. A former Marine, he worked across a variety of fascinating opportunities before setting up Sylmar Group. He and his partner Michael have been hard at work creating a compounding machine in water, building with an infinite holding period. And, as you will hear, it has developed exceptionally in the six years since it was founded. I have been looking forward to this for a long time because there are few people as thoughtful, practical, wise, self-effacing and talented as Peter. I was also amazed to find out that this is the first time he has talked about the Sylmar story on a podcast. So you're literally hearing it here first. Please enjoy my conversation with Peter Brooks.

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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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Peter Brooks details Sylmar's "compounding machine" strategy, advocating for patient, long-term investment, cultural integration, and network effects to create value. He explains their entrepreneurship-through-acquisition model, targeting small, high-quality water businesses, and emphasizes operational enhancements while preserving an entrepreneurial spirit. Peter shares insights on managing growth, recruiting talent, and his military-informed leadership. He also addresses the future water market, noting AI's increasing demand and the critical role of infrastructure, and urges entrepreneurs to pursue their "true north" for societal benefit.

00:00 - Peter Brooks & the “Compounding Machine”

02:30 - Equity, Culture & Network Effects

06:03 - Partnering with Mission-Critical Small Operators

11:27 - Listen, Prioritize, Fix Systems

17:02 - Operating System That Scales

21:24 - Disciplined Growth & Smart Capital Allocation

26:35 - Make Water a Talent Magnet

34:46 - Sales as Market Discovery

43:21 - AI Data Centers & Water

50:49 - Tech That Matters Now

1:01:27 - True North Leadership

Links:

Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/

Peter Brooks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterharringtonbrooks/

Sylmar: https://sylmargrp.com/

SM Material

Key Takeaways:

"Compounding is the consistent accumulation of small advantages that allow us to win."

"In water, patience is rewarded. Quick-turn investors often misunderstand this."

"We're building a compounding machine with long-term patient capital."

"Plans are nothing, but planning is everything. No plan survives first contact with reality."

"Water is the third pillar of public safety, critical behind fire and police."

"Embrace uncertainty. Entrepreneurship isn't for the faint of heart."

“Roughly every 5 million of EBITDA, you're going to have a different job description if you continue to...

It's always worth listening to someone's ‘why’ for doing something. What is their core motivation? Are they a tourist, or are they here for the long haul? When you combine a compelling ‘why’ with the right mix of technical brilliance, charisma, kindness, and energy, you get someone who looks and sounds a lot like Allan Adams. He is the founder and CEO of Aquatic Labs, who have made amazing strides in bringing lab chemistry into real time, eradicating one of the core monitoring problems that is profoundly bad in both water operations and ocean science. This is also the only conversation where the guest's idea of a misspent youth is teaching particle physics at MIT. He is genuinely amazing. Please enjoy my conversation with Allan Adams.

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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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Allan Adams joins Tom today to discuss how witnessing dying coral reefs after the birth of his son inspired him to leave physics and found Aquatic Labs. He critiques the inefficiency of slow, lab-based water analysis and details his mission to create real-time, scalable sensors. By first optimizing industrial processes, Aquatic Labs aims to commoditize its technology, making it affordable for vital future applications like verifying ocean carbon sequestration and tracking the true impact of climate change on our most fundamental resource.

00:00 - Introduction to Water Innovation and Entrepreneurship

00:49 - Allan Adams’ Journey from Physics to Ocean Science

02:29 - Fiji Expedition and Life-Changing Career Shift

05:25 - Passing Ocean Stewardship to the Next Generation

07:29 - Global Climate and Human Impacts on Oceans

11:12 - Founding Aquatic Labs to Scale Real-Time Ocean Sensors

15:43 - Industrial Use Cases and Aligning Profit with Conservation

19:42 - Lessons from Academia and Startup Realities

22:50 - Breaking Lab Bottlenecks with Real-Time Water Sensing

26:43 - Commercialization Journey and Market Pivot Post-Election

32:05 - Hard Lessons in Sales and Building a Mission-Driven Team

37:41 - The Big Vision: Aquatic Labs’ Role in Water and Carbon Markets

43:29 - Allan’s Advice for Water Entrepreneurs

Links:

Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/

Allan Adams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allan-adams/

The saying, "Those who tell the stories rule the world," is such a core truth that it is both a quote from Plato and a Native American proverb - two entirely distinct societies coming to the same conclusion. We in water know that our inability to tell our story is one of the most frustrating aspects of the sector and one of, if not the most, negatively impactful. So what happens when you put water's story in the hands of two of the best storytellers and creators on the planet? Matt Fitzgerald is the campaign architect of #TEAMWATER, which, after #TEAMTREES and #TEAMSEAS, is the third major campaign from MrBeast, the world's largest YouTuber, and Mark Rober, the world's most prominent science YouTuber. #TEAMWATER's aim is to mobilize $40 million in one month in order to provide two million people with clean, safe, reliable drinking water for decades. It is one seriously entrepreneurial undertaking, and Matt is a remarkable guy. We thought it would be fascinating to sit down with him and find out how he thinks about pulling off something this audacious, and we were right - it was. Please enjoy my conversation with Matt Fitzgerald.

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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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Campaign architect Matt Fitzgerald discusses the strategy behind #TEAMWATER, the $40M clean water initiative with creators MrBeast and Mark Rober. He shares his philosophy on building successful movements like #TEAMTREES and #TEAMSEAS, focusing on harnessing the "attention economy." Fitzgerald explains the importance of simple, emotionally resonant narratives that make complex issues universal and inspire mass participation, turning viewers into heroes and creating tangible change.

00:00 - Power of Storytelling in the Water Sector

02:28 - What Makes an Effective Campaign

05:39 - Building Narratives That Inspire Participation

08:12 - Inside the #TEAMWATER Mission and Impact

11:05 - Leveraging Massive Creator Reach for Change

13:29 - Lessons from #TEAMTREES and #TEAMSEAS

20:44 - Competing in the Attention Economy

25:25 - Messaging Strategies That Resonate

28:57 - Balancing Grassroots and Grasstops Influence

36:17 - Matt Fitzgerald’s Career and Campaign Insights

42:12 - Using Emotion to Drive Action

43:20 - Shaping Philanthropy for Water’s Future

47:20 - Call to Action for #TEAMWATER Support at https://teamwater.org/

49:18 - Matt’s advice for water entrepreneurs

Links:

Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/

Matt Fitzgerald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattfitzgerald/

Contribute to #TEAMWATER: https://teamwater.org/

SM Material

Key Takeaways:

"Water is where climate and people meet. You either have too much of it or too little."

"The best campaigns build relationships, activate them, and provide a next step… a cycle of engagement."

"#TEAMWATER is a $40 million crowdfunding...

Some people are born to drive their own bus. They have an idiosyncrasy of outlook that makes building their own thing inevitable. When these people run into a problem that they find both annoying and ridiculous and decide to solve it, good things happen. Mick O'Dwyer is one of those people. Even before BIV started, the second check I ever wrote, and first real one, was into his company, SwiftComply, and for good reason. He is a very serious entrepreneur in its most core sense. He's a taker of opportunities with, as you will hear, a clear attitude to risk, who delights in the wrestle of getting the thing done. As anyone who has met or shared a karaoke room with him will attest, he's also a great person to spend time with. The man could sell, and indeed has sold, Guinness to the Irish. Please enjoy my conversation with the excellent Mick O'Dwyer.

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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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Mick O'Dwyer shares his evolution from a young, ambitious engineer at Guinness to a water entrepreneur. He recounts his time at Dublin City Council, where the "ridiculous" and inefficient paper-based system for managing fats, oils, and grease in wastewater sparked the idea for his company. Mick details his journey of building SwiftComply, from developing the initial solution to moving to the U.S., making a high-stakes acquisition, and scaling the business.

