648:Biluu Lets Mexicans Safely Drink Tap Water for $150 with CEO Peter Aronso

Peter Aronson. He’s an award-winning journalist who’s has been featured on NPR and Marketplace. He’s also been a vice president in the corporate world. Now, his startup helps Mexico transform that notorious Mexican tap water into perfectly drinkable clean-tasting purified water.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – The Founder’s Dilemma
• What CEO do you follow? – N/A
• Favorite online tool? — HubSpot CRM
• Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— 7
• If you could let your 20-year old self, know one thing, what would it be? – Peter wished he took business courses and knew about the GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:12 – Nathan introduces Peter to the show
• 01:33 – People aren’t supposed to drink the water in Mexico
• 01:41 – Mexico became the No. 1 consumer per capita in the world
  • 02:08 – 70% of the consumed bottled water in Mexico is 5-gallon jug
  • 02:21 – An average Mexican family is spending more for their water than on their broadband or landline
• 02:48 – Peter’s company is Biluu
• 03:07 – Peter had been curious about the startup and business world
• 03:13 – Peter was the corporate vice president for US-Indian Joint Venture
• 03:30 – While in the Himalayas, Peter would boil his drinking water every day
• 03:35 – Eventually, Peter taught the people how to use a water purifier
• 04:00 – Peter searched how to properly filter water and what should be taken out
• 04:25 – Peter’s wife is Mexican and he returned to Mexico
• 04:36 – Biluu is a for profit business, not a non-profit
  • 04:44 – Biluu is currently doing direct sales and YouTube promotions
  • 05:00 – The main challenge in Mexico is changing people’s habits
  • 05:12 – “We’ve had to establish trust”
• 06:12 – Biluu filtration system cost is $170
  • 06:50 – For $170, they can get virtually unlimited purified drinking water for a year
  • 06:58 – A cartridge will last for a year
• 07:11 – 1500 people are drinking Biluu’s water
• 07:35 – Some of Biluu’s filtration systems are in restaurants
• 07:53 – Biluu has sold around 100 units
• 08:10 – The previous water filters in Mexico weren’t effective or scientifically proven
• 08:43 – 42% of Biluu’s growth came from referrals
• 08:55 – Biluu isn’t manufacturing by themselves
  • 09:28 – Biluu has an exclusive license to the technology
  • 09:39 – The deal is by volume commitment
  • 09:57 – Biluu needs to maintain a 6-figure sales
• 10:14 – Biluu is totally self-funded
• 10:20 – Team size is 5 and all are based in Mexico City, Mexico
• 10:47 – Biluu is trying to look for brand ambassadors to reach out to people
  • 11:06 – Biluu is also doing Facebook paid ads and Google AdWords
• 12:17 – The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

1. It’s not easy to change people’s habits, but you HAVE to try—especially if it’s for the better.
2. Learning from a community can be a life changing experience.
3. Find a brand ambassador who has a good online reputation and large following.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Top Inbox – The site Nathan uses to schedule emails to be sent later, set reminders in inbox, track opens, and follow-up with email sequences
• Organifi – The juice was Nathan’s life saver during his trip in Southeast Asia
• Klipfolio – Track your business performance across all departments for FREE
• Acuity Scheduling – Nathan uses Acuity to schedule his podcast interviews and appointments
• Host Gator– The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for the cheapest price possible
• Audible– Nathan uses Audible when he’s driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5-hour drive) to listen to audio books
• Freshbooks – Nathan doesn’t waste time so he uses Freshbooks to send out invoices and collect his money. Get your free month NOW

Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives