Nikhil Arora is co-founder of Back to the Roots. He explains how the company validated consumer demand for its tabletop aquaponic Water Garden.
Assertion Not checkable as stated
80% of first Kickstarter water pumps died within 30 days
“Our first pump was overheating in the unit because of the design constraints, and, you know, almost was like, 80% of the pumps, Alex, died within the first 30 days of the units going out on Kickstarter, and it was it literally put us out of business almost.”
Assertion Partly supported
Back to the Roots was first brand with ingredients on the front
“So on our cereal actually was the first identity preserve, like a hundred percent stone ground biodynamic cereal. I actually put the ingredients, first brand put the ingredients on the front of the box.”
Insight
Nikhil Arora: Immigrating is the ultimate form of entrepreneurship
“Even think about entrepreneurship, like, to me, immigrating is the ultimate form of that, of taking risk and sacrifice in search of something better”
Assertion Contradicted
Arora: Commercial Mushrooms Are Traditionally Cultivated on Cut Virgin Tree Logs
“Traditionally, mushrooms are grown on virgin trees being cut down for their logs, mainly overseas as a substrate to grow mushrooms.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Alice Waters tasted and praised Back to the Roots' first mushroom batch
“He ends up plucking half, half of the mushrooms out of his bucket, And I remember he chops them up, sautes them up in the back of a restaurant, and she tries them, he tries them, we try them, and I remember Chef Alice Waters was like, man, these are delicious.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Peet's Coffee paid Back to the Roots to collect their raw materials
“We ended up negotiating a rate that was a little bit cheaper than I think what they were paying waste management and so we really became valet waste collectors.”