Ep. 19: Peter Fiske - From Academic to Entrepreneur (and beyond)
Peter Fiske has packed a lot into his career, from being a rare successful academic to entrepreneur crossover to his current role as head of NAWI, the National Alliance for Water Innovation. He's just someone who loves building stuff, and he's done a lot from building and selling PAX Water Technologies to setting up the infrastructure for the radically improved coordination of US research into water technology. He's also one of the most energetic people I know - game recognize game - and one of the best communicators. Please enjoy my really fun conversation with Peter Fiske.
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Full show notes and links to mentioned content below.
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Peter discusses his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, applying academic research to solve real-world water issues, lessons from his first sale, and the future of brackish water desalination. He also highlights the need for decentralized water infrastructure and draws parallels with the energy sector's evolution. Emphasizing empathy, data, and collaboration in addressing water industry challenges, he notes that, as climate change impacts water resources, innovative solutions and industry cooperation are now, and will continue to be, vital.
0:00 Start
0:50 Introduction
1:31 Peter’s initial path into the water world
7:51 Moving from academia to entrepreneurship
19:56 Peter’s first sale and the lessons learned from it
22:46 Applying academic findings to relieve pain points
26:52 The future of brackish water desalination
28:34 Why doesn’t the US have a Department of Water?
29:51 Our main water problem
31:46 Public understanding of water issues
36:31 Water technology in the context of the S-Curve
40:30 Peter’s reflection on selling his business
43:57 His single most important piece of advice for aspiring water entrepreneurs
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