00:00 - From Guinness Factory to Government Engineer

08:29 - Discovering the Wastewater Compliance Problem

12:38 - Building the First Version of SwiftComply

16:58 - Turning a Consulting Gig Into a Tech Company

20:32 - Going Global After a U.S. Conference Breakthrough

22:43 - Why Moving to Silicon Valley Was a Game-Changer

30:43 - Using AI to Improve Utility Compliance and Efficiency

33:31 - Rebuilding Product Velocity After Acquisition Challenges

41:28 - Scaling SwiftComply With Growth Investment

46:43 - Advice to Founders: Bet on “Mandated, Recurring, Painful” Problems

Links:

Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/

Mick O'Dwyer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/odwyermichael/

SwiftComply: https://www.swiftcomply.com/

SM Material

Key Takeaways:

"I had this compelling thing that the world needed a solution for the problem. What I will say is I wasn't really built to be a passenger."

"The bus was leaving the station and had no driver, and I was like, well, I'm going to be the one to drive that bus."

"I was young and opinionated and bullish. You could say I'm now old and opinionated and bullish."

"I fell in love with wastewater treatment. I fell in love with the people in the plant, actually. Like, they're just like, you know, these men who are 40 years older than me."

"I was just using practical experience to solve the problem at hand.”

"I had to extract myself from that and had the trauma of giving up things. You don't need to see the company to be the one running...

Pierre Côté is arguably the most successful inventor and technologist in the industrial wastewater space. He has two ubiquitous technologies under his belt - the hollow fiber membrane and the membrane bioreactor, or MBR - and a third technology well on the way to becoming ubiquitous: the membrane aerated biofilm reactor, or MABR. Pierre is not only brilliant and a wonderful person, he is totally focused on finding practical solutions to persistent problems that are affordable and implementable. Pierre is now at it again with a new technology for dealing with nutrient pollution via an inexpensive algae biofilm process being brought to life through AlgaFilm, our 7th investment in our Second Fund. He is a profoundly thoughtful, modest, and wise man, and his advice for technical founders is particularly on point. Please enjoy my conversation with the great Pierre Côté.

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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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Inventor Pierre Côté discusses the iterative process of invention, stressing that ideas arise from real-world problems and pressure. He details the origin of his latest venture, AlgaFilm, which evolved from failed prototypes into a novel biofilm system, and advises technical founders to focus on solving a customer's whole problem rather than just their specific technology. For success, he says entrepreneurs must build strong, diverse teams, find a market "wave" (like new regulations) to ride, and have a bit of luck on their side.

00:00 - How Inventors Solve Real-World Water Challenges02:34 - Why Innovation Requires Pressure, Curiosity, and Iteration05:12 - Cross-Disciplinary Thinking and Customer-Driven Design08:09 - The Origin Story Behind AlgaFilm’s Algae Biofilm System10:32 - How the Algae Forest Reinvents Nutrient Removal14:18 - Lessons from Past Water Tech Failures and Breakthroughs18:10 - Navigating Startup Constraints vs. Corporate Innovation21:31 - Commercializing Water Tech with a Whole-Solution Mindset25:16 - Why Cost Modeling and Competitive Awareness Matter28:43 - Staying in Water: Motivation, Mentors, and Market Realities32:15 - Future Trends: Climate Resilience, AI, and Smarter Infrastructure35:01 - Final Advice: Build the Right Team and Catch the Right Wave

Links:

Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/

AlgaFilm: https://algafilm.com/

Pierre Côté: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierre-c%C3%B4t%C3%A9-5291a226/

SM Material

Key Takeaways:

"Ideas don't come in a vacuum. You need to be exposed to problems. Start by looking for problems."

"Inventions come to fruition through iterations. Risk-taking and mistakes are part of the process."

"Introverts live in their heads, thinking about problems more than extroverts. Curiosity is key."

"Algae can do interesting things, but existing processes are either too large or complex and expensive."

"Focus on building a strong team. Include expertise outside your field for diverse solutions."

"Express objectives as goals, not means. Focus on solving problems, not just creating products."

"Limited funding in startups forces focus on pain points. It's a positive constraint."

"Find early adopters excited about new technology. Treat them...

