S12E16 - 16 Warning Signs a Founder Is About to Exit Their Water Tech Company | (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

Description

This simple sequence makes 83% of Water Founders Leave Early - that's what I found, investigating 1571 water tech companies and their 3356 founders!

More #water insights? Connect with me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/

🙌 Supporters 🙌

A big thank you to my partner SimpleLab: https://link.dww.show/simplelab

And a great shout-out to Blue Foot Membranes: https://link.dww.show/bluefoot

#️⃣ All the Links Mentioned in this Episode #️⃣
The Dynamics of Water Innovation Book: https://www.bluetechresearch.com/the-dynamics-of-water-innovation/

Global Water Intelligence's WaterData: https://www.gwiwaterdata.com/

My Review of Paul O'Callaghan's book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A36PsBc1cnc

My deep dive in Water Tech's growth stage investment scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQwOC-ys4c

🎙️ Subscribe and Listen to the Don't Waste Water Podcast HERE 🎙️

Podcast Channel: @dwwpodcast

Main Channel: @AntoineWalterDWW

Smartlink: https://smartlink.ausha.co/dont-waste-water

Website: https://dww.show/podcast/

🙋 QUESTION: What would you like me to cover next?

⏰ TIME CODES ⏰

00:00 Why start-up founders matter to investors

01:02 The Universal Sequence

02:33 3 Red Flags that Predict Failure

03:45 Methodology

05:40 Sponsor
06:26 1. Founders' Profile

08:23 2. Fundraising Events
10:06 3. Market Events

12:13 4. Team Development

15:02 5. Board Structure

16:47 6. Future Evolution

18:24 Sponsor

📝 IN THIS WEEK'S EPISODE

🔍 The critical 5-step sequence that predicts 83% of founder departures (and how board appointments trigger the countdown)

💼 Why hiring velocity is the second strongest predictor of founder exits, and what happens when a company reaches 80 employees

🚩 The three red flags that doom startups after founder departures, including why losing two founders in 24 months leads to 72% failure rate

💰 How fundraising impacts founder tenure and why hardware companies see 8% higher founder turnover than software startups

🌐 The surprising geographical differences in founder longevity across regions and what market milestones actually keep founders engaged

About this Podcast:

Welcome to the (don't) Waste Water podcast, the leading podcast for water industry professionals, investors, and entrepreneurs seeking deep insights into water tech innovation, investment trends, and strategic moves in the sector. Host Antoine Walter blends his technical expertise with sharp business acumen to deliver weekly episodes featuring candid conversations with C-suite executives, detailed analysis of major water industry developments, and practical insights for water tech startups and seasoned players alike.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

📈 We talk water investment, water tech, water entrepreneurship and water market with entrepreneurs, thought leaders, book authors, scientists, investment funds, VCs, and C-Level experts from water majors.

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

Currently in its 10th Season, the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast has already welcomed around 250 guests from Water Majors (SUEZ, Veolia, Jacobs, Xylem, Kemira, Evoqua, Aquatech, SKion Water...), Scale-Ups (Cambrian Innovation, Epic Cleantec, Gradiant, Liqtech, 374Water, Gingko Bioworks...), Start-Ups (Puraffinity, KETOS, 120Water, ZwitterCo, Membrion, Source...), Universities (Berkeley, the Columbia Water Center), Investment Funds (Sciens Water, Mazarine, Burnt Island Ventures...), Business Accelerators (Imagine H2O, Elemental...), Book Authors (Seth Siegel, David Sedlak, David Lloyd Owen...) or Market Intelligence Companies (BlueTech Research, Global Water Intelligence, World Bank, OECD, Isle Utilities...). Or simply water legends like Gary White, Mina Guli or Andrew Benedek!

On the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast, I strive to make the Water Industry easy to understand for everyone, starting with water professionals, executives, and investors. Hence, he opens the microphone to seasoned, inspirational water experts to discuss their field of excellence.

No one can claim an all-around in-depth understanding of a matter as complex as Water. But piece by piece, you can rebuild the puzzle. With curiosity, patience, and passion, Antoine Walter explores topics such as Advanced Treatment Technologies, Water-Energy Nexus (Hydrogen, Lithium...), PFAS removal, Nature-Based Solutions, Wastewater Reuse, Distributed Water Treatments, Water Finance, and Water Entrepreneurship.

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

A particular field of interest is how innovation forms, grows and gets widely adopted in a complex and conservative field like the Water Industry. This may be one of the keys to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal n°6 - #SDG6.

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

This simple sequence makes 83% of Water Founders Leave Early - that's what I found, investigating 1571 water tech companies and their 3356 founders!

More #water insights? Connect with me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/

🙌 Supporters 🙌

A big thank you to my partner SimpleLab: https://link.dww.show/simplelab

And a great shout-out to Blue Foot Membranes: https://link.dww.show/bluefoot

#️⃣ All the Links Mentioned in this Episode #️⃣
The Dynamics of Water Innovation Book: https://www.bluetechresearch.com/the-dynamics-of-water-innovation/

Global Water Intelligence's WaterData: https://www.gwiwaterdata.com/

My Review of Paul O'Callaghan's book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A36PsBc1cnc

My deep dive in Water Tech's growth stage investment scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQwOC-ys4c

🎙️ Subscribe and Listen to the Don't Waste Water Podcast HERE 🎙️

Podcast Channel: @dwwpodcast

Main Channel: @AntoineWalterDWW

Smartlink: https://smartlink.ausha.co/dont-waste-water

Website: https://dww.show/podcast/

🙋 QUESTION: What would you like me to cover next?

⏰ TIME CODES ⏰

00:00 Why start-up founders matter to investors

01:02 The Universal Sequence

02:33 3 Red Flags that Predict Failure

03:45 Methodology

05:40 Sponsor
06:26 1. Founders' Profile

08:23 2. Fundraising Events
10:06 3. Market Events

12:13 4. Team Development

15:02 5. Board Structure

16:47 6. Future Evolution

18:24 Sponsor

📝 IN THIS WEEK'S EPISODE

🔍 The critical 5-step sequence that predicts 83% of founder departures (and how board appointments trigger the countdown)

💼 Why hiring velocity is the second strongest predictor of founder exits, and what happens when a company reaches 80 employees

🚩 The three red flags that doom startups after founder departures, including why losing two founders in 24 months leads to 72% failure rate

💰 How fundraising impacts founder tenure and why hardware companies see 8% higher founder turnover than software startups

🌐 The surprising geographical differences in founder longevity across regions and what market milestones actually keep founders engaged

About this Podcast:

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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Description

This simple sequence makes 83% of Water Founders Leave Early - that's what I found, investigating 1571 water tech companies and their 3356 founders!

More #water insights? Connect with me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/

🙌 Supporters 🙌

A big thank you to my partner SimpleLab: https://link.dww.show/simplelab

And a great shout-out to Blue Foot Membranes: https://link.dww.show/bluefoot

#️⃣ All the Links Mentioned in this Episode #️⃣
The Dynamics of Water Innovation Book: https://www.bluetechresearch.com/the-dynamics-of-water-innovation/

Global Water Intelligence's WaterData: https://www.gwiwaterdata.com/

My Review of Paul O'Callaghan's book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A36PsBc1cnc

My deep dive in Water Tech's growth stage investment scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQwOC-ys4c

🎙️ Subscribe and Listen to the Don't Waste Water Podcast HERE 🎙️

Podcast Channel: @dwwpodcast

Main Channel: @AntoineWalterDWW

Smartlink: https://smartlink.ausha.co/dont-waste-water

Website: https://dww.show/podcast/

🙋 QUESTION: What would you like me to cover next?

⏰ TIME CODES ⏰

00:00 Why start-up founders matter to investors

01:02 The Universal Sequence

02:33 3 Red Flags that Predict Failure

03:45 Methodology

05:40 Sponsor
06:26 1. Founders' Profile

08:23 2. Fundraising Events
10:06 3. Market Events

12:13 4. Team Development

15:02 5. Board Structure

16:47 6. Future Evolution

18:24 Sponsor

📝 IN THIS WEEK'S EPISODE

🔍 The critical 5-step sequence that predicts 83% of founder departures (and how board appointments trigger the countdown)

💼 Why hiring velocity is the second strongest predictor of founder exits, and what happens when a company reaches 80 employees

🚩 The three red flags that doom startups after founder departures, including why losing two founders in 24 months leads to 72% failure rate

💰 How fundraising impacts founder tenure and why hardware companies see 8% higher founder turnover than software startups

🌐 The surprising geographical differences in founder longevity across regions and what market milestones actually keep founders engaged

About this Podcast:

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

This simple sequence makes 83% of Water Founders Leave Early - that's what I found, investigating 1571 water tech companies and their 3356 founders!

More #water insights? Connect with me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/

🙌 Supporters 🙌

A big thank you to my partner SimpleLab: https://link.dww.show/simplelab

And a great shout-out to Blue Foot Membranes: https://link.dww.show/bluefoot

#️⃣ All the Links Mentioned in this Episode #️⃣
The Dynamics of Water Innovation Book: https://www.bluetechresearch.com/the-dynamics-of-water-innovation/

Global Water Intelligence's WaterData: https://www.gwiwaterdata.com/

My Review of Paul O'Callaghan's book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A36PsBc1cnc

My deep dive in Water Tech's growth stage investment scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQwOC-ys4c

🎙️ Subscribe and Listen to the Don't Waste Water Podcast HERE 🎙️

Podcast Channel: @dwwpodcast

Main Channel: @AntoineWalterDWW

Smartlink: https://smartlink.ausha.co/dont-waste-water

Website: https://dww.show/podcast/

🙋 QUESTION: What would you like me to cover next?

⏰ TIME CODES ⏰

00:00 Why start-up founders matter to investors

01:02 The Universal Sequence

02:33 3 Red Flags that Predict Failure

03:45 Methodology

05:40 Sponsor
06:26 1. Founders' Profile

08:23 2. Fundraising Events
10:06 3. Market Events

12:13 4. Team Development

15:02 5. Board Structure

16:47 6. Future Evolution

18:24 Sponsor

📝 IN THIS WEEK'S EPISODE

🔍 The critical 5-step sequence that predicts 83% of founder departures (and how board appointments trigger the countdown)

💼 Why hiring velocity is the second strongest predictor of founder exits, and what happens when a company reaches 80 employees

🚩 The three red flags that doom startups after founder departures, including why losing two founders in 24 months leads to 72% failure rate

💰 How fundraising impacts founder tenure and why hardware companies see 8% higher founder turnover than software startups

🌐 The surprising geographical differences in founder longevity across regions and what market milestones actually keep founders engaged

About this Podcast:

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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