At BIV, we have huge admiration for people who call their shot and are right. For all you hockey fans out there, it's people who ‘Gretzky’ to where the market is going to be and so are there when it arrives. Oliver Lawal is a fascinating entrepreneur. He saw something obvious - his words - and just went and built the thing and has made so many smart moves along the way. He's a truly thoughtful person, and there is a lot in this conversation for fellow entrepreneurs - from what ‘focus on the customer’ really looks like to how to build a team that never wants to do anything else. He also uses a phrase which has now entered the BIV lexicon: “There's a big difference between what I think is cool and what is actually helpful.” Never a truer word. It almost makes me forgive him for being a Spurs fan. Please enjoy my conversation with the excellent Oliver Lawal, CEO of AquiSense.

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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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Oliver Lawal discusses UV water treatment, detailing its history and AquiSense's UV-C LED innovation (analog to digital shift). He explains entrepreneurial strategies like controlling the LED supply chain by becoming a key customer and enabling customer validation with affordable lab units. Oliver emphasizes solving real problems ("cool vs. helpful") and building a strong team culture focused on shared vision, respect, and practical problem-solving rather than blame.

00:00 - Why Water Innovation Needs Entrepreneurs

02:52 - How UV Disinfection Works and Its Origins

04:42 - Why UV Beats Chemical Treatment in Water

06:57 - Transitioning UV from Mercury Lamps to LEDs

10:47 - Spotting Market Shifts and Acting Early

13:44 - Building Trust Through Scalable UV Tech

18:44 - From Petri Dishes to Multimillion-Dollar Utility Deals

23:03 - Building What’s Helpful vs. What’s “Cool”

27:06 - How Strong Co-Founder Dynamics Shape Success

31:06 - Designing a High-Performance Technical Culture

35:31 - Balancing Startup Leadership with Real Life

39:43 - Final Advice: Solve Real, Not Just Interesting, Problems

Links:

Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/

Oliver Lawal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-lawal-6877ab9/

AquiSense: https://aquisense.com/

SM Material

Key Takeaways:

"Solve a real problem. The operative word is ‘real’. Be honest about it."

"There's a big difference between what I think is cool and what is actually helpful."

"We have to control the supply chain. I want the best pricing and newest products."

"Being honest is crucial. Focus on solving the problem, not apportioning blame."

"How do you come in with a new technology and have a customer sign a $2 million contract?"

"I don't need to be excellent at everything. I need the ability to step away."

"Balance is key. America is positive, but sometimes lacks nuance."

"I have high expectations. I can be tough, but I'm focused on problem-solving."

"Variety is important. I play instruments averagely, but it's about stepping away."

"Listening to direct feedback is vital. You can't solve real problems...

There is so much that is dumb in water, but easily one of the dumbest is that in the US - let alone the rest of the world - 60 percent of meters are offline and need to be read by hand in 2025. It is an insane state of affairs, and we have had our eyes out for teams to solve it for literally years. Anne Mushow is the driving force behind the solution to this problem at Subeca. Taking over from the exceptional Patrick Keaney, she is a superb leader: practical, experienced, thoughtful, and so determined to banish the schleppiest of schlep work that is meter reading to the past. She spent a lot of time in this market, both in water at Sensus and Xylem, as well as experiencing hypergrowth at Amazon. Please enjoy my conversation with Anne Mushow.

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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Anne Mushow highlights the slow adoption of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) in the water utility sector, attributing it to factors like risk aversion and capital intensity. She emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and customer-centricity, sharing insights from her experiences at Sensus, Xylem, and Amazon. Anne also delves into Subeca's innovative approach, focusing on low-barrier adoption and leveraging technologies like Amazon Sidewalk to empower utilities with efficient and cost-effective solutions.

00:00 - Why Most Water Meters Still Require Manual Reads

02:43 - The Real Barriers to AMI Adoption in Utilities

08:41 - How Cloud and Managed Services Are Changing Water Tech

11:01 - Subeca’s Low-Friction Approach to Smart Metering

16:04 - Eliminating Manual Labor with Plug-and-Play Devices

20:15 - Building a Strong ROI Case Without Infrastructure Costs

24:05 - How to Successfully Sell Into Utility Markets

31:52 - Applying Amazon’s Culture to Water Tech Innovation

36:17 - The Future of Water Data as a Service

39:55 - Leadership Lessons from Stepping Into the CEO Role

45:50 - Anne’s advice for current and future water entrepreneurs

Links:

Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/

Anne Mushow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-mushow-3108a65b/

Subeca: https://www.subeca.com/

SM Material

Key Takeaways:

"Water utilities are buyers, not builders. They need solutions, not just data."

"In the US, 60% of meters are offline and need manual reading in 2025. It's an insane state of affairs."

"Utilities are risk-averse. They need to see proof of concept before making big investments."

"Amazon Sidewalk's connectivity in challenging terrains is astonishing. It works where others fail."

"Focus on solving real customer problems. Product-market fit will follow."

"The market for water utilities is diverse. Tailor your approach to their unique needs."

"Documentation and working backwards are key. They transform ideas into actionable plans."

"Survive and advance. Find what's working and ride it to bring in revenue for innovation."

"The sky's the limit for networks. Managed services will drive utility transformation."

"Gut is the instant amalgamation of all your experience. Trust it, but verify...

Flooding is becoming an increasingly obvious mega issue in the world today. It costs anywhere between $200 billion and $500 billion in the US alone each year. They're 31% of natural catastrophes and 1.8 billion people, about a quarter of the planet, live under flood risk. This is a nightmare for insurers who are raising their premiums in response, 17% last year in the US alone. But what if you could change the cost structure of this issue - where possible, allow homes and businesses enough lead time to take high value items out of harm's way, take the cars off the parking lot of the dealership and the goods off the warehouse floor? This can transform the insurance economics around flooding and is exactly what Previsico is doing. Jonathan Jackson is an exceptional entrepreneur now on his fourth company, and it was a pleasure to have him on The Fundamental Molecule to hear what he's building at Previsico and how he's building it. Please enjoy my conversation with Jonathan Jackson.

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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Jonathan Jackson describes the growing challenges for insurers due to unpredictable floods, and how his company, Previsico, addresses this with precise, actionable flood warnings that utilize advanced forecasts and ground sensors. This enables businesses to mitigate up to 70% of flood damage and transform the economics of insurance. He discusses Previsico's origins as a UK university spin-out, its customer-driven US market entry, the significance of a clear ROI, and core company values such as fairness and purpose. Jonathan finishes by advising entrepreneurs to focus on their specific area of expertise.

00:00 - Why Flooding Is a Massive Insurance Crisis

01:59 - How Insurers Struggle to Price Flood Risk

07:04 - Key Differences in UK vs US Flood Insurance

08:47 - Why Businesses Are Forced to Self-Insure Flood Loss

09:58 - Provisico’s Approach to Preventing 70% of Flood Damage

11:14 - How Forecasts and Sensors Enable Real-Time Response

14:52 - The ROI of Ground-Truthing Flood Data

16:24 - How a Government Grant Sparked Provisico’s Founding

21:10 - Breaking Into Insurance Through Public-Private Partnerships

24:18 - Cracking the Insurance Market with Lloyd’s Lab and Zurich

25:40 - How to Sell to Risk-Averse, Slow-Moving Enterprises

29:12 - Expanding to the U.S. Through Customer Pull, Not Push

31:11 - Building Culture Around Fairness, Purpose, and Creativity

37:18 - Why Water Entrepreneurs Must Stay Laser-Focused

Links:

Burnt Island Ventures: https://www.burntislandventures.com/

https://previsico.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-jackson-a393102/

SM Material

Key Takeaways:

"Flood risk maps estimate property location risk. Insurers use them to determine underwriting."

"A 1% flood risk every year means you could be flooded year after year. It's about communication."

"Provisico's service, with a good flood plan, can achieve 70% commercial loss prevention."

"We enable insurers to mitigate losses, improving their profitability through accurate flood warnings."

"Our flood forecast prepares organizations for flood, while sensors provide high-confidence alerts."